DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Influence of Disease on Seasonal Variation in Amphibian Life History Traits

论文研究：疾病对两栖动物生活史特征季节变化的影响

• 批准号: 0309228
• 负责人: Henry Wilbur
• 金额: $ 0.64万
• 依托单位: University of Virginia Main Campus
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-06-01 至 2005-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0309228&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Influence; Disease; Seasonal

Infectious diseases are poorly understood as selective forces on life history. Since the threat of disease is often heterogeneous in the environment, one would expect variation in traits that minimize the impact of diseases but are costly in their absence. This expectation can be tested in the host-pathogen system of the southern leopard frog, Rana utricularia and the aquatic, fungus-like chromista, Saprolegnia ferax. In the winter R. utricularia mating pairs lay large communal egg masses, while in the fall they lay their eggs in individual masses. The transmission of Saprolegnia, a pathogen of amphibian eggs, may be facilitated by warmer water. Separating egg masses may reduce Saprolegnia transmission in warmer months. This study will record the threat of infection and the type of egg-laying behavior of the frogs during both breeding seasons. A factorial experiment will test the importance of egg-laying behavior (single vs. communal) and disease (presence vs. absence) during both breeding seasons (fall vs. winter). This will be the first empirical study to examine the interaction between a pathogen and the environment and the effect of this interaction on a host.s life history. Understanding this interaction is particularly important in the face of global environmental change and worldwide amphibian extinctions.

人们对传染病作为生活史上的选择性力量知之甚少。 由于疾病的威胁在环境中往往是异质的，人们会期望性状的变化，以尽量减少疾病的影响，但在没有疾病的情况下，代价是昂贵的。 这一预期可以在南方豹蛙、狸藻蛙和水生真菌样染色质水霉（Saprolegnia ferax）的宿主-病原体系统中进行测试。 在冬季，R。狸藻交配对产下大的公共卵团，而在秋天，它们产下单独的卵团。 水霉属是两栖类卵的病原体，其传播可能因水温升高而加快。 在温暖的月份，分离卵块可能会减少水霉的传播。 本研究将记录在两个繁殖季节中感染的威胁和青蛙的产卵行为类型。析因实验将测试在两个繁殖季节（秋季与冬季）期间产卵行为（单个与公共）和疾病（存在与不存在）的重要性。 这将是第一个实证研究，以检查病原体和环境之间的相互作用，这种相互作用对主机的生活史的影响。 了解这种相互作用是特别重要的，在面对全球环境变化和世界范围内的两栖动物保护。