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Infection dynamics in frog populations with different histories of decline caused by a deadly disease

  • Population ecology - Original research
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Abstract

Pathogens can drive host population dynamics. Chytridiomycosis is a fungal disease of amphibians that is caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). This pathogen has caused declines and extinctions in some host species whereas other host species coexist with Bd without suffering declines. In the early 1990s, Bd extirpated populations of the endangered common mistfrog, Litoria rheocola, at high-elevation sites, while populations of the species persisted at low-elevation sites. Today, populations have reappeared at many high-elevation sites where they presently co-exist with the fungus. We conducted a capture–mark–recapture (CMR) study of six populations of L. rheocola over 1 year, at high and low elevations. We used multistate CMR models to determine which factors (Bd infection status, site type, and season) influenced rates of frog survival, recapture, infection, and recovery from infection. We observed Bd-induced mortality of individual frogs, but did not find any significant effect of Bd infection on the survival rate of L. rheocola at the population level. Survival and recapture rates depended on site type and season. Infection rate was highest in winter when temperatures were favourable for pathogen growth, and differed among site types. The recovery rate was high (75.7–85.8 %) across seasons, and did not differ among site types. The coexistence of L. rheocola with Bd suggests that (1) frog populations are becoming resistant to the fungus, (2) Bd may have evolved lower virulence, or (3) current environmental conditions may be inhibiting outbreaks of the fatal disease.

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Acknowledgments

We thank K. Yasumiba, A. McNab, J. Daskin, S. McClounan, V. Udyawer, F. Ortlieb, T. Knavel, E. Roznik, L. Wilson, E. Sapsford, and C. Devor for volunteering their time to help with field work. Funding was provided by Powerlink Queensland, the Australian Research Council (DP0986537) and the James Cook University Graduate Research Scheme. The project was carried out under permit WITK03070508 issued by the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management.

Author contribution statement

SJS, RAA, and LS conceived and designed the methodology. SJS performed the fieldwork. SJS and MJV analysed the capture–mark–recapture data using multi-state models. SJS, MJV, RAA, and LS wrote the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia

    Sarah J. Sapsford, Ross A. Alford & Lin Schwarzkopf

  2. Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland

    Maarten J. Voordouw

  3. School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia

    Sarah J. Sapsford

Authors
  1. Sarah J. Sapsford
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  2. Maarten J. Voordouw
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  3. Ross A. Alford
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  4. Lin Schwarzkopf
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Correspondence to Sarah J. Sapsford.

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Communicated by Raoul Van Damme.

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Sapsford, S.J., Voordouw, M.J., Alford, R.A. et al. Infection dynamics in frog populations with different histories of decline caused by a deadly disease. Oecologia 179, 1099–1110 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-015-3422-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-015-3422-3

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