title: High occupancy of stream salamanders despite high ranavirus prevalence in a southern appalachians watershed.
abstract: The interactive effects of environmental stressors and emerging infectious disease pose potential threats to stream salamander communities and their headwater stream ecosystems. To begin assessing these threats, we conducted occupancy surveys and pathogen screening of stream salamanders (Family Plethodontidae) in a protected southern Appalachians watershed in Georgia and North Carolina, USA. Of the 101 salamanders screened for both chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) and Ranavirus, only two exhibited low-level chytrid infections. Prevalence of Ranavirus was much higher (30.4% among five species of Desmognathus). Despite the ubiquity of ranaviral infections, we found high probabilities of site occupancy (≥0.60) for all stream salamander species.
authors: Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Drive, Venus, FL 33960, USA. brothermel@archbold-station.org
authors: Betsie B
authors: BB
authors: Rothermel
authors: Emilie R
authors: ER
authors: Travis
authors: Debra L
authors: DL
authors: Miller
authors: Robert L
authors: RL
authors: Hill
authors: Jessica L
authors: JL
authors: McGuire
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Yabsley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001061:Appalachian Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D008411:Chytridiomycota / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004266:DNA Virus Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D017753:Ecosystem; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011156:Population Density; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D017995:Ranavirus / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology; D014562:Caudata / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology / Q000821:virology*
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