Occurrence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in an anuran community in the southeastern Talamanca Region of Costa Rica
Abstract
Soon after the discovery of the amphibian disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd, Longcore et al. 1999), it became apparent that Bd was a major threat to amphibians resulting in mass die-offs and population declines throughout the world (Berger et aI. 1998; Blaustein and Keisecker 2002; Daszak et aI. 2003; McCallum 2005; Rachowicz et aI. 2006). Evidence suggests that Bd infected amphibian populations in Central America as early as the 1980s (Pounds et aI. 1997). Work done in Central America has implicated that a wave of Bd has moved through the montane regions of Central America and was associated with major declines in amphibian populations and species richness (Lips et aI. 2006; Puschendorf et al. 2006). However, in some cases, Bd also may occur in amphibian communities with little or no effect on populations (Berger et aI. 1998; Brem and Lips 2008; Gamer et al. 2006).