Fungal and Viral Pathogen Occurrence in Costa Rican Amphibians

Picco, Angela M.; Collins, James P.

doi:10.1670/07-033.1

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…It is not possible for us to determine whether Bd played a role in the decline of our study species at LCBS. However, we note that Picco and Collins [61] detected Bd at LCBS but did not detect Bd on any strictly terrestrial, direct-developing frog species there, including two of our study species. Furthermore, our study species and their relatives are known to increase in community dominance [30] and abundance [62] within four years of Bd -related faunal collapse.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

Individualistic Population Responses of Five Frog Species in Two Changing Tropical Environments over Time

et al. 2014

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Roughly 40% of amphibian species are in decline with habitat loss, disease, and climate change being the most cited threats. Heterogeneity of extrinsic (e.g. climate) and intrinsic (e.g. local adaptations) factors across a species’ range should influence population response to climate change and other threats. Here we examine relative detectability changes for five direct-developing leaf litter frogs between 42-year sampling periods at one Lowland Tropical Forest site (51 m.a.s.l.) and one Premontane Wet Forest site (1100 m.a.s.l.) in southwest Costa Rica. We identify individualistic changes in relative detectability among populations between sampling periods at different elevations. Both common and rare species showed site-specific declines, and no species exhibited significant declines at both sites. Detection changes are correlated with changes in temperature, dry season rainfall, and leaf litter depth since1969. Our study species share Least Concern conservation status, life history traits, and close phylogenetic relationship, yet their populations changed individualistically both within and among species. These results counter current views of the uniformity or predictability of amphibian decline response and suggest additional complexity for conservation decisions.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 63%

Individualistic Population Responses of Five Frog Species in Two Changing Tropical Environments over Time

et al. 2014

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“…The absence of Bd in fourteen surveyed species could be an artifact of the small sample sizes (1–10 individuals, Table ) because some of these species have tested positive in other studies in Costa Rica and nearby Panama (e.g., Engystomops pustulosus , Duellmanohyla rufioculis , Anotheca spinosa , Leptodactylus poecilochilus ) (Picco & Collins, ; Rodríguez‐Brenes, Rodriguez, Ibáñez, & Ryan, ; Zumbado‐Ulate et al, ). Low sample sizes were caused by low detectability during the survey period for some of the common species (e.g., Rhinella horribilis, Smilisca sordida, Lithobates vaillanti, Leptodactylus savagei ) or due to the low year‐round detectability for the more cryptic and rare species (e.g., fossorial and canopy dwellers like Oedipina gracilis, Bolitoglossa colonnea, Cruziohyla calcarifer ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is common in tropical lowland habitats: Implications for amphibian conservation

Zumbado‐Ulate

García‐Rodríguez

Vredenburg

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Numerous species of amphibians declined in Central America during the 1980s and 1990s. These declines mostly affected highland stream amphibians and have been primarily linked to chytridiomycosis, a deadly disease caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Since then, the majority of field studies on Bd in the Tropics have been conducted in midland and highland environments (>800 m) mainly because the environmental conditions of mountain ranges match the range of ideal abiotic conditions for Bd in the laboratory. This unbalanced sampling has led researchers to largely overlook host–pathogen dynamics in lowlands, where other amphibian species declined during the same period. We conducted a survey testing for Bd in 47 species ( n = 348) in four lowland sites in Costa Rica to identify local host–pathogen dynamics and to describe the abiotic environment of these sites. We detected Bd in three sampling sites and 70% of the surveyed species. We found evidence that lowland study sites exhibit enzootic dynamics with low infection intensity and moderate to high prevalence (55% overall prevalence). Additionally, we found evidence that every study site represents an independent climatic zone, where local climatic differences may explain variations in Bd disease dynamics. We recommend more detection surveys across lowlands and other sites that have been historically considered unsuitable for Bd occurrence. These data can be used to identify sites for potential disease outbreaks and amphibian rediscoveries.

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“…Bd is widely distributed throughout North and South America (Ouellet et al 2005, Picco & Collins 2007. It occurs throughout the United States, particularly in the northeast (Longcore et al 2007, Campbell Grant et al 2008, the southeast (Green & Dodd 2007, Peterson et al 2007, Rothermel et al 2008, and the west (Cummer et al 2005, Pearl et al 2007.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis prevalence is correlated with season and not urbanization in central Virginia

Pullen

Best²,

Ware³

2010

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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The global amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been documented among many species throughout the United States, though cases of chytridiomycosis, the resulting disease, have occurred mostly on the west coast. We conducted a 2 yr survey of amphibians along an urban gradient in Virginia, USA, to test whether Bd prevalence among the amphibians sampled varied with urbanization and/or season. A total of 867 adult amphibians from 13 species and 49 tadpoles from 3 species were tested for Bd. The level of urbanization was based on surrounding human population density and anthropogenic disturbance. Bd was detected in 6 species. Bd prevalence was not found to vary with increases in urbanization, but did vary with season. Prevalence peaked in the spring at 45%, when temperatures were between 14 and 25°C, and dropped to below 2% in the autumn. Results from this survey support the hypothesis that Bd is endemic to the studied sites in Virginia. The present study, in concurrence with previous research by other investigators, shows that Bd is affected strongly by weather patterns. Urbanization, defined by human population density, appeared to have minimal impact on the prevalence of Bd. In addition to understanding the geographic distribution of Bd, it is important to understand factors that affect its prevalence if we are to develop approaches to managing this emerging disease. KEY WORDS: Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis · Amphibian disease · Season · UrbanizationResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

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Fungal and Viral Pathogen Occurrence in Costa Rican Amphibians

Cited by 9 publications

References 24 publications

Individualistic Population Responses of Five Frog Species in Two Changing Tropical Environments over Time

Individualistic Population Responses of Five Frog Species in Two Changing Tropical Environments over Time

Infection with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is common in tropical lowland habitats: Implications for amphibian conservation

Amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis prevalence is correlated with season and not urbanization in central Virginia

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