Detecting the presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in amphibians in Piedmont vs Blue Ridge habitats in northern Georgia Public

Abstract

Abstract
Detecting the presence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in amphibians in Piedmont vs Blue
Ridge habitats in northern Georgia
By Ryan Huang

With countless species of amphibians under threat of extinction, the deaths of individuals
from the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) are all the more worrisome. On top
of this, the presence of chytrid in the Blue Ridge habitats of northern Georgia, known to be one
of the world's hotspots of salamander diversity, is particularly alarming. This study is aimed at
determining the extent to which chytrid has infected both anura and caudata species in habitats
in both the Blue Ridge as well as the Piedmont physiographic provinces of Georgia. Ten
different sites, five in Blue Ridge Province of north Georgia and five within the Piedmont region,
were sampled using dip nets, and upon capture, individuals were swabbed to look for the
presence of zoospores. Each swab sample was analyzed using real-time PCR to determine the
presence or absence of chytrid. Two-hundred and seventy three individuals were sampled for
chytrid from eleven different salamander species and four different frog species. Fifty-one of the
samples tested positive for chytrid (18.7% prevalence) and susceptibility to chytrid infection was
determined by what species an individual was. Overall, there has been a large increase in
chytrid prevalence since the last known study in Georgia. As such, I recommend more extensive
surveying to determine which, if any, species are susceptible to a population decline.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Missing Amphibians 1

History, Identification, and Spread of Chytrid 3

Life History of Chytrid 6

Impact on Georgia 9

Purpose and Hypothesis 10
Methods 11

Study Sites 11

Sampling Protocol 11

Molecular Protocol 13

Data Analysis 13
Results 15
Discussion 20
References 26
Tables & Figures

Figure 1 8

Figure 2 12

Figure 3 17

Figure 4 19

Figure 5 19

Table 1 16

About this Honors Thesis

Rights statement

• Permission granted by the author to include this thesis or dissertation in this repository. All rights reserved by the author. Please contact the author for information regarding the reproduction and use of this thesis or dissertation.

School	Emory College
Department	Biology
Degree	BS
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Biology, Ecology Biology, Zoology
Mot-clé	Georgia disease amphibians chytrid
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Wilson, Lawrence, Fernbank Science Center
Committee Members	Beck, Christopher, Emory University Stokes, Darrell R, Emory University

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