Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026
06:37
Continuous Hydrologic and Water Quality Monitoring of Vernal Ponds
Published on: November 13, 2017
Ecology: global warming and amphibian losses
Ross A Alford1, Kay S Bradfield, Stephen J Richards
1School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia. ross.alford@jcu.edu.au
Nature
|June 1, 2007
Summary
Global warming may not directly cause amphibian declines through chytrid fungus outbreaks. Evidence suggests amphibian stress precedes fungal infections, challenging current climate-linked epidemic models.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Climate Change Biology
- Amphibian Conservation
Background:
- Investigating the link between global warming, the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and amphibian declines.
- Examining the climate-linked epidemic hypothesis proposed by Pounds et al. for amphibian extinctions.
Discussion:
- Presents evidence from Australian tropics showing increased amphibian developmental instability (a stress indicator) predating chytrid-related declines by at least two years.
- Contrasts findings with the Pounds et al. model, which suggests a single warm year triggers immediate die-offs.
Key Insights:
- Amphibian stress, indicated by developmental instability, may precede chytrid fungus outbreaks.
- The proposed climate-linked epidemic model may be incomplete due to a delayed stress response in amphibians.
Outlook:
- Further research is needed to fully understand the complex interplay between climate change, amphibian physiology, and disease dynamics.
- Re-evaluating current models is crucial for effective amphibian conservation strategies in the face of global warming.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:50Global Climate Change
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
01:50Threats to Biodiversity
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
01:57What is Conservation Biology?
Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
02:07Conservation of Declining Populations
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
02:31Habitat Fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
01:27Microbes and Climate Change
Microorganisms are pivotal agents in Earth's biogeochemical cycles, significantly influencing climate dynamics through their metabolic activities. These microbes modulate the levels of key greenhouse gases by both contributing to and helping mitigate climate change.Microbial Contributions to Greenhouse Gas EmissionsRising global temperatures accelerate microbial metabolism, which, in turn, speeds up the decomposition of organic matter. This process releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) through...