The unprecedented rate of global amphibian decline is attributed to The Anthropocene,
with human actions triggering the Sixth Mass Extinction Event. Amphibians have suffered
some of the most extreme declines, and their lack of response to conservation actions
may reflect challenges faced by taxa that exhibit biphasic life histories. There is
an urgent need to ensure that conservation measures are cost-effective and yield positive
outcomes. Many conservation actions have failed to meet their intended goals of bolstering
populations to ensure the persistence of species into the future. We suggest that
past conservation efforts have not considered how different threats influence multiple
life stages of amphibians, potentially leading to suboptimal outcomes for their conservation.
Our review highlights the multitude of threats amphibians face at each life stage
and the conservation actions used to mitigate these threats. We also draw attention
to the paucity of studies that have employed multiple actions across more than one
life stage. Conservation programs for biphasic amphibians, and the research that guides
them, lack a multi-pronged approach to deal with multiple threats across the lifecycle.
Conservation management programs must recognise the changing threat landscape for
biphasic amphibians to reduce their notoriety as the most threatened vertebrate taxa
globally.
