Low impact of chytridiomycosis on frog recruitment enables persistence in refuges despite high adult mortality

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorScheele, Ben
dc.contributor.authorHunter, David
dc.contributor.authorSkerratt, Lee F.
dc.contributor.authorBrannelly, Laura A.
dc.contributor.authorDriscoll, Don
dc.date.accessioned2015-12-13T22:33:13Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.date.updated2015-12-11T09:15:00Z
dc.description.abstractThe global chytridiomycosis pandemic caused by the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (. Bd) is implicated in the apparent extinction or severe decline of over 200 amphibian species. Many declined species now only persist in isolated remnant populations. In this study we examine how remnant populations coexist with Bd, focusing on disease impact on adult survival and recruitment potential in the chytridiomycosis-threatened frog Litoria verreauxii alpina. Using skeletochronology we found that the adult male population in both 2011 and 2012 was dominated by a two year old age cohort. The lack of recruitment into the three year old cohort in 2012 indicates that annual adult survival is very low. Combined with high Bd prevalence and heavy infection burdens, the pathogen appears to drive almost complete mortality of breeding adults over their first breeding season. However, adults successfully mate prior to large increases in disease prevalence that occurs during the breeding season. Infection prevalence among tadpoles and juveniles is low. Exposure to warm water could provide a mechanism for avoiding or clearing Bd infection. Relatively low Bd prevalence in juveniles prior to dispersal into terrestrial habitat indicates that Bd has minimal impact on early life history stages. As such, recruitment is probably high, allowing populations to persist despite low adult survival. This dependence on reliable annual recruitment may explain why remnant populations persist in permanent ponds rather than ephemeral ponds that were historically occupied. New management strategies that focus on increasing recruitment may provide a way forward for the management of disease-threatened amphibian species.
dc.identifier.issn0006-3207
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/75923
dc.provenancehttp://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo/issn/0006-3207/..."Author's post-print on open access repository after an embargo period of 24 months" from SHERPA/RoMEO site (as at 19/10/18). This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.sourceBiological Conservation
dc.titleLow impact of chytridiomycosis on frog recruitment enables persistence in refuges despite high adult mortality
dc.typeJournal article
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Access
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage43
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage36
local.contributor.affiliationScheele, Ben, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.affiliationHunter, D.A., NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
local.contributor.affiliationSkerratt, Lee F., James Cook University
local.contributor.affiliationBrannelly, Laura A., James Cook University
local.contributor.affiliationDriscoll, Don, College of Medicine, Biology and Environment, ANU
local.contributor.authoremailu4408124@anu.edu.au
local.contributor.authoruidScheele, Ben, u4408124
local.contributor.authoruidDriscoll, Don, u3508571
local.description.notesImported from ARIES
local.identifier.absfor050202 - Conservation and Biodiversity
local.identifier.absseo960810 - Mountain and High Country Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity
local.identifier.ariespublicationU3488905xPUB4860
local.identifier.citationvolume182
local.identifier.doi10.1016/j.biocon.2014.11.032
local.identifier.scopusID2-s2.0-84916613788
local.identifier.uidSubmittedByU3488905
local.type.statusAccepted Version

Downloads

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Scheele-Low impact of chytridiomycosis on frog recruitment enables persi.._.pdf
Size:
326.82 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

ANU Research Publications

DSpace software copyright © 2002-2024 LYRASIS