Global warming and amphibian losses. Arising from: J. A. Pounds et al. Nature 439, 161–167 (2006)

Alford, Ross A., Bradfield, Kay S., and Richards, Stephen J. (2007) Global warming and amphibian losses. Arising from: J. A. Pounds et al. Nature 439, 161–167 (2006). Nature, 447. E3-E4.

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DOI: 10.1038/nature05940

View at Publisher Website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature05940

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Abstract

[Extract] Is global warming contributing to amphibian declines and extinctions by promoting outbreaks of the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis? Analysing patterns from the American tropics, Pounds et al. envisage a process in which a single warm year triggers die-offs in a particular area (for instance, 1987 in the case of Monteverde, Costa Rica). However, we show here that populations of two frog species in the Australian tropics experienced increasing developmental instability, which is evidence of stress at least two years before they showed chytrid-related declines. Because the working model of Pounds et al. is incomplete, their test of the climate-linked epidemic hypothesis could be inconclusive.


Item ID:	16656
Item Type:	Article (Commentary)
ISSN:	1476-4687
Related URLs:	Publisher
Additional Information:	A link to the original article by Pounds et al (2006) can be found in the Related URLs field.
Date Deposited:	03 Dec 2012 06:19
FoR Codes:	06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0602 Ecology > 060207 Population Ecology @ 50% 06 BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES > 0602 Ecology > 060208 Terrestrial Ecology @ 50%
SEO Codes:	96 ENVIRONMENT > 9608 Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity > 960810 Mountain and High Country Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity @ 100%
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