The amphibians and reptiles of Cusuco National Park, Northwest Honduras: updates from a long-term conservation programme

\ua9 Alexandra E. Laking et al.Mesoamerican cloud forests support a rich and unique biodiversity but face severe threats from increasing habitat degradation and climate change. Here, we present an updated overview of the amphibians and reptiles of Cusuco National Park (CNP), an isolated cloud forest in the Sierra de Omoa, Northwest Honduras. Based on surveys conducted over a 17-year period, we report the presence of 105 confirmed species of amphibians (30) and reptiles (75) within the reserve. This includes numerous threatened and regionally endemic amphibian species, as well as several reptile species previously unrecorded within the park. Given that it harbours approximately 26% of all recorded Honduran herpetofauna, our study highlights CNP as the most diverse forest region in Honduras with respect to the reptile and amphibian diversity documented to date. Our findings reinforce the plea to actively protect CNP as a globally valuable biodiversity hotspot and a centre of herpetofaunal endemicity. Furthermore, in the face of rapid deforestation across Mesoamerica, our findings highlight the need for expanded biodiversity studies across extant forest regions in Honduras to refine species distribution ranges and facilitate timely and effective conservation measures

Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity

Anthropogenic trade and development have broken down dispersal barriers, facilitating the spread of diseases that threaten Earth's biodiversity. We present a global, quantitative assessment of the amphibian chytridiomycosis panzootic, one of the most impactful examples of disease spread, and demonstrate its role in the decline of at least 501 amphibian species over the past half-century, including 90 presumed extinctions. The effects of chytridiomycosis have been greatest in large-bodied, range-restricted anurans in wet climates in the Americas and Australia. Declines peaked in the 1980s, and only 12% of declined species show signs of recovery, whereas 39% are experiencing ongoing decline. There is risk of further chytridiomycosis outbreaks in new areas. The chytridiomycosis panzootic represents the greatest recorded loss of biodiversity attributable to a disease

Detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in amphibians imported into the UK for the pet trade

There is increasing evidence that the global spread of the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been facilitated by the international trade in amphibians. Bd was first detected in the UK in 2004, and has since been detected in multiple wild amphibian populations. Most amphibians imported into the UK for the pet trade from outside the European Union enter the country via Heathrow Animal Reception Centre (HARC), where Bd positive animals have been previously detected. Data on the volume, diversity and origin of imported amphibians were collected for 59 consignments arriving at HARC between November 2009 and June 2012, along with a surveillance study to investigate the prevalence of Bd in these animals. Forty three amphibian genera were recorded, originating from 12 countries. It was estimated that 5000 – 7000 amphibians are imported through HARC into the UK annually for the pet trade. Bd was detected in consignments from the USA and Tanzania, in six genera, resulting in an overall prevalence of 3.6%. This suggests that imported amphibians are a source of Bd within the international pet trade

Unraveling the historical prevalence of the invasive chytrid fungus in the Bolivian Andes: implications in recent amphibian declines

We studied the historical prevalence of the invasive and pathogenic chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) among amphibians from the Bolivian Andes. Our aim was also to determine its geographic pattern of dispersion, and a potential host taxonomic signature. We collected frog tissue samples from nine museum collections covering a period from 1863 to 2005 and from the field during 2009–2016. Bd was diagnosed via quantitative PCR in 599 individuals of 17 genera and 54 species. We found an overall Bd prevalence of 41% among 44 species tested. The first incidence of Bd was from a Telmatobius culeus in 1863; this is the earliest report of detection for this pathogen in the world. Results reveal a non-random historical and geographical pattern of Bd occurrence and amphibian declines that suggests the presence of two different invasive strains, an ancient endemic and a more recent introduction. Prevalence of Bd increased significantly by the mid-1990s, particularly in the cloud-forests, and this is coincident with the timing of drastic amphibian declines. In contrast, amphibians occurring in drier altiplano habitats have persisted in spite of Bd presence. We hypothesize that the early 1990s, and the cloud-forests in central Bolivia were the center of an epidemic surge of Bd that took its toll on many species, especially in the genus Telmatobius. Further sampling of cloud-forest species, and ongoing genetic studies of Bd isolates from Bolivia should help resolve the history of this invasive pathogen and test hypotheses on the differential response of endangered hosts.This research was supported by Projects CGL2011-30393 and CGL2014-56160-P of the Spanish Government (PI, Ignacio De la Riva).Peer Reviewe

Large historical growth in global terrestrial gross primary production

LetterGrowth in terrestrial gross primary production (GPP)-the amount of carbon dioxide that is 'fixed' into organic material through the photosynthesis of land plants-may provide a negative feedback for climate change. It remains uncertain, however, to what extent biogeochemical processes can suppress global GPP growth. As a consequence, modelling estimates of terrestrial carbon storage, and of feedbacks between the carbon cycle and climate, remain poorly constrained. Here we present a global, measurement-based estimate of GPP growth during the twentieth century that is based on long-term atmospheric carbonyl sulfide (COS) records, derived from ice-core, firn and ambient air samples. We interpret these records using a model that simulates changes in COS concentration according to changes in its sources and sinks-including a large sink that is related to GPP. We find that the observation-based COS record is most consistent with simulations of climate and the carbon cycle that assume large GPP growth during the twentieth century (31% ± 5% growth; mean ± 95% confidence interval). Although this COS analysis does not directly constrain models of future GPP growth, it does provide a global-scale benchmark for historical carbon-cycle simulations