An evaluation of weather and disease as causes of decline in two populations of boreal toads
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Abstract
Two populations of boreal toads (Bufo boreas) experienced drastic declines in abundance in the late 1990s. Evidence supported the hypothesis of disease (the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) as the cause of these declines, but other hypotheses had not been evaluated. We used an 11-year capture–recapture data set to evaluate weather and disease as causes of these declines. We developed sets of mathematical models that reflected hypothesized relationships between several weather variables and annual survival rates of adult males in these populations. In addition, models that reflected the possibility that the declines were caused by an introduced fungus were developed. All models were fit to the data and were evaluated using a model selection criterion (QAICc). Our analysis provided strong support for the hypothesis of an introduced fungus and little support for the hypothesis that weather conditions caused the declines. Our results also suggest a strong, negative “marking effect” on survival rates of boreal toads. Model-averaged estimates of survival rate are presented.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | An evaluation of weather and disease as causes of decline in two populations of boreal toads |
| Series title | Ecological Applications |
| DOI | 10.1890/05-0431 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Year Published | 2005 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Ecological Society of America |
| Contributing office(s) | Fort Collins Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center |
| Description | 11 p. |
| First page | 2150 |
| Last page | 2160 |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |