Monitoring the

Population Growth of
Cane Toads
Bedaña, Domingo, Eugenio, A. Fajardo, Herrera, Morales
Background of the Study
I N V A S I V E S P E C I E S

Organisms that are not native to a specific area. It can harm

both natural resources in an ecosystem and human use of those
resources.

Can extirpate native plants and animals, reduce biodiversity,

compete with native organisms for limited resources, and
change habits

Has the potential to have significant economic consequences

and fundamental disruptions to field and grassland ecosystems.

Has major consequences for the environment: widespread loss of

habitat and mass killing of certain endemic species
Background of the Study
C A N E T O A D S

Cane toads are extremely hardy animals that hunt insects and
other small prey using their venom-secreting poison.

Cane toads were initially used for controlling pest beetles in

the sugar cane industry here in the Philippines. They are also
used for pest control in other countries.

Their toxins are known to kill most native animals that normally
eat frogs or frog eggs (NSW Dept. of Planning and Environment,
n.d.).
Background of the Study
C A N E T O A D S

At present, these initially advantageous cane toads are

known as one of the worst invasive species in the world.

Cane toads have a high breeding capacity, large

population numbers, and the ingestion of these cane
toads' poison can kill its predators.

They are predatory and have a voracious and diverse

appetite, which in turn, depletes the food supply for
other animals.
 Model
L O G I S T I C G R O W T H M O D E L :

M
P = -kt
, 0 < t < 15
1+Ae
M = Maximum carrying capacity k = Rate of change
A = Initial population number t = time in years
 Model
E X P E C T E D P O P U L A T I O N O F C A N E T O A D S F O R
A T I M E P E R I O D I N Y E A R S ( T ) :

1 0 7 3 3 3
P = 1+1000e
-0.28t , 0 < t < 15
 Discussion of Model and Reference
N U M E R I C A L V A L U E S W E R E B A S E D O N V A R I O U S S T U D I E S :

Initial Population number (A) was taken from a report done by Panela
(2019), wherein 1,000 cane toads were released into an estero in
Quezon City as part of its anti-dengue campaign.

Carrying Capacity (M) is a theoretical value derived from the area of

Quezon City (116110000 cm) divided by the average size of a Cane Toad
(15 cm)

Rate of change (k) was taken from a study conducted by Phillips

(2009) on The evolution of growth rates on an expanding range edge.
Expected Population of Cane Toads
70000.00

60000.00

50000.00

40000.00

30000.00

20000.00

10000.00

0.00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
 Proposal
M A K E U S E O F L O G I S T I C G R O W T H M O D E L S

Logistic Growth Model

accurately shows the growth of a species over a certain time
shows the limit of how much a species' population can and should grow

Researchers can make use of a logistic growth model to monitor the

population growth of invasive species.

This specific model can assist wildlife biologists in the following:

Determining a population's maximum population or “carrying capacity.”
Finding the best method to control invasive species according to their
population
Managing the resources and wildlife in a specific area
Thank you
for listening!
Bedaña, Domingo, Eugenio, A. Fajardo, Herrera, Morales
 REFERENCES
[1] Invasive species. (n.d.). nationalgeographic.org.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/invasive-species/
[2] Pysek, P. & Richardson, D.M. (2010). Invasive Species, Environmental Change and
Management, and Health. Annual Reviews.
https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-environ-033009-095548.
[3] Cane toad (palakang-tubó). (2019). Animals of Tanay.
https://animalsoftanay.home.blog/2019/04/30/cane-toad-palakang-tubo/
[4] Cane Toads. (n.d.). NSW Government Department of Planning and Agriculture.
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/pest-animals-and-
weeds/pest-animals/cane-toads.
[5] Phillips B. L. (2009). The evolution of growth rates on an expanding range edge.
Biology letters, 5(6), 802–804. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0367