Abstract
The Andes have experienced an unprecedented wave of amphibian declines and extinctions that are linked to a combination of habitat reduction and the spread of the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). In the present study, a range of high-altitude habitats in Southern Ecuador were surveyed for the presence of Bd. With a particular focus on Yacuri National Park, infection data are presented from across the resident amphibian community. This community contains a once putatively extinct species which was rediscovered in 2016, the Podocarpus Stubfoot Toad (Atelopus podocarpus). Across species, local Bd prevalence was 73% in tadpoles (n = 41 individuals from three species) and 14% in adults (n = 43 individuals from 14 species). Strikingly, 93% (14/15) of tested tadpoles of the recently described local endemic, Gastrotheca yacuri, were infected with a high pathogen load, suggesting that this species likely acts as a reservoir of infection in Yacuri. These findings show that the threat of disease for A. podocarpus still exists, and that this species requires urgent action to ensure its survival.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 157-164 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Amphibian and Reptile Conservation |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 7 Jul 2020 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2020 Jervis et al.
Funding
This research was primarily supported by Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund project number 182518074. Field work was partially funded by "Balsa de los Sapos" Amphibian Conservation Initiative of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) through Project QINV0132-IINV529010100 research fund granted to AMV by Dirección General Académica, PUCE. MCF is a fellow of the Canadian CIFAR 'Fungal Kingdom' program and is funded by the UK NERC grant NE/S000844/1 and MRC grant MR/R015600/1. Samples were obtained under Framework Contract of Access to Genetic Resources Nro. MAE-DNB-CM-2015-0039, and exported to the United Kingdom under material transfer agreement 96-2018-EXP-CM-MBI-DNB/MA granted by the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador to Dr. María Eugenia Ordoñez, who we thank for her support. For field assistance on the initial expedition to Yacuri National Park, we thank Leonardo Cedeño, Darwin Núñez, Kunam Nusirquia, and Fernando Ayala. Finally, we would like to thank Dr. Paul Szekely (Universidad Particular Técnica de Loja) for sharing field sites and field assistance, and for confirming the identifications of species sampled. Conservation Fund project number 182518074. Field work was partially funded by “Balsa de los Sapos” Amphibian Conservation Initiative of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE) through Project QINV0132-IINV529010100 research fund granted to AMV by Dirección General Académica, PUCE. MCF is a fellow of the Canadian CIFAR ‘Fungal Kingdom’ program and is funded by the UK NERC grant NE/S000844/1 and MRC grant MR/R015600/1. Samples were obtained under Framework Contract of Access to Genetic Resources Nro. MAE-DNB-CM-2015–0039, and exported to the United Kingdom under material transfer agreement 96-2018-EXP-CM-MBI-DNB/MA granted by the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador to Dr. María Eugenia Ordoñez, who we thank for her support. For field assistance on the initial expedition to Yacuri National Park, we thank Leonardo Cedeño, Darwin Núñez, Kunam Nusirquia, and Fernando Ayala. Finally, we would like to thank Dr. Paul Szekely (Universidad Particular Técnica de Loja) for sharing field sites and field assistance, and for confirming the identifications of species sampled. Acknowledgements.—This research was primarily supported by Mohammed bin Zayed Species
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Balsa de los Sapos | |
| Dirección General Académica | |
| Mohammed bin Zayed Species | |
| Ministerio del Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica | |
| Medical Research Council | 96-2018-EXP-CM-MBI-DNB, MAE-DNB-CM-2015-0039, MR/R015600/1 |
| Natural Environment Research Council | NE/S000844/1 |
| Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund | 182518074 |
Keywords
- Amphibian
- Anura
- Chytrid
- Conservation
- Ecuador
- Emerging infectious disease
- Gastrotheca
