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Tornabene BJ, Smalling KL, Givens CE, Oja EB, Hossack BR. Energy-related wastewater contamination alters microbial communities of sediment, water, and amphibian skin. Sci Total Environ 2023; 880:163160. [PMID: 37003337 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
To inform responsible energy development, it is important to understand the ecological effects of contamination events. Wastewaters, a common byproduct of oil and gas extraction, often contain high concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) and heavy metals (e.g., strontium and vanadium). These constituents can negatively affect aquatic organisms, but there is scarce information for how wastewaters influence potentially distinct microbiomes in wetland ecosystems. Additionally, few studies have concomitantly investigated effects of wastewaters on the habitat (water and sediment) and skin microbiomes of amphibians or relationships among these microbial communities. We sampled microbiomes of water, sediment, and skin of four larval amphibian species across a gradient of chloride contamination (0.04-17,500 mg/L Cl) in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. We detected 3129 genetic phylotypes and 68 % of those phylotypes were shared among the three sample types. The most common shared phylotypes were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. Salinity of wastewaters increased dissimilarity within all three microbial communities, but not the diversity or richness of water and skin microbial communities. Strontium was associated with lower diversity and richness of sediment microbial communities, but not those of water or amphibian skin, likely because metal deposition occurs in sediment when wetlands dry. Based on Bray Curtis distance matrices, sediment microbiomes were similar to those of water, but neither had substantial overlap with amphibian microbiomes. Species identity was the strongest predictor of amphibian microbiomes; frog microbiomes were similar but differed from that of the salamander, whose microbiome had the lowest richness and diversity. Understanding how effects of wastewaters on the dissimilarity, richness, and diversity of microbial communities also influence the ecosystem function of communities will be an important next step. However, our study provides novel insight into the characteristics of, and associations among, different wetland microbial communities and effects of wastewaters from energy production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Tornabene
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
| | - Kelly L Smalling
- U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, 3450 Princeton Pike, Suite 110, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648, USA
| | - Carrie E Givens
- U.S. Geological Survey, Upper Midwest Water Science Center, 5840 Enterprise Drive, Lansing, MI 48911, USA
| | - Emily B Oja
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Blake R Hossack
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, MT 59812, USA; Wildlife Biology Program, W. A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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Hossack BR, Oja EB, Owens AK, Hall D, Cobos C, Crawford CL, Goldberg CS, Hedwall S, Howell PE, Lemos-Espinal JA, MacVean SK, McCaffery M, Mosley C, Muths E, Sigafus BH, Sredl MJ, Rorabaugh JC. Empirical evidence for effects of invasive American Bullfrogs on occurrence of native amphibians and emerging pathogens. Ecol Appl 2023; 33:e2785. [PMID: 36478292 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Invasive species and emerging infectious diseases are two of the greatest threats to biodiversity. American Bullfrogs (Rana [Lithobates] catesbeiana), which have been introduced to many parts of the world, are often linked with declines in native amphibians via predation and the spread of emerging pathogens such as amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]) and ranaviruses. Although many studies have investigated the potential role of bullfrogs in the decline of native amphibians, analyses that account for shared habitat affinities and imperfect detection have found limited support for clear effects. Similarly, the role of bullfrogs in shaping the patch-level distribution of pathogens is unclear. We used eDNA methods to sample 233 sites in the southwestern USA and Sonora, Mexico (2016-2018) to estimate how the presence of bullfrogs affects the occurrence of four native amphibians, Bd, and ranaviruses. Based on two-species, dominant-subordinate occupancy models fitted in a Bayesian context, federally threatened Chiricahua Leopard Frogs (Rana chiricahuensis) and Western Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium) were eight times (32% vs. 4%) and two times (36% vs. 18%), respectively, less likely to occur at sites where bullfrogs occurred. Evidence for the negative effects of bullfrogs on Lowland Leopard Frogs (Rana yavapaiensis) and Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens) was less clear, possibly because of smaller numbers of sites where these native species still occurred and because bullfrogs often occur at lower densities in streams, the primary habitat for Lowland Leopard Frogs. At the community level, Bd was most likely to occur where bullfrogs co-occurred with native amphibians, which could increase the risk to native species. Ranaviruses were estimated to occur at 33% of bullfrog-only sites, 10% of sites where bullfrogs and native amphibians co-occurred, and only 3% of sites where only native amphibians occurred. Of the 85 sites where we did not detect any of the five target amphibian species, we also did not detect Bd or ranaviruses; this suggests other hosts do not drive the distribution of these pathogens in our study area. Our results provide landscape-scale evidence that bullfrogs reduce the occurrence of native amphibians and increase the occurrence of pathogens, information that can clarify risks and aid the prioritization of conservation actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake R Hossack
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Wildlife Biology Program, W. A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Emily B Oja
- Wildlife Biology Program, W. A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | | | - David Hall
- School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Cassidi Cobos
- Turner Endangered Species Fund, Ladder Ranch, Caballo, New Mexico, USA
| | | | | | | | - Paige E Howell
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hadley, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | | | - Cody Mosley
- Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Erin Muths
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Brent H Sigafus
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA
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Smalling KL, Oja EB, Cleveland DM, Davenport JM, Eagles-Smith C, Campbell Grant EH, Kleeman PM, Halstead BJ, Stemp KM, Tornabene BJ, Bunnell ZJ, Hossack BR. Metal accumulation varies with life history, size, and development of larval amphibians. Environ Pollut 2021; 287:117638. [PMID: 34426379 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.117638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Amphibian larvae are commonly used as indicators of aquatic ecosystem health because they are susceptible to contaminants. However, there is limited information on how species characteristics and trophic position influence contaminant loads in larval amphibians. Importantly, there remains a need to understand whether grazers (frogs and toads [anurans]) and predators (salamanders) provide comparable information on contaminant accumulation or if they are each indicative of unique environmental processes and risks. To better understand the role of trophic position in contaminant accumulation, we analyzed composite tissues for 10 metals from larvae of multiple co-occurring anuran and salamander species from 20 wetlands across the United States. We examined how metal concentrations varied with body size (anurans and salamanders) and developmental stage (anurans) and how the digestive tract (gut) influenced observed metal concentrations. Across all wetlands, metal concentrations were greater in anurans than salamanders for all metals tested except mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), and zinc (Zn). Concentrations of individual metals in anurans decreased with increasing weight and developmental stage. In salamanders, metal concentrations were less correlated with weight, indicating diet played a role in contaminant accumulation. Based on batches of similarly sized whole-body larvae compared to larvae with their digestive tracts removed, our results indicated that tissue type strongly affected perceived concentrations, especially for anurans (gut represented an estimated 46-97% of all metals except Se and Zn). This suggests the reliability of results based on whole-body sampling could be biased by metal, larval size, and development. Overall, our data shows that metal concentrations differs between anurans and salamanders, which suggests that metal accumulation is unique to feeding behavior and potentially trophic position. To truly characterize exposure risk in wetlands, species of different life histories, sizes and developmental stages should be included in biomonitoring efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly L Smalling
- US Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ, 08648, USA.
| | - Emily B Oja
- US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Danielle M Cleveland
- US Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO, 65201, USA
| | - Jon M Davenport
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, 28608, USA
| | - Collin Eagles-Smith
- US Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Evan H Campbell Grant
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, S.O. Conte Anadromous Fish Research Laboratory, Turner Falls, MA, 01376, USA
| | - Patrick M Kleeman
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Point Reyes Field Station, Point Reyes Station, CA, 94956, USA
| | - Brian J Halstead
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Dixon Field Station, Dixon, CA, 95620, USA
| | - Kenzi M Stemp
- Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, 28608, USA
| | - Brian J Tornabene
- Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Zachary J Bunnell
- US Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Lawrenceville, NJ, 08648, USA
| | - Blake R Hossack
- US Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA; Wildlife Biology Program, W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
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