Temporal distribution and age structure of tadpoles of<i>Hypsiboas faber</i>and<i>H. leptolineatus</i>in ponds: how do they coexist?

Infection by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a major threat to amphibians and has caused catastrophic global declines of amphibian populations. Some studies have detected a seasonal pattern of infection associated with the local climate, and although most of them have focused on investigating the seasonality of Bd in relation to its impacts on amphibians, fewer have aimed to understand the chytrid persistence in the amphibian assemblage over seasons by investigating reservoir hosts. Since tadpoles are generally tolerant to Bd infection, they often play a relevant role in local disease dynamics. Thus, we hypothesized that tadpoles of Boana faber, a species that can be found in permanent ponds throughout the seasons, would function as Bd reservoirs. We therefore investigated Bd infection prevalence in tadpoles of this species over 2 yr in a nature reserve. As expected, we detected a seasonal variation of Bd infection, with a higher prevalence of Bd during the coldest months (winter) when compared to the warmer months (summer). Interestingly, our seasonal-trend decomposition analysis showed that Bd prevalence is increasing annually in the area, which could represent either a natural fluctuation of this pathogen, or an imminent threat to that anuran assemblage. With this study, we highlight the tadpole of B. faber as a potential reservoir for Bd, and we suggest that monitoring Bd in such hosts could be a powerful tool for identifying priority areas for amphibian conservation.

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Influence of landscape on the presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Ranavirus in tadpoles in the southern Atlantic Forest of Brazil

Santos,

Dalmolin,

Ruggeri

et al. 2024

Front. Amphib. Reptile Sci.

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IntroductionHabitat loss, as well as infectious diseases, have been suggested as the main causes for the worldwide decline of amphibian populations. Thus, the search for biotic indicators is a useful tool for mapping priority demands in disease management.AimsHere we analyzed the prevalence of two pathogens, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Ranavirus (Rv), in anuran communities in southern Brazil. We explored the relationship between the prevalence of Bd and landscape class and used an indicator-species and indicator-community approach to identify which species and communities have the potential to indicate the presence of Bd.MethodsWe used histological analyses to access Bd and PCR for Rv in tadpole communities.Key resultsOur data, based on 26 anuran communities, revealed high Bd prevalence but absence of Rv. Three species, of the 26 communities studied, were found to be Bd indicators, including endemic species from southern Brazil and Argentina. Additionally, the analysis with an indicator-community approach revealed that communities from larger forest areas are Bd indicators.ConclusionsAnalyses at the community level, which relate landscape to pathogens, provide unprecedented and highly relevant information for fragmented Atlantic Forest landscapes. Based on our results, we argue that even communities in larger forest patches (apparently well-preserved) are susceptible to Bd and deserve attention regarding the possibility of incidence of chytridiomycosis. Implications. From our results, we consider that the use of Bd-indicator species and Bd-indicator communities is a useful approach for conservation and could be used to evaluate the threatened status of species and for proposals for landscape management.

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Temporal distribution and age structure of tadpoles ofHypsiboas faberandH. leptolineatusin ponds: how do they coexist?

Cited by 3 publications

References 22 publications

Food Habits of Invasive Bullfrogs and Native Thin-Toed Frogs Occurring in Sympatry in Southeastern Brazil

Food Habits of Invasive Bullfrogs and Native Thin-Toed Frogs Occurring in Sympatry in Southeastern Brazil

Seasonal prevalence of the amphibian chytrid in a tropical pond-dwelling tadpole species

Influence of landscape on the presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and Ranavirus in tadpoles in the southern Atlantic Forest of Brazil

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