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Note: Session titles beginning with an asterisk (*) have student presenters.
AUTHORS: E. Davis Carter, Matthew J. Gray, Jenny A. Spatz – Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture; Paul E. Super, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, U.S. National Park Service; Debra L. Miller, Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee
ABSTRACT: Within the United States, ranaviruses are the most common pathogen associated with disease-related amphibian mortality events. Great Smoky Mountains National Park has experienced reoccurring ranaviral disease outbreaks at Gourley Pond (GP) in the Cades Cove region since 1999. Ranavirus outbreaks and larval mortality have been observed in five amphibian species at GP: Ambystoma maculatum, A. opacum, Lithobates sylvaticus, Pseudacris crucifer, and P. ferriarum. To better understand ranavirus dynamics within Cades Cove, we designed a surveillance study to monitor ranavirus prevalence within the amphibian community at GP and Little Gourley Pond (LGP) (i.e. a small pond < 100m from GP). Our goals were to determine ranavirus prevalence in the amphibian community at GP and LGP, estimate population sizes of larval and post-metamorphic amphibians, determine possible routes of ranavirus introduction, and determine potential environmental stressors that might contribute to ranavirus outbreaks and limited amphibian recruitment. We captured a total of 16 species and 1972 adult amphibians in pitfall traps between Feb - May 2016. Due to insufficient hydroperiod duration at the ponds in 2016, successful metamorphosis was not documented at GP, and recruitment was minimal for A. opacum at LGP. We detected ranavirus infections at low prevalence in adult L. sylvaticus, Notophthalmus viridescens, and A. maculatum. No disease outbreaks were documented prior to the ponds drying. Our results suggest that the catastrophic losses of the larval cohort during ranavirus outbreaks combined with limited recruitment during years with abbreviated hydroperiods may lead to amphibian population declines in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Monday October 30, 2017 3:40pm - 4:00pm EDT
Carroll Ford