Geology topics

Alessandro Catenazzi

Publications and source records attributed to Alessandro Catenazzi.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2025

Experimental drought suppresses amphibian pathogen yet intensifies transmission and disrupts protective skin microbiome

Shifting precipitation regimes driven by global climate change can alter vertebrate behavior and host-symbiont relationships, potentially compromising host resistance to pathogen invasion. In Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a biodiversity hotspot, prior research identified drought as a key factor disrupting the skin microbiome, contributing to a die-off of pumpkin toadlets due to the invasive waterborne fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). However, observational studies cannot disentangle the direct effect of moisture on Bd growth from increased amphibian activity during wet breeding seasons. Using field enclosures, we experimentally tested the influence of drought conditions on host microhabitat use, Bd disease dynamics, and the composition and predicted Bd-inhibitory function of cutaneous bacterial communities. Each enclosure housed ecologically realistic densities of Brachycephalus pitanga , a micro-endemic pumpkin toadlet. We simulated a short-term drought in half of the enclosures using translucent tarp coverings. To track individual toadlets, we identified their unique markings and collected skin swabs biweekly over 3 months. We then implemented molecular techniques to quantify Bd loads and characterize skin bacterial diversity and composition over time. Our findings indicate that while drought may reduce overall Bd loads on hosts, this effect is partially offset by an increase in the use of water-filled areas of the enclosures and by a disruption of the protective host skin microbiome. This study provides valuable insights into the cascading impacts of climate change on animal behavior, host-symbiont interactions, and disease dynamics.

Atlantic Forest↗

USGS2025

Reproductive habitat mismatch influences chytrid infection dynamics in a tropical amphibian community

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ) has been decimating amphibian populations globally; previous work indicates that infection risk increases with moisture and thermal mismatch from a host’s optimum. We hypothesized that, in addition to these abiotic influences, mismatch of hosts from their reproductive habitat heightens infection risk via exposure and/or susceptibility mechanisms. We evaluated this “reproductive habitat mismatch hypothesis” by quantifying the interplay of host breeding mode, habitat, and rainfall on Bd infection dynamics using two years of frog survey data—including swab data for 3427 captures representing 44 species—from Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. We modeled infection prevalence, infection intensity, and the number of frogs captured as a function of rainfall, reproductive mode (aquatic or terrestrial), and habitat (aquatic or terrestrial) using hierarchical models. High rainfall was associated with increases in infection prevalence and infection intensity; however, these increases were particularly apparent for species in habitats that were mismatched from the species’ reproductive habitat. Tropical regions experiencing increases in precipitation will likely see higher Bd risk, and our results indicate that such increases in rainfall will be particularly problematic for species that are forced to move from their reproductive habitats by factors such as habitat loss or thermal stress.

Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar–Núcleo Santa Virgí↗

USGS2023

Identifying drivers of population dynamics for a stream breeding amphibian using time series of egg mass counts

The decline in amphibian populations is one of the starkest examples of the biodiversity crisis. For stream breeding amphibians, alterations to natural flow regimes by dams, water diversions, and climate change have been implicated in declines and extirpations. Identifying drivers of amphibian declines requires long time series of abundance data because amphibian populations can exhibit high natural variability. Multiple population viability analysis (MPVA) models integrate abundance data and share information from different populations to estimate how environmental factors influence population growth. Flow alteration has been linked to declines and extirpations in the Foothill Yellow-legged Frog ( Rana boylii ), a stream breeding amphibian native to California and Oregon. To date, no study has jointly analyzed abundance data from populations throughout the range of R. boylii in an MPVA model. We compiled time series of egg mass counts (an index of adult female abundance) from R. boylii populations in 36 focal streams and fit an MPVA model to quantify how streamflow metrics, stream temperature, and surrounding land cover affect population growth. We found population growth was positively related to stream temperature and was higher in the years following a wet year with high total annual streamflow. Density dependence was weakest (i.e., carrying capacity was highest) for streams with high seasonality of streamflow and intermediate rates of change in streamflow during spring. Our results highlight how altered streamflow can further increase the risk of decline for R. boylii populations. Managing stream conditions to better match natural flow and thermal regimes would benefit the conservation of R. boylii populations.

California, Oregon↗