Download or read book Disentangling the Biotic and Abiotic Drivers of the Amphibian Disease Chytridiomycosis written by Paul William Bradley and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ongoing worldwide loss of biodiversity has been described as a "biodiversity crisis," "the Anthropocene defaunation," and alternatively "an extinction spasm." More recently, many scientists have come to the conclusion that we are witnesses to Earth's sixth major mass extinction event, which has the potential to fundamentally alter basic ecological functions on global scale. One of the many causes of population declines, species extirpations, and extinctions contributing to this profound loss of biodiversity are emerging infectious diseases. The occurrence and spread of infectious diseases can be assisted by numerous anthropogenic causes. For example, habitat fragmentation and access to formerly undeveloped areas can increase the rate and the risk of interaction between domestic and wild animals, leading to "spill-over" of pathogens from unaffected reservoir hosts to susceptible hosts. Alternatively, global trade can lead to "pathogen pollution" caused by the translocation of pathogens or parasites directly or via the translocation of invasive species that often act as reservoir hosts in invaded ranges. Moreover, an overall increase in animal stress associated with habitat degradation, invasive species, or climate change can negatively affect the immune responses of an otherwise healthy host, which can transform benign infections into pathogenic infections. One emerging infectious disease that is in part responsible for this great loss of biodiversity is chytridiomycosis, which has been associated with numerous amphibian population declines and extinctions. Chytridiomycosis is caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which has been found on every continent where amphibians exist. Whereas Bd can infect a wide range of amphibians, there is also a wide range of heterogeneity of responses to infection. This heterogeneity exists at the species-level where some species can act as unaffected reservoirs of the disease; while at the other end of the spectrum, some species will die within days of exposure. This heterogeneity can exist at the population-level within a species; some populations survive with a persistent infection, while simultaneously mass mortality events can eliminate nearby populations of the same species. Furthermore, heterogeneity can exist within one population, where some amphibian life stages, or some individuals of the same life stage, survive after Bd-exposure while other life stages or individuals will not survive. Understanding the biotic and abiotic causes, of different responses to Bd is paramount to limiting further losses of amphibian biodiversity as well cascade effects of the loss of amphibians in ecosystems. This thesis elucidates some of the potential causes of these differences, specifically addressing heterogeneity among host species, host populations, host ages, and environmental temperature, a key environmental component that influences the biology of Bd. Previous studies have investigated the relationship between climate and chytridiomycosis by comparing differences susceptibility or sensitivity as a function of mean temperature over time. However, in addition to the predicted general warming trends associated with anthropogenic climate change, many models also predict increases in both the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather events, which can result in unusual temperature shifts for a given habitat. In Chapter 2, I describe an experiment in which I investigated how temperature shifts may influence Bd infection intensity and survival in amphibian larvae. Consistent with the "lag effect" hypothesis, Bd abundance was higher in larval red legged frogs (Rana aurora) that experienced a shift in temperature from cold to warm compared to frogs exposed to a constant temperature. Similarly, Bd abundance was lower in larval western toads (Anaxyrus boreas) that experienced a shift in temperature from warm to cold, compared to larval toads exposed to a constant temperature. In Chapter 3, I discuss the ontogeny of susceptibility to Bd infection and report on an experiment I performed in two species of frog over the first nine months post-metamorphosis. The youngest frogs of both species were the least susceptible to chytridiomycosis. Increasing age was associated with an increase in likelihood of Bd infection, increased infection intensity, and increased risk of mortality after infection. In Chapter 4, I examine differences in response to Bd infection among 10 distinct populations, using wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) collected as eggs and raised in a common garden environment through metamorphosis. I observed differences in survival after Bd-exposure among the populations, but did not observe differences in infection intensity among populations. These results suggest that populations of wood frog share a similar level of resistance to Bd infection, but differ in levels of tolerance to infection of a given intensity. This thesis describes and helps disentangle the biotic drivers (the ontogeny of susceptibility and population-level variation in susceptibly) and a key abiotic parameter (temperature) of chytridiomycosis in amphibians. The information provided may assist conservationists and population managers to focus conservation efforts and mitigate the losses of these ecologically important creatures caused by this disease.
Download or read book Wildlife Disease Ecology written by Kenneth Wilson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2019-11-14 with total page 693 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduces readers to key case studies that illustrate how theory and data can be integrated to understand wildlife disease ecology.
Download or read book The Atlantic Forest written by Marcia C. M. Marques and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-01-13 with total page 527 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Atlantic Forest is one of the 36 hotspots for biodiversity conservation worldwide. It is a unique, large biome (more than 3000 km in latitude; 2500 in longitude), marked by high biodiversity, high degree of endemic species and, at the same time, extremely threatened. Approximately 70% of the Brazilian population lives in the area of this biome, which makes the conflict between biodiversity conservation and the sustainability of the human population a relevant issue. This book aims to cover: 1) the historical characterization and geographic variation of the biome; 2) the distribution of the diversity of some relevant taxa; 3) the main threats to biodiversity, and 4) possible opportunities to ensure the biodiversity conservation, and the economic and social sustainability. Also, it is hoped that this book can be useful for those involved in the development of public policies aimed at the conservation of this important global biome.
Download or read book Genetics of Speciation written by David L. Jameson and published by . This book was released on 1977 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The nature of populations, races, subspecies, and species. Genetic basis of isolation. Origin of isolation - theoretical. Origin of isolation - experimental. The nature of the speciation process.
Download or read book Invasive Species in Forests and Rangelands of the United States written by Therese M. Poland and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-02-01 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book describes the serious threat of invasive species to native ecosystems. Invasive species have caused and will continue to cause enormous ecological and economic damage with ever increasing world trade. This multi-disciplinary book, written by over 100 national experts, presents the latest research on a wide range of natural science and social science fields that explore the ecology, impacts, and practical tools for management of invasive species. It covers species of all taxonomic groups from insects and pathogens, to plants, vertebrates, and aquatic organisms that impact a diversity of habitats in forests, rangelands and grasslands of the United States. It is well-illustrated, provides summaries of the most important invasive species and issues impacting all regions of the country, and includes a comprehensive primary reference list for each topic. This scientific synthesis provides the cultural, economic, scientific and social context for addressing environmental challenges posed by invasive species and will be a valuable resource for scholars, policy makers, natural resource managers and practitioners.
Download or read book High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World written by Jordi Catalan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-08-03 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides case studies and general views of the main processes involved in the ecosystem shifts occurring in the high mountains and analyses the implications for nature conservation. Case studies from the Pyrenees are preponderant, with a comprehensive set of mountain ranges surrounded by highly populated lowland areas also being considered. The introductory and closing chapters will summarise the main challenges that nature conservation may face in mountain areas under the environmental shifting conditions. Further chapters put forward approaches from environmental geography, functional ecology, biogeography, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Organisms from microbes to large carnivores, and ecosystems from lakes to forest will be considered. This interdisciplinary book will appeal to researchers in mountain ecosystems, students and nature professionals. This book is open access under a CC BY license.
Download or read book New Frontiers of Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases written by Serge Morand and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-09-08 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Molecular epidemiology has recently broaden its focuses due to the development of molecular tools but also by incorporating advances of other fields such as mathematical epidemiology, molecular ecology, population genetics and evolution. Facing new risks of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases that are threats for humans and their livestock, the objectives of molecular epidemiology include: - the development of molecular tools, genotyping and gene expression - the incorporation of concepts and results of population genetics of infectious diseases - the integration of recent advances in theoretical epidemiology and evolutionary ecology of diseases - a better understanding of transmission for the development of risk factors analyses. This book will demonstrate how the latest developments in molecular tools and in epidemiology can be integrated with studies of host-pathogen interactions. Besides a strong theoretical component, there will also be an emphasis on applications in the fields of epidemiology, public health, veterinary medicine, and health ecology. Students and researchers in the fields of epidemiology, animal and human health, evolutionary ecology, parasitology are the main potential readers of the book, as well as a broader audience from veterinary medicine and conservation.
Download or read book Amphibian conservation action plan proceedings IUCN SSC Amphibian Conservation Summit 2005 written by and published by IUCN. This book was released on 2007 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Declines and Disappearances of Australian Frogs written by Alastair Campbell and published by . This book was released on 1999 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: of possible causal factors; the need to support research into new areas - particularly disease as a potentially major factor influencing global declines; the need to support strategic research and to develop protocols to address this issue; and the need to support research on fluctuating asymmetry as a possible early warning tool for predicting declines. They also requested that the workshop proceedings be published; that a brochure on declining frogs be prepared; that a web site to provide up to date information about declining frog issues be established and that a national but restricted internet discussion group on frogs should be established.y, it
Download or read book Ecology of Fragmented Landscapes written by Sharon K. Collinge and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2009-06 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ask airline passengers what they see as they gaze out the window, and they will describe a fragmented landscape: a patchwork of desert, woodlands, farmlands, and developed neighborhoods. Once-contiguous forests are now subdivided; tallgrass prairies that extended for thousands of miles are now crisscrossed by highways and byways. Whether the result of naturally occurring environmental changes or the product of seemingly unchecked human development, fractured lands significantly impact the planet’s biological diversity. In Ecology of Fragmented Landscapes, Sharon K. Collinge defines fragmentation, explains its various causes, and suggests ways that we can put our lands back together. Researchers have been studying the ecological effects of dismantling nature for decades. In this book, Collinge evaluates this body of research, expertly synthesizing all that is known about the ecology of fragmented landscapes. Expanding on the traditional coverage of this topic, Collinge also discusses disease ecology, restoration, conservation, and planning. Not since Richard T. T. Forman's classic Land Mosaics has there been a more comprehensive examination of landscape fragmentation. Ecology of Fragmented Landscapes is critical reading for ecologists, conservation biologists, and students alike.
Download or read book Investigation and Management of Disease in Wild Animals written by G.A. Wobeser and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-04-17 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: - A hypothesis is a proposition, set forth as an explanation for the occurrence of a phenomenon, that can be tested. - The basis for scientific investigation is the collection of information to formulate and test hypotheses. - Experimental methods measure the effect of manipulations caused by the investigator; observational methods collect information about naturally occurring events. - There are three sub-types of experimental techniques that differ in the way subjects are chosen for inclusion in the study, in the amount of control that the investigator has over variables, and in the method used to assess changes in other variables. - Descriptive observational studies dominate the early phase of most investigations and involve the description of disease-related events in the population. Associations among factors may be observed but the strength of the associations is not measured. - Analytical observation al techniques are of three basic types: prevalence surveys, case:control studies, and incidence or cohort studies. All attempt to explain the nature of relationships among various factors and to measure the strength of associations. - Prevalence surveys and case:control studies deal with disease existing at the time of the study; incidence studies are concerned with the development of disease over time. - Observational studies may be retrospective, using existing data, or prospective with collection of new information.
Download or read book Field Guide to the Frogs Other Amphibians of Africa written by Alan Channing and published by . This book was released on 2019-12-19 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 815 species of amphibian have been described on the African continent - 788 frogs, 23 caecilians and four salamanders. Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa is the first guide ever to cover all these species. It features a brief introduction with tips for handling and identifying amphibians and a useful illustrated guide to each family group serves as a first step towards species ID. Species accounts describe physical features, distribution, habitat, biology, advertisement calls and conservation status, and are supported by colour photographs and up-to-date distribution maps. This guide will prove invaluable to nature lovers, tour guides, students and scientists.
Download or read book Eco evolutionary Dynamics written by Andrew P. Hendry and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-06-09 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent years, scientists have realized that evolution can occur on timescales much shorter than the 'long lapse of ages' emphasized by Darwin - in fact, evolutionary change is occurring all around us all the time. This work provides an authoritative and accessible introduction to eco-evolutionary dynamics, a cutting-edge new field that seeks to unify evolution and ecology into a common conceptual framework focusing on rapid and dynamic environmental and evolutionary change.
Download or read book Introduction to WinBUGS for Ecologists written by Marc Kéry and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2010-07-19 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Introduction to WinBUGS for Ecologists introduces applied Bayesian modeling to ecologists using the highly acclaimed, free WinBUGS software. It offers an understanding of statistical models as abstract representations of the various processes that give rise to a data set. Such an understanding is basic to the development of inference models tailored to specific sampling and ecological scenarios. The book begins by presenting the advantages of a Bayesian approach to statistics and introducing the WinBUGS software. It reviews the four most common statistical distributions: the normal, the uniform, the binomial, and the Poisson. It describes the two different kinds of analysis of variance (ANOVA): one-way and two- or multiway. It looks at the general linear model, or ANCOVA, in R and WinBUGS. It introduces generalized linear model (GLM), i.e., the extension of the normal linear model to allow error distributions other than the normal. The GLM is then extended contain additional sources of random variation to become a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) for a Poisson example and for a binomial example. The final two chapters showcase two fairly novel and nonstandard versions of a GLMM. The first is the site-occupancy model for species distributions; the second is the binomial (or N-) mixture model for estimation and modeling of abundance. - Introduction to the essential theories of key models used by ecologists - Complete juxtaposition of classical analyses in R and Bayesian analysis of the same models in WinBUGS - Provides every detail of R and WinBUGS code required to conduct all analyses - Companion Web Appendix that contains all code contained in the book and additional material (including more code and solutions to exercises)
Download or read book Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape Change written by David B. Lindenmayer and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2013-02-22 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Habitat loss and degradation that comes as a result of human activity is the single biggest threat to biodiversity in the world today. Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape Change is a groundbreaking work that brings together a wealth of information from a wide range of sources to define the ecological problems caused by landscape change and to highlight the relationships among landscape change, habitat fragmentation, and biodiversity conservation. The book: synthesizes a large body of information from the scientific literature considers key theoretical principles for examining and predicting effects examines the range of effects that can arise explores ways of mitigating impacts reviews approaches to studying the problem discusses knowledge gaps and future areas for research and management Habitat Fragmentation and Landscape Change offers a unique mix of theoretical and practical information, outlining general principles and approaches and illustrating those principles with case studies from around the world. It represents a definitive overview and synthesis on the full range of topics that fall under the widely used but often vaguely defined term "habitat fragmentation."
Download or read book Dynamics of Biological Invasions written by R. Hengeveld and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 1989-06-30 with total page 186 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study of biological invasions introduces dynamic concepts into biogeography and spatial concepts into ecology. By using mathematical models from epidemiology and human geography generalizations can be made and it is shown that apparently static species ranges contain dynamic internal parameters.
Download or read book Reproductive Sciences in Animal Conservation written by Pierre Comizzoli and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-08-30 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This second edition emphasizes the environmental impact on reproduction, with updated chapters throughout as well as complete new chapters on species such as sharks and rays. This is a wide-ranging book that will be of relevance to anyone involved in species conservation, and provides critical perspectives on the real utility of current and emerging reproductive sciences. Understanding reproductive biology is centrally important to the way many of the world’s conservation problems should be tackled. Currently the extinction problem is huge, with up to 30% of the world’s fauna being expected to disappear in the next 50 years. Nevertheless, it has been estimated that the global population of animals in zoos encompasses 12,000 – 15,000 species, and we anticipate that every effort will be made to preserve these species for as long as possible, minimizing inbreeding effects and providing the best welfare standards available. Even if the reproductive biology community cannot solve the global biodiversity crisis for all wild species, we should do our best to maintain important captive populations. Reproductive biology in this context is much more than the development of techniques for helping with too little or too much breeding. While some of the relevant techniques are useful for individual species that society might target for a variety of reasons, whether nationalistic, cultural or practical, technical developments have to be backed up by thorough biological understanding of the background behind the problems.
