Age structure of amphibian populations with endemic chytridiomycosis, across climatic regions with markedly different infection risk.

ABSTRACT: Threatening processes, such as disease, can drive major changes in population demographics of the host. Chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has led to the decline of at least 500 amphibian species across the globe and has been shown to truncate host age structure by lowering adult survival rates. This results in heavy reliance on annual recruitment and the inability to recover in the event of periodic recruitment failure. We used skeletochronology to determine the age structure, growth, and survival rates of populations of an endangered amphibian, Litoria raniformis, with endemic chytridiomycosis, across two climatically disparate regions in south-eastern Australia: semi-arid and temperate. Contrary to predictions, popul

SUBMITTER: Turner A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9309026 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature