Dr Frank Lemckert

I have been working on the ecology and conservation of Australian vertebrates for 35 years with a particular focus on frogs. My main area of research and consideration has been managing the impacts of human activities on threatened species.

I have undertaken ecological studies of a number of different threatened frog species to provide advice to government agencies on how best to mitigate impacts. This has provided me with many different opportunities to conduct research using a range of techniques including radio-tracking and pit-tagging and I have had the opportunity to undertake some lengthy monitoring programs that have given me some useful insights into the natural fluctuations of populations of Australian frogs. I have had the good fortune to work collaboratively with many of Australia’s frog biologists and have been directly involved in assessments of the conservation status of frogs for the NSW Government, Australian Government and the IUCN. Recently I completed writing the survey guidelines for fogs used for the NSW Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) which reminded me of how much we still have to learn about frogs in Australia. I have been a past president of the Australian Society of Herpetologists and been the convenor of the NSW Declining Frog Working Group. My more recent works with consultancies have given me more opportunity to work on other vertebrate groups including bats and reptiles, but frogs remain my greatest interest.

I also have a long history of undertaking training courses for government and non-government people to instruct them in the survey, identification and management of Australian fauna and also have provided many talks to community groups and schools over the years. I believe if I could spend more time talking to children especially I would have a better chance to instill in them the beauty of our natural world and a willingness to look after it.

I have published nearly one hundred papers and articles with some of the more interesting/relevant ones below.

Publications

• Gillespie, G.R., Roberts, J.D., Hunter, D., Hoskin, C.J., Alford, R.A., Heard, G.W., Hines, H. Lemckert, F., Newell, D. & Scheele, B.C. 2020. Status and Priority Conservation Actions for Australian Frog Species. Biological Conservation 247, 108543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108543.
• Mahony, M., Moses, B., Mahony, S.V., Lemckert, F.L. & S Donnellan. 2020. A new species of frog in the Litoria ewingii species group (Anura: Pelodryadidae) from south-eastern Australia. Zootaxa 4858: 201-230.
• Mahony, M.J., Hamer, A.J., Pickett, E.J., McKenzie, D.J., Stockwell, M.P., Garnham, J.I., Keely, C.C., Deboo, M., O'Meara, J., Pollard, C.J., Clulow, S., Lemckert, F.L., Bower, D.S., & Clulow, J. 2013. Identifying conservation and research priorities in the face of uncertainty: a review of the threatened bell frog complex in eastern Australia. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 8:519-538.
• Hecnar S. J., & Lemckert, F.L. 2012. Habitat Protection: Refuges and Reserves. Pp 3636-3675 In Biology of the Amphibia Volume 10 - Conservation and Decline of Amphibians: Ecology, Effects of Humans, and Management. H. Heatwole (Ed.). Surrey-Beattey and Sons, Sydney.
• Lemckert, F.L., & Mahony, M.J. 2018. The status of Decline and Conservation of Frogs in Temperate Coastal South-eastern Australia. Pp 59-72 In Amphibian Biology Volume 11 - Conservation and Decline of Amphibians: Eastern Hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Islands). H. Heatwole and J. Rowley (Eds.). CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
• Lemckert, F.L., Hecnar S.J., & Pilliod, D.S. 2012. Habitat Destruction and Modification. Pp 3291-3342 In Biology of the Amphibia Volume 10 - Conservation and Decline of Amphibians: Ecology, Effects of Humans, and Management. H. Heatwole (Ed.). Surrey-Beattey and Sons, Sydney.
• Lemckert, F.L. & Penman, T. 2012. Climate Change and Australia's frogs: how much do we need to worry? Pp 92-98 In: Wildlife and Climate Change: towards robust conservation strategies for Australian fauna. D. Lunney & P. Hutchings (Eds.). Royal Zoological Society of NSW, Mosman, NSW, Australia.
• Hero, J-M, Richards, S, Alford, R., Allison, A., Bishop, P., Gunther, R., Iskandar, D., Kraus, F., Lemckert, F., Menzies, J., Roberts, D. & Tyler, M. 2008. Amphibians of the Australasian Realm. Pp 65-73 In: Threatened Amphibians of the World. S. N. Stuart, M. Hoffman, J. S., Chanson, N. A. Cox, R. J. Berridge, P. J. Ramani & B. E. Young (Eds.). Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
• Hamer, R., Lemckert, F.L. & Banks, P.B. 2011. Adult frogs are sensitive to the predation risks of olfactory communication. Biology Letters 7:361-363.
• Lemckert, F & Mahony, M.J. 2010. The relationship among multiple-scale habitat variables and pond use by anurans in northern New South Wales, Australia. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 5:537–547.
• Lemckert, F., Rosauer D. & Slatyer, C. 2009. A comparison of Australia’s anuran records against the reserve system. Biodiversity and Conservation 18:1233-1246.
• Penman, T.D., Lemckert, F.L. & Mahony, M.J. 2008. Applied conservation management of a threatened forest dependent frog, Heleioporus australiacus. Endangered Species Research 5:45-53.
• Lemckert, F.L. & Mahony, M.J. 2008. Core calling periods of the frogs of temperate New South Wales, Australia. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 3:71-76.
• Semeniuk, M., Lemckert, F.L. & Shine, R. 2007. Breeding-site selection by cane toads (Bufo marinus) and native frogs in northern New South Wales, Australia. Wildlife Research 34:59-66.
• Slatyer, C., Rosauer, D. & Lemckert, F. 2007. An assessment of endemism and species richness patterns in the Australian Anura. Journal of Biogeography 34:583-596.
• Hero, J-M., Morrison, C., Gillespie, G., Roberts, J.D., Newell, D., Meyer, E., McDonald, K., Lemckert, F., Mahony, M., Osborne, W., Hines, H., Richards, S., Hoskin, C., Clarke, J., Doak, N. & Shoo, L. 2006. Overview of the conservation status of Australian Frogs. Pacific Conservation Biology 12:313-320.