Advanced Ecology Symposium
The influence of body size on Bd infection intensity in North American Anurans
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Graduate
Major
Biology / Watershed Studies
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Howard H. Whiteman
Presentation Format
Poster Presentation
Abstract/Description
Anurans have experienced detrimental population declines due to infections of pathogenic fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the cause of the lethal disease chytridiomycosis (chytrid). The pathogenesis of chytrid is still unclear, as certain species and individuals within a species are differentially affected. Body size may influence susceptibility and mortality of Bd in frogs due to the osmotic nature of semipermeable amphibian skin; smaller frogs have less control over their osmotic rate as a consequence of their high surface area:volume ratio, and osmosis is negatively impacted by both epidermal surface area and as a symptom of Bd infection. Thus, the objective of this study is to use published field guides and scientific literature to compare total body length in certain frog species and assess average Bd infection intensity and mortality rates. This study will provide a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of Bd and the interacting effect of body size on disease resistance. These results will aid in threatened amphibian conservation through identification of species, or individuals within a species, that are most susceptible to Bd and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) infections.
Fall Scholars Week 2023 Event
Advanced Ecology Symposium
The influence of body size on Bd infection intensity in North American Anurans
Anurans have experienced detrimental population declines due to infections of pathogenic fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the cause of the lethal disease chytridiomycosis (chytrid). The pathogenesis of chytrid is still unclear, as certain species and individuals within a species are differentially affected. Body size may influence susceptibility and mortality of Bd in frogs due to the osmotic nature of semipermeable amphibian skin; smaller frogs have less control over their osmotic rate as a consequence of their high surface area:volume ratio, and osmosis is negatively impacted by both epidermal surface area and as a symptom of Bd infection. Thus, the objective of this study is to use published field guides and scientific literature to compare total body length in certain frog species and assess average Bd infection intensity and mortality rates. This study will provide a greater understanding of the pathogenesis of Bd and the interacting effect of body size on disease resistance. These results will aid in threatened amphibian conservation through identification of species, or individuals within a species, that are most susceptible to Bd and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) infections.