Genetic management of an amphibian population after a chytridiomycosis outbreak

Albert, Eva M.; Fernández-Beaskoetxea, Saioa; Godoy, José A.; Tobler, Ursina; Schmidt, Benedikt R.; Bosch, Jaime

doi:10.1007/s10592-014-0644-6

Cited by 14 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…A lack of monitoring and the speed of chytridiomycosis-driven amphibian declines have resulted in few data being available for assessing the genetic impact of the disease. Despite the numerous population declines reported, only one study has investigated the associated genetic impact, providing evidence of a disease-induced population bottleneck in the common midwife toad ( Alytes obstetricans ) 15 . This is important as amphibians, which often have small effective population sizes, fragmented populations and low dispersal rates, are particularly vulnerable to loss of genetic diversity 16 .…”

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confidence: 99%

Dynamics and genetics of a disease-driven species decline to near extinction: lessons for conservation

Hudson

Young

Jackson

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Amphibian chytridiomycosis has caused precipitous declines in hundreds of species worldwide. By tracking mountain chicken (Leptodactylus fallax) populations before, during and after the emergence of chytridiomycosis, we quantified the real-time species level impacts of this disease. We report a range-wide species decline amongst the fastest ever recorded, with a loss of over 85% of the population in fewer than 18 months on Dominica and near extinction on Montserrat. Genetic diversity declined in the wild, but emergency measures to establish a captive assurance population captured a representative sample of genetic diversity from Montserrat. If the Convention on Biological Diversity’s targets are to be met, it is important to evaluate the reasons why they appear consistently unattainable. The emergence of chytridiomycosis in the mountain chicken was predictable, but the decline could not be prevented. There is an urgent need to build mitigation capacity where amphibians are at risk from chytridiomycosis.

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confidence: 99%

Dynamics and genetics of a disease-driven species decline to near extinction: lessons for conservation

Hudson

Young

Jackson

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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“…Large disease outbreaks are, intuitively, expected to reduce diversity and connectivity, as well as potentially driving adaptation, and several studies have found evidence of fragmentation in post‐disease populations (Addison & Hart, ; Albert et al, ; Serieys, Lea, Pollinger, Riley, & Wayne, ). However, while some studies have found evidence of genetic bottlenecks, inbreeding, or both (Albert et al, ; Rachowicz et al, ; Serieys et al, ; Trudeau, Britten, & Restani, ), others have found no evidence of substantial losses of diversity (Eggert et al, ; Lachish, Miller, Storfer, Goldizen, & Jones, ; le Gouar et al, ; Morgan, Hunter, Pietsch, Osborne, & Keogh, ; Queney et al, ). Understanding why some populations undergo large losses of diversity while others retain their genetic diversity is critical for conservation and management efforts, as well as for enhancing our understanding of disease ecology and the influence of diseases on host population genetics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The return of the frogs: The importance of habitat refugia in maintaining diversity during a disease outbreak

et al. 2019

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Recent decades have seen the emergence and spread of numerous infectious diseases, often with severe negative consequences for wildlife populations. Nevertheless, many populations survive the initial outbreaks, and even undergo recoveries. Unfortunately, the long‐term effects of these outbreaks on host population genetics are poorly understood; to increase this understanding, we examined the population genetics of two species of rainforest frogs (Litoria nannotis and Litoria serrata) that have largely recovered from a chytridiomycosis outbreak at two national parks in the Wet Tropics of northern Australia. At the wetter, northern park there was little evidence of decreased genetic diversity in either species, and all of the sampled sites had high minor allele frequencies (mean MAF = 0.230–0.235), high heterozygosity (0.318–0.325), and few monomorphic markers (1.4%–4.0%); however, some recovered L. nannotis populations had low Ne values (59.3–683.8) compared to populations that did not decline during the outbreak (1,537.4–1,756.5). At the drier, southern park, both species exhibited lower diversity (mean MAF = 0.084–0.180; heterozygosity = 0.126–0.257; monomorphic markers = 3.7%–43.5%; Ne = 18.4–676.1). The diversity patterns in this park matched habitat patterns, with both species having higher diversity levels and fewer closely related individuals at sites with higher quality habitat. These patterns were more pronounced for L. nannotis, which has lower dispersal rates than L. serrata. These results suggest that refugia with high quality habitat are important for retaining genetic diversity during disease outbreaks, and that gene flow following disease outbreaks is important for re‐establishing diversity in populations where it was reduced.

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“…; Beebee & Griffiths ; Albert et al . ), future studies of how litter quality influences trematode parasitism in natural wetlands are clearly warranted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there is no general relationship between N and lignin (a fundamental structural polyphenol) across litter species (Ostrofsky 1997), and the strength of these conflicting forces in natural wetlands will depend on the specific plant species composition in a particular area. Given that many amphibian populations are threatened by anthropogenic change and disease (Stuart et al 2004;Beebee & Griffiths 2005;Albert et al 2015), future studies of how litter quality influences trematode parasitism in natural wetlands are clearly warranted.…”

Section: Consequences For Changing Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bottom‐up and trait‐mediated effects of resource quality on amphibian parasitism

Stephens

Altman

Berven

et al. 2016

Journal of Animal Ecology

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Leaf litter subsidies are important resources for aquatic consumers like tadpoles and snails, causing bottom-up effects on wetland ecosystems. Recent studies have shown that variation in litter nutritional quality can be as important as litter quantity in driving these bottom-up effects. Resource subsidies likely also have indirect and trait-mediated effects on predation and parasitism, but these potential effects remain largely unexplored. We generated predictions for differential effects of litter nutrition and secondary polyphenolic compounds on tadpole (Lithobates sylvatica) exposure and susceptibility to Ribeiroia ondatrae, based on ecological stoichiometry and community-ecology theory. We predicted direct and indirect effects on key traits of the tadpole host (rates of growth, development and survival), the trematode parasite (production of the cercaria infective stages) and the parasite's snail intermediate host (growth and reproduction). To test these predictions, we conducted a large-scale mesocosm experiment using a natural gradient in the concentrations of nutrients (nitrogen) and toxic secondary compounds (polyphenolics) of nine leaf litter species. To differentiate between effects on exposure vs. susceptibility to infection, we included multiple infection experiments including one with constant per capita exposure. We found that increased litter nitrogen increased tadpole survival, and also increased cercaria production by the snail intermediate hosts, causing opposing effects on tadpole per capita exposure to trematode infection. Increased litter polyphenolics slowed tadpole development, leading to increased infection by increasing both their susceptibility to infection and the length of time they were exposed to parasites. Based on these results, recent shifts in forest composition towards more nitrogen-poor litter species should decrease trematode infection in tadpoles via density- and trait-mediated effects on the snail intermediate hosts. However, these shifts also involve increased abundance of litter species with high polyphenolic levels, which should increase trematode infection via trait-mediated effects on tadpoles. Future studies will be needed to determine the relative strength of these opposing effects in natural wetland communities. [Correction added after online publication on 5 January 2017: wording changed to 'which should increase trematode infection via trait-mediated effects on tadpoles'.].

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Genetic management of an amphibian population after a chytridiomycosis outbreak

Cited by 14 publications

References 51 publications

Dynamics and genetics of a disease-driven species decline to near extinction: lessons for conservation

Dynamics and genetics of a disease-driven species decline to near extinction: lessons for conservation

The return of the frogs: The importance of habitat refugia in maintaining diversity during a disease outbreak

Bottom‐up and trait‐mediated effects of resource quality on amphibian parasitism

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