Test of a Body Condition Index with Amphibians

MacCracken, James G.; Stebbings, Jennifer L.

doi:10.1670/10-292

Cited by 112 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…SMI offers benefits over traditional measures of body condition (e.g., simple ratios of length to mass) because it accounts for the allometric relationship between body structure and mass. To calculate SMI, we followed Peig and Green (2010) and MacCracken and Stebbings (2012) procedures. Briefly, we (1) fitted a line to the length (TTL) and mass data using an ln-ln scale and used the slope estimate as the power variable in the SMI function, (2) calculated the mean length that is used as a constant in the SMI function, and (3) estimated SMI for each individual using the formula:…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life-history costs of reproductive behaviors in a wetland-breeding amphibian

Strickland

Bahram

Harden

et al. 2014

Journal of Freshwater Ecology

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Studies examining the association between life-history strategies and behavior can help inform our understanding of the fitness consequences of reproductive behaviors. Breeding migrations are common in numerous taxa and often represent an important reproductive cost. We examined body mass changes of spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) during their seasonal breeding migrations to determine the influence of breeding behaviors on reproductive costs. We sampled salamanders entering and exiting a 0.92-ha ephemeral wetland in the North Carolina Piedmont using a 400-m drift fence completely encircling the wetland. Traps were checked daily during annual breeding migrations in mid-January to early March of 2013 and 2014. The relationship between body mass changes and explanatory factors including sex, duration of stay at wetland, and distance between site entrance and exit were examined using a set of candidate linear mixed models selected a priori and compared using Akaike's information criterion. Female salamanders lost a greater percentage of body mass during the time in the wetland than males as a result of oviposition. Model selection identified duration of stay as the most important predictor of female body mass change with greater duration of stay associated with lower mass loss. In males, percentage mass loss was most closely associated with site entranceÀexit correspondence with greater distance between entrance and exit sites associated with greater mass loss. These data demonstrate both the importance of wetland entranceÀexit sites and duration of stay at the wetland in determining mass change during spotted salamander reproduction and also that these relationships can differ as a function of sex. Taken together, our findings provide a potential link between behavior, life-history cycles, and costs experienced during reproduction.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life-history costs of reproductive behaviors in a wetland-breeding amphibian

Strickland

Bahram

Harden

et al. 2014

Journal of Freshwater Ecology

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“…Food restriction can have an almost immediate effect on the physiological condition of individuals through reduced body condition or increased stress levels (Kitaysky, Piatt, & Wingfield, 2007;MacCracken & Stebbings, 2012). If insufficient food is sourced, reproductive output may be reduced (Hinam & St. Clair, 2008) or the breeding process can be interrupted for the duration of the nutritional restriction (Wingfield et al, 1998).…”

Section: Fine-scale Mechanism-limited Resource Accessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consequences of impediments to animal movements at different scales: A conceptual framework and review

Cosgrove

McWhorter

Maron

2017

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim: The persistence of animal populations depends on individuals moving successfully around a landscape, but habitat fragmentation can hinder this by reducing functional connectivity. The proximate cause of population declines in fragmented habitat is dependent on the spatial and temporal scales of movement restrictions. Location: Global.Methods: We present a conceptual framework highlighting the relationship between spatial and temporal scales, and three mechanisms through which detrimental impacts can occur when movement is disrupted in fragmented landscapes: limited resource access, restricted demographic exchange and impeded gene flow. We then review the literature to identify the proportion of studies conducted on each mechanism and whether biases existed in how often each was studied among different geographic zones or taxa. A random selection of 250 articles was classified by the mechanism, geographic region and taxon studied in each article.Results: Our conceptual framework highlighted that each of the three mechanisms tends to be characterized by movement restriction at progressively larger spatial and temporal scales. In our literature review, we found that the overwhelming majority (77%) of articles investigated impeded gene flow, and only 17% and 10% explored restricted demographic exchange and limited resource access, respectively. Work on limited resource access was disproportionately low for particular taxonomic groups, such as reptiles and amphibians.Main conclusions: Distinguishing which mechanisms are disrupted in a particular system is crucial because addressing each is likely to require a distinct conservation management response. We encourage greater focus on the less-studied mechanisms of restricted demographic exchange and limited resource access. K E Y W O R D Sdemographic rescue, food availability, genetic diversity, habitat fragmentation, habitat loss, literature review, matrix, spatial scale, structural connectivity

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“…As a meas-ure of body condition, we used the scaled mass index (SMI; Peig & Green 2009), which is highly correlated with protein and fat stores in another North American salamandrid (Taricha granulosa; MacCracken & Stebbings 2012). Recognizing the potential for false negatives and differences in sensitivity between different diagnostic techniques (in this case, PCR on toe tissue and skin swab), we only used observations that were either negative or positive by both methods of Bd screening.…”

Section: Analyses Of Adult Newt Body Condition and Recapture Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disease dynamics of red-spotted newts and their anuran prey in a montane pond community

Rothermel

Miller²,

Travis³

et al. 2016

Dis. Aquat. Org.

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Long-term monitoring of amphibians is needed to clarify population-level effects of ranaviruses (Rv) and the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). We investigated disease dynamics of co-occurring amphibian species and potential demographic consequences of Rv and Bd infections at a montane site in the Southern Appalachians, Georgia, USA. Our 3-yr study was unique in combining disease surveillance with intensive population monitoring at a site where both pathogens are present. We detected sub-clinical Bd infections in larval and adult redspotted newts Notophthalmus viridescens viridescens, but found no effect of Bd on body condition of adult newts. Bd infections also occurred in larvae of 5 anuran species that bred in our fishless study pond, and we detected co-infections with Bd and Rv in adult newts and larval green frogs Lithobates clamitans. However, all mortality and clinical signs in adult newts and larval anurans were most consistent with ranaviral disease, including a die-off of larval wood frogs Lithobates sylvaticus in small fish ponds located near our main study pond. During 2 yr of drift fence monitoring, we documented high juvenile production in newts, green frogs and American bullfrogs L. catesbeianus, but saw no evidence of juvenile recruitment in wood frogs. Larvae of this susceptible species may have suffered high mortality in the presence of both Rv and predators. Our findings were generally consistent with results of Rv-exposure experiments and support the purported role of red-spotted newts, green frogs, and American bullfrogs as common reservoirs for Bd and/or Rv in permanent and semi-permanent wetlands.

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Test of a Body Condition Index with Amphibians

Cited by 112 publications

References 34 publications

Life-history costs of reproductive behaviors in a wetland-breeding amphibian

Life-history costs of reproductive behaviors in a wetland-breeding amphibian

Consequences of impediments to animal movements at different scales: A conceptual framework and review

Disease dynamics of red-spotted newts and their anuran prey in a montane pond community

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