Authors:

Anja E. Julian

Date Created:

Not specified

Course Title:

Professor:

Not specified

About Paper:

Infections with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) have been reported globally in amphibian populations, causing the decline of over 500 amphibian species and the presumed extinction of more than 90 others. Because of the severity of the declines, understanding changes in environmental conditions can inform specific strategies to minimize amphibian susceptibility to Bd. Spatial features such as tree canopy cover, ground vegetation cover, ground and surface water, and drought levels may have been affected by the landing of María on the southeast corner of the island. Here, we compare tree canopy cover and drought as well as the impact of a severe environmental disturbance (hurricane María) to evaluate the factors that can lead to increased pathogen transmission across the landscape. We focused on the Coquí Guajón (Eleutherodactylus cooki), a threatened Puerto Rican rock-dwelling frog that is known to harbor Bd infections. We developed maps of disease risk to identify areas with significant correlations among environmental and infection factors. Our findings will allow us to establish priorities for conservation in the face of climate change and novel disease outbreaks. 446

Source:

University of Florida / 2024

Topics:

No topics listed

Co-authors:

Anja E. Julian