Article
Ecology
M. Delia Basanta, Eria A. Rebollar, Mirna G. Garcia-Castillo, Gabriela Parra Olea
Summary: This study compared the skin bacterial diversity and Bd infection levels of A. boreas in one desert population and one pine forest population from Baja California, Mexico. The research found that desert and pine forest toad populations exhibit differences in skin bacterial community structure but show similar Bd infection levels. This suggests that certain bacteria in the skin community may be offering protection from Bd infections in these A. boreas populations.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Thais Sasso, Hamish McCallum, Laura Grogan
Summary: Field studies over the past two decades have revealed significant spatial heterogeneity of Bd occurrence in amphibian populations, influenced by a variety of biotic and abiotic factors beyond temperature. Factors such as genetic response to the pathogen, presence of invasive species, and even Bd predators play important roles in driving pathogen occurrence. However, studies have been biased towards certain amphibian species and families, with threatened species consistently being underrepresented, highlighting the need for a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding in Bd-host dynamics and conservation management.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Matthew J. Robak, Veronica Saenz, Esmee de Cortie, Corinne L. Richards-Zawacki
Summary: Symbiotic relationships between animals and microbes are crucial for various functions, and temperature variation can affect the interaction between them. The susceptibility to chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by fungi, varies among amphibians. The skin bacteria of amphibians can produce antifungal metabolites that inhibit the growth of the fungi, and this ability is influenced by temperature. The findings provide insights into the mechanisms behind chytridiomycosis outbreaks and amphibian declines in specific climates and seasons.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Taegan A. McMahon, Megan N. Hill, Garrett C. Lentz, Electra F. Scott, Nadia F. Tenouri, Jason R. Rohr
Summary: The study found that different species of amphibians exhibit varying responses to Bd exposure; some, like southern toads, may learn to avoid Bd and its metabolites, while others do not show significant avoidance behavior.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Minjie Fu, Bruce Waldman
Summary: Global wildlife trade spreads emerging infectious diseases, with a particular pathogen called chytrid causing species extinctions worldwide. However, in Asia, fire-bellied toads carry a hypervirulent ancestor variant of the chytrid pathogen and selling them internationally may spread the dangerous pathogen to new environments.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Delia Basanta, Allison Q. Byrne, Erica Bree Rosenblum, Jonah Piovia-Scott, Gabriela Parra-Olea
Summary: Research suggests that chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been present in Mexico since the late 19th century and is currently dominated by the global panzootic lineage. Genetic variation does not show a clear geographic signature or provide clear support for the epizootic wave hypothesis.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gabriel M. Barrile, Anna D. Chalfoun, Annika W. Walters
Summary: The interaction of livestock grazing, climatic variation, and breeding phenology can influence disease prevalence and annual survival in boreal toad populations challenged with a fungal pathogen, with winter snow-pack affecting breeding seasons and Bd prevalence, and grazing creating warmer microclimates without a significant impact on adult survival.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Andrea J. Adams, Anny Peralta-Garcia, Carlos A. Flores-Lopez, Jorge H. Valdez-Villavicencio, Cheryl J. Briggs
Summary: Amphibians are declining globally, and the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been the main cause. In the Mediterranean region of Baja California, Mexico, native amphibians are also declining due to the presence of Bd. Factors such as species and elevation have been found to predict the prevalence and intensity of Bd infection in the region. Historical context and comparative analyses are important in understanding contemporary Bd dynamics and implementing effective measures.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Freya E. Rowland, Elizabeth S. Schyling, L. Kealoha Freidenburg, Mark C. Urban, Jonathan L. Richardson, A. Z. Andis Arietta, Susan B. Rodrigues, Adriana D. Rubinstein, Michael F. Benard, David K. Skelly
Summary: This study evaluated patterns and factors influencing the population dynamics of wood frogs using 21 years of data, and found that neighboring ponds did not exhibit spatial synchrony in abundance. Local pond-scale conditions, including pond depth, had a stronger influence on population dynamics. Drought conditions and warm winters negatively affected populations.
Article
Ecology
Bennett M. Hardy, Erin Muths, David N. Koons
Summary: In this study, the authors integrated long-term mark-recapture data, focal measurements of reproductive effort, a population matrix model, and inferences on life-history variation to reveal differences in demographic response to disease in a susceptible frog species. They found that a high disease prevalence population compensated through recruitment, leading to positive population growth, while the low disease prevalence population did not compensate and had decreasing population growth. The high prevalence population also had faster generation times and a positive relationship between disease prevalence and the proportion of juveniles, suggesting increased reproductive effort as a pathway for compensatory recruitment.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Cynthia J. Hitchcock, Elizabeth A. Gallegos, Adam R. Backlin, Russell Barabe, Peter H. Bloom, Kimberly Boss, Cheryl S. Brehme, Christopher W. Brown, Denise R. Clark, Elizabeth R. Clark, Kevin Cooper, Julie Donnell, Edward Ervin, Peter Famolaro, Kim M. Guilliam, Jacquelyn J. Hancock, Nicholas Hess, Steven Howard, Valerie Hubbartt, Patrick Lieske, Robert Lovich, Tritia Matsuda, Katherin Meyer-Wilkins, Kamarul Muri, Barry Nerhus, Jeff Nordland, Brock Ortega, Robert Packard, Ruben Ramirez, Sam C. Stewart, Samuel Sweet, Manna Warburton, Jeffrey Wells, Ryan Winkleman, Kirsten Winter, Brian Zitt, Robert N. Fisher
Summary: Prolonged drought caused by climate change has had a negative impact on amphibians in southern California. The arroyo toad, an endangered endemic species in the region, has been a concern due to the severity and duration of the current drought. A collaborative survey conducted from 2017 to 2020 confirmed the presence of the arroyo toad in historical locations, indicating their persistence in the face of drought. However, the population's vulnerability to prolonged drought and the predicted increase in drought frequency and duration with climate change highlights the need for mitigation strategies to protect the toads and other native species that share their habitat.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Goncalo M. Rosa, Rachel Perez, Lora A. Richards, Corinne L. Richard-Zawacki, Angela M. Smilanich, Laura K. Reinert, Louise A. Rollins-Smith, Daniel P. Wetzel, Jamie Voyles
Summary: This study found that the immune function of amphibians fluctuates seasonally, contributing to seasonal infection patterns in a tropical disease system.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Anat M. Belasen, Imani D. Russell, Kelly R. Zamudio, Molly C. Bletz
Summary: The study found that long-term historical coexistence may lead to less disease-induced mortality, potentially due to hypovirulence in endemic Bd lineages, while more recent coexistence between amphibians and Bd-GPL has not yet resulted in reduced host susceptibility or pathogen virulence.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Andrew J. Kouba, Cecilia J. Langhorne, Scott T. Willard, Theodore Smith, Carrie K. Kouba
Summary: Hibernation has significant effects on both sperm quantity and quality in the endangered alpine amphibian species Anaxyrus boreas boreas, with hibernated males producing higher concentrations of sperm and exhibiting greater forward progressive motility and quality of forward progression in their sperm.
REPRODUCTION FERTILITY AND DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Matthew C. Fisher, Frank Pasmans, An Martel
Summary: Ancient associations between wildlife and their infections allow evolution to innovate pathogenicity mechanisms that are counterbalanced by host responses. However, globalization has eroded barriers to pathogen dispersal, leading to the emergence of highly virulent infections. Amphibian declines driven by chytrid fungi highlight the need to understand adaptations and counteradaptations of these infections.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF MICROBIOLOGY, VOL 75, 2021
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Brittany A. Mosher, Larissa L. Bailey, Erin Muths, Kathryn P. Huyvaert
ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS
(2018)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Brittany A. Mosher, Adrianne B. Brand, Amber N. M. Wiewel, David A. W. Miller, Matthew J. Gray, Debra L. Miller, Evan H. Campbell Grant
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE DISEASES
(2019)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Robin E. Russell, Brian J. Halstead, Brittany A. Mosher, Erin Muths, Michael J. Adams, Evan H. C. Grant, Robert N. Fisher, Patrick M. Kleeman, Adam R. Backlin, Christopher A. Pearl, R. Ken Honeycutt, Blake R. Hossack
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2019)
Article
Ecology
Brittany A. Mosher, Riley F. Bernard, Jeffrey M. Lorch, David A. W. Miller, Katherine L. D. Richgels, C. LeAnn White, Evan H. Campbell Grant
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2020)
Article
Ecology
Brittany A. Mosher, Victoria A. Saab, Michael D. Lerch, Martha M. Ellis, Jay J. Rotella
Article
Zoology
E. Muths, B. R. Hossack, E. H. Campbell Grant, D. S. Pilliod, B. A. Mosher
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
J. Hardin Waddle, Daniel A. Grear, Brittany A. Mosher, Evan H. Campbell Grant, Michael J. Adams, Adam R. Backlin, William J. Barichivich, Adrianne B. Brand, Gary M. Bucciarelli, Daniel L. Calhoun, Tara Chestnut, Jon M. Davenport, Andrew E. Dietrich, Robert N. Fisher, Brad M. Glorioso, Brian J. Halstead, Marc P. Hayes, R. Ken Honeycutt, Blake R. Hossack, Patrick M. Kleeman, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal, Jeffrey M. Lorch, Brome McCreary, Erin Muths, Christopher A. Pearl, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Charles W. Robinson, Mark F. Roth, Jennifer C. Rowe, Walt Sadinski, Brent H. Sigafus, Iga Stasiak, Samuel Sweet, Susan C. Walls, Gregory J. Watkins-Colwell, C. LeAnn White, Lori A. Williams, Megan E. Winzeler
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Alexander D. Wright, Riley F. Bernard, Brittany A. Mosher, Katherine M. O'Donnell, Taylor Braunagel, Graziella DiRenzo, Jill Fleming, Charles Shafer, Adrianne B. Brand, Elise F. Zipkin, Evan H. Campbell Grant
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Daniel A. Grear, Brittany A. Mosher, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Evan H. C. Grant
Summary: Bsal is a serious threat to global urodelan biodiversity, and while it has not been detected in North America, the region faces a high risk due to its biodiversity hotspots. The response in North America and the United States to the discovery of Bsal in Europe involved risk-based preventive management actions, including import regulations and surveillance efforts. However, despite improved confidence from surveillance efforts, the overall impact on risk reduction was limited due to the extensive area of interest and limited sampling time.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kelly L. Smalling, Brittany A. Mosher, Luke R. Iwanowicz, Keith A. Loftin, Adam Boehlke, Michelle L. Hladik, Carly R. Muletz-Wolz, Nandadevi Cortes-Rodriguez, Robin Femmer, Evan H. Campbell Grant
Summary: This study aims to investigate the relationship between amphibian disease and chemical stressors. The results show that ranavirus is prevalent in wetlands across several protected areas in the northeastern United States, and its occurrence is strongly associated with concentrations of metalloestrogens and total metals in wetland sediments, but weakly negatively related to total pesticide concentrations in larval amphibians.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
B. D. Gerber, B. A. Mosher, L. L. Bailey, E. Muths, H. J. Crockett, S. J. Converse
Summary: Identifying conservation actions to recover threatened species can be challenging due to many ecological uncertainties. Decision analysis is a pragmatic approach to making transparent and defensible decisions while dealing with uncertainties. This study found that optimal actions aimed at recovering boreal toad metapopulations in the southern Rocky Mountains are robust to the unknown dynamics of the spread of fungal pathogens.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Evan H. Campbell H. Grant, Riley O. Mummah, Brittany A. Mosher, Jonah Evans, Graziella V. DiRenzo
Summary: Surveillance programmes rely on molecular methods to detect emerging pathogens, but these methods often result in misclassifications or ambiguous detections. This study develops a Bayesian framework to improve inference and provides guidance on sample sizes for better surveillance programmes.
METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Brittany A. Mosher, Paul F. Doherty, Jonathan L. Atwood, Kennon A. Corey, Charles T. Collins
Summary: This study investigated the long-term population trends of the Island Scrub-Jay, an endemic species in Santa Cruz Island, and found a decline of approximately 1.8% annually driven by a reduction in adult survival. While little evidence for impacts of disease and climate was found, declines appeared to coincide with the timing of an increasing wild turkey population.
AVIAN CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Ariana M. Verrilli, Nicole F. Leibman, Ann E. Hohenhaus, Brittany A. Mosher
Summary: The study evaluated the safety of RibCys supplementation in dogs and its effect on erythrocyte glutathione concentration. The supplement was found to be safe and well tolerated in all dogs, with some improvements in dermatologic and orthopedic conditions observed in some dogs. However, no significant increase in GSH concentration was noted in either group.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF VETERINARY RESEARCH
(2021)