Selected bibliography of Wyoming amphibians and reptiles

Corn, Paul Stephen; Bury, R. Bruce; Welsh, Hartwell H.

doi:10.5479/si.23317515.59.1

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…The boreal toad in Colorado is part of the SRM group of a larger species complex but may represent a distinct species or a distinct population segment (Goebel et al , Switzer et al ). Once common in the mountains of Colorado, southern Wyoming, and northern New Mexico, the boreal toad has declined since the late 1970s (Corn et al , Carey , Hammerson ). It is a state endangered species in Colorado and New Mexico and a native species of special concern in Wyoming.…”

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confidence: 99%

Influence of demography and environment on persistence in toad populations

et al. 2016

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Effective conservation of rare species requires an understanding of how potential threats affect population dynamics. Unfortunately, information about population demographics prior to threats (i.e., baseline data) is lacking for many species. Perturbations, caused by climate change, disease, or other stressors can lead to population declines and heightened conservation concerns. Boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) have undergone rangewide declines due mostly to the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), with only a few sizable populations remaining in the southern Rocky Mountains, USA, that are disease‐free. Despite the apparent region‐wide occurrence of Bd, our focal populations in central Colorado were disease free over a 14‐year capture‐mark‐recapture study until the recent discovery of Bd at one of the sites. We used recapture data and the Pradel reverse‐time model to assess the influence of environmental and site‐specific conditions on survival and recruitment. We then forecast changes in the toad populations with 2 growth models; one using an average lambda value to initiate the projection, and one using the most recent value to capture potential effects of the incursion of disease into the system. Adult survival was consistently high at the 3 sites, whereas recruitment was more variable and markedly low at 1 site. We found that active season moisture, active season length, and breeding shallows were important factors in estimating recruitment. Population growth models indicated a slight increase at 1 site but decreasing trends at the 2 other sites, possibly influenced by low recruitment. Insight into declining species management can be gained from information on survival and recruitment and how site‐specific environmental factors influence these demographic parameters. Our data are particularly useful because they provide baseline data on demographics in populations before a disease outbreak and enhance our ability to detect changes in population parameters potentially caused by the disease. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.

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confidence: 99%

Influence of demography and environment on persistence in toad populations

et al. 2016

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“…Funk et al., 2005; Giordano et al., 2007). However, it is likely that the low population structure and differentiation we detect is a reflection of historical connectivity among densely distributed populations, many of which are now extirpated and an insufficient number of generations for recent Bd ‐related declines in the SRM to increase genetic structure ( Bd arrival ~1980s; Carey, 1993; Corn et al., 1989). Anecdotal accounts suggest A. boreas was widespread and abundant in high‐elevation wetlands prior to the arrival of Bd (Hammerson, 1999; Muths & Nanjappa, 2005) and is known to commonly disperse overland up to 6 km (Bartelt et al., 2004; Bull, 2006; Muths, 2003; Muths et al., 2003, 2018; Thompson, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Conservation genomics of an endangered montane amphibian reveals low population structure, low genomic diversity and selection pressure from disease

Trumbo,

Hardy,

Crockett

et al. 2023

Molecular Ecology

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Wildlife diseases are a major global threat to biodiversity. Boreal toads (Anaxyrus [Bufo] boreas) are a state‐endangered species in the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado and New Mexico, and a species of concern in Wyoming, largely due to lethal skin infections caused by the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). We performed conservation and landscape genomic analyses using single nucleotide polymorphisms from double‐digest, restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing in combination with the development of the first boreal toad (and first North American toad) reference genome to investigate population structure, genomic diversity, landscape connectivity and adaptive divergence. Genomic diversity (π = 0.00034–0.00040) and effective population sizes (Ne = 8.9–38.4) were low, likely due to post‐Pleistocene founder effects and Bd‐related population crashes over the last three decades. Population structure was also low, likely due to formerly high connectivity among a higher density of geographically proximate populations. Boreal toad gene flow was facilitated by low precipitation, cold minimum temperatures, less tree canopy, low heat load and less urbanization. We found >8X more putatively adaptive loci related to Bd intensity than to all other environmental factors combined, and evidence for genes under selection related to immune response, heart development and regulation and skin function. These data suggest boreal toads in habitats with Bd have experienced stronger selection pressure from disease than from other, broad‐scale environmental variations. These findings can be used by managers to conserve and recover the species through actions including reintroduction and supplementation of populations that have declined due to Bd.

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Selected bibliography of Wyoming amphibians and reptiles

Cited by 2 publications

References 60 publications

Influence of demography and environment on persistence in toad populations

Influence of demography and environment on persistence in toad populations

Conservation genomics of an endangered montane amphibian reveals low population structure, low genomic diversity and selection pressure from disease

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