1
|
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: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hintzen RE, Papadopoulou M, Mounce R, Banks‐Leite C, Holt RD, Mills M, T. Knight A, Leroi AM, Rosindell J. Relationship between conservation biology and ecology shown through machine reading of 32,000 articles. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2020; 34:721-732. [PMID: 31702070 PMCID: PMC7317371 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Conservation biology was founded on the idea that efforts to save nature depend on a scientific understanding of how it works. It sought to apply ecological principles to conservation problems. We investigated whether the relationship between these fields has changed over time through machine reading the full texts of 32,000 research articles published in 16 ecology and conservation biology journals. We examined changes in research topics in both fields and how the fields have evolved from 2000 to 2014. As conservation biology matured, its focus shifted from ecology to social and political aspects of conservation. The 2 fields diverged and now occupy distinct niches in modern science. We hypothesize this pattern resulted from increasing recognition that social, economic, and political factors are critical for successful conservation and possibly from rising skepticism about the relevance of contemporary ecological theory to practical conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rogier E. Hintzen
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonSilwood Park campus, Buckhurst RoadAscotBerkshireSL5 7PYU.K.
| | - Marina Papadopoulou
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonSilwood Park campus, Buckhurst RoadAscotBerkshireSL5 7PYU.K.
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningen9747 AGThe Netherlands
| | - Ross Mounce
- Arcadia FundSixth Floor, 5 Young StreetLondonW8 6EHU.K.
| | - Cristina Banks‐Leite
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonSilwood Park campus, Buckhurst RoadAscotBerkshireSL5 7PYU.K.
| | - Robert D. Holt
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFL32611U.S.A.
| | - Morena Mills
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonSilwood Park campus, Buckhurst RoadAscotBerkshireSL5 7PYU.K.
| | - Andrew T. Knight
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonSilwood Park campus, Buckhurst RoadAscotBerkshireSL5 7PYU.K.
| | - Armand M. Leroi
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonSilwood Park campus, Buckhurst RoadAscotBerkshireSL5 7PYU.K.
| | - James Rosindell
- Department of Life SciencesImperial College LondonSilwood Park campus, Buckhurst RoadAscotBerkshireSL5 7PYU.K.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Brannelly LA, Chatfield MWH, Sonn J, Robak M, Richards-Zawacki CL. Fungal infection has sublethal effects in a lowland subtropical amphibian population. BMC Ecol 2018; 18:34. [PMID: 30217158 PMCID: PMC6137908 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-018-0189-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been implicated as a primary cause of decline in many species around the globe. However, there are some species and populations that are known to become infected in the wild, yet declines have not been observed. Here we conducted a yearlong capture-mark-recapture study and a 2-year long disease monitoring study of northern cricket frogs, Acris crepitans, in the lowland subtropical forests of Louisiana. RESULTS We found little evidence for an impact of Bd infection on survival; however, Bd infection did appear to cause sublethal effects, including increased capture probability in the field. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that even in apparently stable populations, where Bd does not appear to cause mortality, there may be sublethal effects of infection that can impact a host population's dynamics and structure. Understanding and documenting such sublethal effects of infection on wild, seemingly stable populations is important, particularly for predicting future population declines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Brannelly
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | | | - Julia Sonn
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Matthew Robak
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|