Museum collections: Mining the past to manage the future

Lips, Karen R.

doi:10.1073/pnas.1107246108

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(15 reference statements)

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“…Historical ecological knowledge and information, combined with interpretation of ecological change, can make important contributions to informed decision making and addressing contemporary conservation issues (Muths et al., ; Swetnam, Allen, & Betancourt, ). Diverse historical resources can be drawn upon to measure environmental change, from interviews (Golden, Naisilsisili, Ligairi, & Drew, ; Jennings & Hayes, ) to specimens (Lips, ), and even works of art (Zerefos et al., ). Erroneous perceptions that contemporary conditions are the most accurate standard for ecological health, resulting from a lack of intergenerational communication, lapses in human memory, or the imperceptibly slow deterioration of ecosystems—a phenomenon referred to as shifting baseline syndrome—can lead to inaccurate assumptions about historical abundances and trends and result in poorly informed management decisions (Papworth, Rist, Coad, & Milner‐Gulland, ; Pauly, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid extirpation of a North American frog coincides with an increase in fungal pathogen prevalence: Historical analysis and implications for reintroduction

Adams

Pessier

Briggs

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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As extinctions continue across the globe, conservation biologists are turning to species reintroduction programs as one optimistic tool for addressing the biodiversity crisis. For repatriation to become a viable strategy, fundamental prerequisites include determining the causes of declines and assessing whether the causes persist in the environment. Invasive species—especially pathogens—are an increasingly significant factor contributing to biodiversity loss. We hypothesized that Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the causative agent of the deadly amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, was important in the rapid (<10 years) localized extirpation of a North American frog (Rana boylii) and that Bd remains widespread among extant amphibians in the region of extirpation. We used an interdisciplinary approach, combining interviews with herpetological experts, analysis of archived field notes and museum specimen collections, and field sampling of the extant amphibian assemblage to examine (1) historical relative abundance of R. boylii; (2) potential causes of R. boylii declines; and (3) historical and contemporary prevalence of Bd. We found that R. boylii were relatively abundant prior to their rapid extirpation, and an increase in Bd prevalence coincided with R. boylii declines during a time of rapid change in the region, wherein backcountry recreation, urban development, and the amphibian pet trade were all on the rise. In addition, extreme flooding during the winter of 1969 coincided with localized extirpations in R. boylii populations observed by interview respondents. We conclude that Bd likely played an important role in the rapid extirpation of R. boylii from southern California and that multiple natural and anthropogenic factors may have worked in concert to make this possible in a relatively short period of time. This study emphasizes the importance of recognizing historical ecological contexts in making future management and reintroduction decisions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid extirpation of a North American frog coincides with an increase in fungal pathogen prevalence: Historical analysis and implications for reintroduction

Adams

Pessier

Briggs

2017

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Natural history collections are becoming increasingly important for ecological and conservation research [ 1 , 2 ], facilitating studies as diverse as those documenting the effects of environmental contaminants [ 3 ] and morphological responses to anthropogenic climate change [ 4 ]. With the advancement of molecular techniques, museum specimens have considerable value for inquiries about infectious diseases and their conservation consequences [ 5 – 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This hypothesis has been the focus of much recent research (as reviewed in [ 16 ]) and has been supported by both genetic [ 17 – 20 ] and spatiotemporal data [ 21 , 22 ]. Museum specimen collections have an increasingly important function in enabling ecologists to address specific questions about the potential role of Bd in historical amphibian populations [ 2 ]. Patterns of Bd emergence and spread have been deduced from work with archived amphibian specimens [ 7 , 23 – 30 ], using both histological and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA Extraction Method Affects the Detection of a Fungal Pathogen in Formalin-Fixed Specimens Using qPCR

et al. 2015

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Museum collections provide indispensable repositories for obtaining information about the historical presence of disease in wildlife populations. The pathogenic amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has played a significant role in global amphibian declines, and examining preserved specimens for Bd can improve our understanding of its emergence and spread. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) enables Bd detection with minimal disturbance to amphibian skin and is significantly more sensitive to detecting Bd than histology; therefore, developing effective qPCR methodologies for detecting Bd DNA in formalin-fixed specimens can provide an efficient and effective approach to examining historical Bd emergence and prevalence. Techniques for detecting Bd in museum specimens have not been evaluated for their effectiveness in control specimens that mimic the conditions of animals most likely to be encountered in museums, including those with low pathogen loads. We used American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) of known infection status to evaluate the success of qPCR to detect Bd in formalin-fixed specimens after three years of ethanol storage. Our objectives were to compare the most commonly used DNA extraction method for Bd (PrepMan, PM) to Macherey-Nagel DNA FFPE (MN), test optimizations for Bd detection with PM, and provide recommendations for maximizing Bd detection. We found that successful detection is relatively high (80–90%) when Bd loads before formalin fixation are high, regardless of the extraction method used; however, at lower infection levels, detection probabilities were significantly reduced. The MN DNA extraction method increased Bd detection by as much as 50% at moderate infection levels. Our results indicate that, for animals characterized by lower pathogen loads (i.e., those most commonly encountered in museum collections), current methods may underestimate the proportion of Bd-infected amphibians. Those extracting DNA from archived museum specimens should ensure that the techniques they are using are known to provide high-quality throughput DNA for later analysis.

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“…Pounds et al, 2006). Museum collections and associated field data from large geographic areas and diverse species pools offer opportunities to assess changes in population status and evaluate potential causes (Rovito et al, 2009;Lips, 2011). Several studies have correlated the timing of population declines with the presence of agents by examining museum specimens for pathogens (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Truly enigmatic declines in terrestrial salamander populations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Caruso

Lips

2012

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim Woodland salamanders (genus: Plethodon) declined synchronously across many protected areas in Eastern North America by the mid‐1980s, but no cause was attributed to these declines. We hypothesized that the rapid, synchronous loss of several populations of many species was consistent with the invasive pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd), and we resurveyed historic sites to search for Bd in current populations. Location Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Methods We surveyed 35 sites 2–4 times between March and November 2009, quantified community composition and abundance of 72 populations of six species and three hybrids of Plethodon salamanders, and collected 665 skin swabs to detect Bd. Results At 22 of the 35 sites, we were unable to find one or more species that were historically present. Plethodon glutinosus and P. teyahalee and their hybrids were less abundant than historically found, P. jordani x metcalfi and P. ventralis were more abundant and the remaining three species fluctuated but showed no net change. Yet, only one of the 665 salamanders was positive for Bd. Main conclusions Declines were not associated with particular localities, but occurred in particular species. We conclude that over collecting, logging, and acid rain are unlikely to have caused these population declines, but we were unable to rule out disease or climate change as contributing factors. Population declines of Plethodon salamanders in the Park are substantial and have persisted for 30 years. Determining the cause and the extent of these declines is important for managing this area of global salamander biodiversity.

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Museum collections: Mining the past to manage the future

Cited by 12 publications

References 19 publications

Rapid extirpation of a North American frog coincides with an increase in fungal pathogen prevalence: Historical analysis and implications for reintroduction

Rapid extirpation of a North American frog coincides with an increase in fungal pathogen prevalence: Historical analysis and implications for reintroduction

DNA Extraction Method Affects the Detection of a Fungal Pathogen in Formalin-Fixed Specimens Using qPCR

Truly enigmatic declines in terrestrial salamander populations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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