Telmatobius (Anura: Telmatobiidae) en el centro y sur de Perú en un escenario de riesgo
de extinción.
ranas de desarrollo directo en los Andes amazónicos
The lab was present at the XII Congreso Latinoamericano de Herpetologia in Cochabamba the first week of November. Alessandro participated as part of the scientific outreach activities for NSF project DEB 2003497. These are the talks and poster presented by students and collaborators during the meeting. Hamlet Maza presented a poster on his work on the role of fungal infection on substrate choice behavior in terrestrial breeding frogs titled Preferencia de microhábitat seco y húmedo en anuros de reproducción terrestre infectados por Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis en el bosque montano del valle de Kosñipata, Perú. Valia Herrera presented her poster on chytrid prevalence in cloud forests of southern Peru, titled Prevalencia de quitridiomicosis en comunidades de anfibios de bosques montanos tropicales de Ayacucho y Cusco, Perú. Alex Ttito gave a talk summarizing his research on the phylogeny of high Andean water frogs: Desenredando las relaciones filogenéticas de especies y poblaciones de Telmatobius (Anura: Telmatobiidae) en el centro y sur de Perú en un escenario de riesgo de extinción. Alessandro gave two talks, one on the ongoing mark-recapture study investigating fungal transmission in terrestrial-breeding frogs, and the second on frog-biting midges (Corethrellidae) in the montane forests of the Amazonian slopes of the Andes: Quitridiomicosis en las nubes: Dos años de marcaje y recaptura de ranas de desarrollo directo en los Andes amazónicos Aproximaciones ecológicas a los mosquitos picadores de ranas (Corethrellidae) en los Andes amazónicos Alessandro also presented a poster on the work of AmphibiaWeb: AmphibiaWeb: Conectando a los amantes de los anfibios con la información.
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Congratulations to Anne for being awarded a University Graduate School Dissertation Year Fellowship! This competitive award allows last year PhD candidates at FIU to dedicate themselves to writing their dissertations.
Amphibians are in trouble and in desperate need of conservation action, according to a new global assessment of the world’s amphibian population. Salamanders are experiencing the greatest decline in numbers, but amphibians throughout the Neotropics are of particular concern, according to Alessandro Catenazzi, FIU biologist and one of the primary researchers on the international project. The team evaluated the status of 8,011 species of amphibians tracked by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their findings, published this week in Nature, indicate nearly 41percent of amphibian species are threatened with extinction, making them the most imperiled class of vertebrates on the planet, outpacing birds and mammals. Since 1980, at least 37 species have gone extinct, with disease and habitat loss being the primary culprits. The scientists warn climate change is quickly emerging as a major threat, attributing to 39 percent of populations declines since 2004. "Global emerging diseases increasingly threaten biodiversity worldwide, and amphibians are one of the most dramatic examples of species extinctions caused by disease. No other group of vertebrates has been so negatively affected by a single disease" says Catenazzi. "We urgently need better strategies to prevent pandemics and mitigate the effects of introduced disease on wild amphibians" While the news is not good for amphibians, the scientists do offer hope in this latest assessment. Enforced habitat protections actually resulted in status improvements for some species, indicating this should be a conservation priority, especially in regions where agriculture, timber and plant harvesting, and infrastructure development are ever-present. Better disease-management tools are also desperately needed to stave off the spread of a deadly fungal disease responsible for many species declines and to prevent new emerging diseases. The Global Amphibian Assessment is the second of its kind, comprehensively assessing the extinction risk of amphibians. The first assessment was completed in 2004, offering scientists a baseline of data to measure against for this latest study. Throughout the world, there are 8,615 known species of amphibians with 8,011 being listed on the IUCN’s Red List, a comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animals, fungi and plants. These numbers do not account for the yet-to-be-identified species of amphibians, which are another area of concern. Many can be very small and reside in remote habitats that are not immune to disease and the effects of climate change. Catenazzi is very familiar with the elusive nature of many species, having identified nearly 60 previously unknown species throughout his career. According to Dr. Catenazzi, "The Global Amphibian Assessment is our best tool to monitor changes in the conservation status of amphibian biodiversity, and to provide highly vetted and curated information that can form the basis for management and conservation actions aimed at preventing the extinction of species". The current assessment focused on population trends, ecological requirements, threats and distributional boundaries of amphibians worldwide. While the number of threatened and extinct species is increasing, the scientists hope this latest research will motivate governments and conservation agencies to substantially increase their investment and political will for conservation efforts of the world’s amphibians. Luedtke, J.A., J. Chanson, K. Neam, L. Hobin, A.O. Maciel, A. Catenazzi, et al. 2023. Ongoing declines for the world’s amphibians in the face of emerging threats. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-023-06578-4
A new study published in the journal Ecosphere has identified key environmental factors that influence the population dynamics of the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (Rana boylii), a stream-breeding amphibian native to California and Oregon. The study, which was conducted by researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of California, Berkeley, and other institutions, is the first to jointly analyze abundance data from populations throughout the frog’s range. The study found that population growth of the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog was positively related to stream temperature and was higher in the years following a wet year with high total annual streamflow. Density dependence, which is the tendency for population growth to slow down as populations approach carrying capacity, was weakest (i.e., carrying capacity was highest) for streams with high seasonality of streamflow and intermediate rates of change in streamflow during spring. These results highlight how altered streamflow can further increase the risk of decline for Foothill Yellow-legged Frog populations. Managing stream conditions to better match natural flow and thermal regimes would benefit the conservation of Foothill Yellow-legged Frog populations. The Foothill Yellow-legged Frog has experienced significant declines throughout its range, and is considered a threatened species under the California Endangered Species Act. The study’s findings provide important information for the conservation of this species, and can be used to guide management practices that aim to restore and protect stream habitats. Citation: Rose, J. P., S. J. Kupferberg, R. A. Peek, D. Ashton, J. B. Bettaso, S. Bobzien, R. M. Bourque, K. G.H. Breedveld, A. Catenazzi, J. E. Drennan, E. Gonsolin, M. Grefsrud, A. E. Herman, M. R. House, M. R. Kluber, A. J. Lind, K. R. Marlow, A. Striegle, M. van Hattem, C. A. Wheeler, J. T. Wilcox, K. D. Wiseman, B. J. Halstead. 2023. Identifying drivers of population dynamics for an imperiled stream breeding amphibian using time series of egg mass counts. Ecosphere 14: e4645.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4645 The most recent lab contribution is the description of a new species of snakefrom the Andes Mountains of Peru and named after actor Harrison Ford in honor of his environmental advocacy efforts. The snake, a slender species measuring about 16 inches long, has been named Tachymenoides harrisonfordi. It is a non-venomous constrictor that feeds on lizards and frogs. The snake is pale yellowish-brown with black blotches scattered on its skin, a black belly, and a vertical streak over its copper-colored eye. The snake was discovered by a team of scientists led by Edgar Lehr, a US-German biologist. The team was conducting research in the Otishi National Park when they found the snake sunbathing in a swamp. “We were all excited to find this new species,” said Lehr. “It’s a beautiful snake, and we thought it was fitting to name it after Harrison Ford, who has been a strong advocate for environmental protection.” Ford has been a vocal supporter of conservation causes for many years. He is a board member of Conservation International, an environmental organization that works to protect biodiversity and ensure a sustainable future for people and nature. “I’m honored to have a snake named after me,” said Ford. “I hope this helps to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our planet’s biodiversity.” The discovery of Tachymenoides harrisonfordi is a reminder of the rich biodiversity that still exists in the world, even in remote and protected areas. It is also a reminder of the importance of conservation efforts to protect these species from extinction. Lehr, E., J.C. Cusi, M.I. Fernandez, R.J. Vera, A. Catenazzi. 2023. A new species of Tachymenoides (Serpentes: Dipsadidae: Tachymenini) from the puna of the Otishi National Park in Peru. Salamandra 59: 199-206.
Mongabay published a great article by Justin Catanoso about the ecological work in the Kosñipata Valley bordering Manu National Park, in the Amazonian Andes of southern Peru. The article documents the meeting organized for the 20th anniversary of ABERG, the Andean Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research Group, including a summary of the main findings from the different research teams of ecologists, botanists, zoologists, ecosystem and earth scientists composing the ABERG. Citation: ‘What we need to protect and why’: 20-year Amazon research hints at fate of tropics
https://news.mongabay.com/2023/07/what-we-need-to-protect-and-why-20-year-amazon-research-hints-at-fate-of-tropics/ The lab attended the annual Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in Norfolk, VA from July 12 to 16. Anne, Rachel and Alessandro gave talks. Anne presented her research on the impact of carbon nanoparticles on the growth, development, and telomere length of tadpoles (co-authors: Yiqun Zhou, A. Catenazzi). Rachel explored whether chytrid avoidance is an innate or learned behavior in the strawberry poison frog. Alessandro talked about two years of mark-recapture of direct developing frogs in the Amazonian Andes (co-authors: Isabel Diaz, Hamlet Maza, William Ttito, Jon Adamski), i.e. preliminary results from the NSF-funded and ongoing research previously described here. Mo Donnelly (Alessandro's former doctoral advisor) received the Henry Fitch Award for Excellence in Herpetology! This is the highest distinction conferred by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Congratulations Mo! A new species of frog has been discovered in the Peruvian Yungas ecoregion. The frog, named Pristimantis clarae, was found in a cloud forest in the Pampa Hermosa River basin at elevations from 2117 to 2199 m. Pristimantis clarae is a small frog, with adults reaching a maximum length of about 2.5 cm. The frog is brown in color with dark spots, and has a distinctive white stripe on its back. The frog was named in honor of Clara Alexandrova, a young frog enthusiast that supports the conservation of cloud forest ecosystems in Peru through the nonprofit organization Rainforest Partnership, Austin, TX, USA. The discovery of Pristimantis clarae is a significant addition to the biodiversity of the Peruvian Yungas. The region is home to a wide variety of frogs, but many of these species are threatened by habitat loss and climate change. The discovery of this new species highlights the importance of protecting the Peruvian Yungas and its unique wildlife. Citation: Venegas, P. J. L. A. Garcia-Ayachi, A. Marchelie, J. R. Ormeño, A. Catenazzi. A new species of terrestrial-breeding frog (Anura: Strabomantidae), from the Peruvian Yungas of central Peru. Taxonomy 3(2): 331-345.
Scientists from Instituto Peruano de Herpetologia and Florida International University have discovered a new species of tree frog: Scinax pyroinguinis. The specific epithet pyroinguinis means "groins of fire" and refers to the bright orange blotched groins of the new species which reminds them of the flames of the wildfires threatening its habitat. Scinax pyroinguinis has a large head, rounded from dorsal view, large conical tubercles on upper eyelids and heels, and bright orange blotches on groins, thighs and shanks. It is genetically and morphologically distinct from other members of Scinax. With this discovery , there are now 130 recognized species of Scinax tree frogs. The new species is currently only known from the type locality, which is a remnant patch of forest surrounded by burnt areas and pastures in the Ucayali River Basin, central Peru. The authors highlighted the importance to protect this forest, not only because of the wildfires surrounding it, but also to prevent the loss of more forest by illegal logging and other activities that cause large-scale deforestation in the Amazon. The discovery of Scinax pyroinguinis highlights the need to continue studying the diversity in the Amazon, even in those places that seem to be lost, because according to the authors, “nobody is even close to knowing the number of species living in this place”. The research was conducted by a Peruvian team of scientists and was published in the journal Evolutionary Systematics. Citation: Chávez, G., W. Aznaran, L. A. Garcia-Ayachi, and A. Catenazzi. Rising from the ashes: A new treefrog (Anura, Hylidae) from a patch of forest surrounded by burnt areas in the Amazon lowlands of central Peru. Evolutionary Systematics 7:183-194. doi: 10.3897/evolsyst.7.102425.
The FIU Latin American and Caribbean Center awarded Tinker Graduate Research Awards to PhD students Isabel and Gustavo to support their fieldwork in the Andes and Central America, respectively. Congratulations to both of them!
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