Green toad project

Globally, amphibians are the most threatened of all vertebrates. The green toad is Sweden's most endangered amphibian species. It previously had a larger distribution in southern Sweden, but is today limited to a few localities in Skåne and Blekinge. Attempts are also underway to reintroduce the species to Öland. For reintroduction purposes, an ex-situ population is kept and larvae are bred at Nordens Ark in Bohuslän. Our research and part in the conservation work aims to document genomic diversity, population structure and degree of inbreeding in Swedish and nearby populations in our neighboring countries.

The research takes place in collaboration with the Swedish action program for the species, which is led by the County Administrative Board of Skåne and the Nordens Ark foundation for conservation. In this context, the toad's entire genome is also sequenced in collaboration with NGI, SciLifeLab. We apply genomics approaches to make informed decisions about conservation actions for the green toad in Sweden. Our efforts have so far resulted in a good picture of the levels of genetic diversity and inbreeding in extant populations and identified significant genetic differences between individuals from different populations. These insights are used in the strategic work to enhance genetic diversity in general and to breed and release toads in areas where the habitat has been restored. The project is managed by Jacob Höglund and Patrik Rödin-Mörch at the Animal Ecology Program.