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Beranek CT, Maynard C, McHenry C, Clulow J, Mahony M. Rapid population increase of the threatened Australian amphibian Litoria aurea in response to wetlands constructed as a refuge from chytrid-induced disease and introduced fish. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 291:112638. [PMID: 33962282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Amphibians have declined due to multiple impacts including invasive fish and the disease chytridiomycosis caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Wetland restoration can be used to increase amphibian populations. However the design of created wetlands must account for threats such as Bd and introduced fish. There have been no attempts on a landscape level to manage these threats with habitat design. Here we monitored the green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) in 2.6 ha of constructed wetlands designed to enhance breeding and increase survival through passive mitigation of Bd and exotic fish. We compared the fecundity, adult population sizes, introduced fish occupancy, Bd prevalence and survival rates of frogs in created wetlands (CW) to three control sites to determine if and why the habitat design was successful. Monitoring involved weekly capture-recapture during the austral spring and summer for three L. aurea breeding seasons. We hypothesised that (1) if the CWs were successful in passively limiting fish colonisation, a larger number of breeding events would be detected compared to control sites which are known to be widely colonised by introduced fish. (2) If the wetlands were successful in passively mitigating Bd, then we would observe an equal or greater survival rate and equal to or lower Bd prevalence compared to control wetlands. We observed a 3.3-fold increase in adult population size in CW from season 1 to 2, and the population increased further in season 3.We found strong support for hypothesis (1) and weak support for (2). Based on these results, we conclude that this design was beneficial shortly after their formation primarily due to fish exclusion, but further study is required to determine if these benefits extend long-term. Future amphibian restoration studies are needed to improve the design of wetlands to enhance suppression of Bd.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad T Beranek
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Biology Building, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; FAUNA Research Alliance, PO Box 5092, Kahibah, NSW, 2290, Australia.
| | - Cassandra Maynard
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Biology Building, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Colin McHenry
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Biology Building, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; FAUNA Research Alliance, PO Box 5092, Kahibah, NSW, 2290, Australia
| | - John Clulow
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Biology Building, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia; FAUNA Research Alliance, PO Box 5092, Kahibah, NSW, 2290, Australia
| | - Michael Mahony
- Conservation Science Research Group, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Biology Building, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
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Brannelly LA, McCallum HI, Grogan LF, Briggs CJ, Ribas MP, Hollanders M, Sasso T, Familiar López M, Newell DA, Kilpatrick AM. Mechanisms underlying host persistence following amphibian disease emergence determine appropriate management strategies. Ecol Lett 2020; 24:130-148. [PMID: 33067922 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Emerging infectious diseases have caused many species declines, changes in communities and even extinctions. There are also many species that persist following devastating declines due to disease. The broad mechanisms that enable host persistence following declines include evolution of resistance or tolerance, changes in immunity and behaviour, compensatory recruitment, pathogen attenuation, environmental refugia, density-dependent transmission and changes in community composition. Here we examine the case of chytridiomycosis, the most important wildlife disease of the past century. We review the full breadth of mechanisms allowing host persistence, and synthesise research on host, pathogen, environmental and community factors driving persistence following chytridiomycosis-related declines and overview the current evidence and the information required to support each mechanism. We found that for most species the mechanisms facilitating persistence have not been identified. We illustrate how the mechanisms that drive long-term host population dynamics determine the most effective conservation management strategies. Therefore, understanding mechanisms of host persistence is important because many species continue to be threatened by disease, some of which will require intervention. The conceptual framework we describe is broadly applicable to other novel disease systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Brannelly
- Veterinary BioSciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Werribee, Vic, 3030, Australia
| | - Hamish I McCallum
- Environmental Futures Research Institute and School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld., 4111, Australia
| | - Laura F Grogan
- Environmental Futures Research Institute and School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld., 4111, Australia.,Forest Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
| | - Cheryl J Briggs
- Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Maria P Ribas
- Forest Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia.,Wildlife Conservation Medicine Research Group, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Spain
| | - Matthijs Hollanders
- Forest Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
| | - Thais Sasso
- Environmental Futures Research Institute and School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld., 4111, Australia
| | - Mariel Familiar López
- School of Environment and Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld., 4215, Australia
| | - David A Newell
- Forest Research Centre, School of Environment, Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW, 2480, Australia
| | - Auston M Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, 95064, USA
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Michael DR, Blanchard W, Scheele BC, Lindenmayer DB. Comparative use of active searches and artificial refuges to detect amphibians in terrestrial environments. AUSTRAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Damian R. Michael
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
- Sustainable Farms Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - Wade Blanchard
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Ben C. Scheele
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
| | - David B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
- Sustainable Farms Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra Australian Capital Territory Australia
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Valdez JW. Predaceous diving beetles (Coleoptera : Dytiscidae) may affect the success of amphibian conservation efforts. AUST J ZOOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/zo19039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The role of invertebrate predation in shaping vertebrate communities is often overlooked. This is evident with predaceous diving beetles (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), which are often the top predator in many aquatic freshwater habitats. During weekly monitoring of a reintroduction for an endangered frog, a group of a dozen adult diving beetles were encountered attacking and quickly dismembering and consuming a tadpole. A single adult diving beetle was also discovered burrowing its head inside and consuming a tadpole approximately 3–4 times its size by seemingly piercing its prey to suck out its liquefied remains. This is in contrast with the well known behaviour of adult dytiscids, which involves tearing prey into small pieces with their chewing mouthparts. Although dytiscids are known to occasionally consume vertebrates such as tadpoles, adults are typically considered scavengers, and this communal predatory behaviour and feeding method have not previously been documented. Moreover, over 80% of the tadpoles in the monitored site were found in ponds with no beetles and despite representing only a quarter of all ponds, half of the tadpoles across the landscape were in ponds free of diving beetles, demonstrating a possible influence of diving beetles on tadpoles. These observations may have implications for amphibian conservation since management efforts are not typically concerned with naturally occurring ubiquitous threats such as those from small invertebrate predators, as it has rarely been observed in nature. Although amphibian conservation plans expect some losses from natural predation, diving beetles may affect conservation efforts such as captive breeding and reintroductions with populations where every individual is critical to success.
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