Natural area visitors’ potential role in preventing pathogen threats to amphibian biodiversity

Abstract

Summary The anthropogenic spread of disease from captive to wild amphibian populations (referred to as spillover) is linked to global amphibian declines. Disinfecting procedures and protocols exist to mitigate pathogen transmission to and within natural areas, but understanding of visitor attitudes and behaviour regarding their adoption is limited. We surveyed visitors in two natural areas in a global amphibian biodiversity hotspot to assess their attitudes regarding pathogen spread in such areas and analysed the factors influencing their behavioural intentions to take specific actions to prevent pathogen spillover. Visitors’ willingness to take action was influenced by their attitudes, behavioural control and trust in wildlife/land managers, whereas socio-demographic characteristics were less influential. These findings help us to understand visitor behaviour with respect to amphibian biosecurity in natural areas and inform enhanced biosecurity measures and strategic messaging to reduce pathogen spillover.

Preparing for a Bsal invasion into North America has improved multi-sector readiness

“…As new information has developed, novel North American Bsal risk models have been created by participants of both the Research and Decision Science WGs (US: Grear et al, 2021;Gray et al, 2023b), as well as by independent scientists and partners (Mexico: Basanta et al, 2019;Ontario, Canada: Crawshaw et al, 2022;US: Moubarak et al, 2022). Also, socioeconomic research has been initiated to address biosecurity practices in US pet amphibians (see Healthy Trade WG; Cavasos et al, 2023a;Cavasos et al, 2023b;Cavasos et al, 2023c) and the role of visitors in preventing pathogen threats in natural areas (Cavasos et al, 2023d). Specific examples follow.…”