Decline and flounder of a Sussex common toad (Bufo bufo) population

Common toads Bufo bufo have declined over much of southern and eastern England in recent decades where other widespread amphibian species have remained relatively stable. One such toad decline, at Offham marshes in Sussex, was investigated over the fifteen year period 1998-2012 immediately subsequent to a tenfold decrease in population size between 1989 and 1997. Syntopic amphibians (Rana temporaria, Lissotriton vulgaris and L. helveticus) probably also declined at this site. The surviving toad population continued to recruit new cohorts and had an apparently healthy age structure. Habitat quality (aquatic and terrestrial) remained good and there was no evidence of disease. An invasive species (Pelophylax ridibundus) was excluded as a likely cause of toad decline. However, traffic on a neighbouring road rendered more than half the previously available terrestrial habitat for toads essentially unreachable. Furthermore, reduced management of vegetation in ditches where the toads breed apparently increased mortality of developing tadpoles. Future prospects for conserving and increasing the toad population are discussed.