Journal article

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

Ben C Scheele, David A Hunter, Lee F Skerratt, Laura A Brannelly, Don A Driscoll

BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION | ELSEVIER SCI LTD | Published : 2015

Abstract

The 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 ..

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Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

Funding was provided by a Taronga Zoo Field Conservation Grant. In kind field support was provided by the NSW Office Of Environment and Heritage. Field and laboratory assistance was provided by C. Scheele, S. Kearney, C. Portway and R. Webb. Research as completed under NSW National Parks and Wildlife Scientific Licences SL100411 and SL100436 and ethics clearances A2011/51 and A041025/02.