Cited by 233Amphibian and Reptile BiologySpecies Distribution and Climate ChangeBat Biology and Ecology Studies

POTENTIAL CAUSES FOR AMPHIBIAN DECLINES IN PUERTO RICO

Burrowes, Patricia A., Joglar, Rafael L., Green, David E.·2004·Herpetologica

Abstract

We monitored 11 populations of eight species of Eleutherodactylus in Puerto Rico from 1989 through 2001. We determined relative abundance of active frogs along transects established in the Caribbean National Forest (El Yunque), Carite Forest, San Lorenzo, and in the vicinity of San Juan. Three species (Eleutherodactylus karlschmidti, E. jasperi, and E. eneidae) are presumed to be extinct and eight populations of six different species of endemic Eleutherodactylus are significantly declining at elevations above 400 m. Of the many suspected causes of amphibian declines around the world, we focused on climate change and disease. Temperature and precipitation data from 1970–2000 were analyzed to determine the general pattern of oscillations and deviations that could be correlated with amphibian declines. We examined a total of 106 tissues taken from museum specimens collected from 1961–1978 and from live frogs in 2000. We found chytrid fungi in two species collected at El Yunque as early as 1976, this is the first report of chytrid fungus in the Caribbean. Analysis of weather data indicates a significant warming trend and an association between years with extended periods of drought and the decline of amphibians in Puerto Rico. The 1970's and 1990's, which represent the periods of amphibian extirpations and declines, were significantly drier than average. We suggest a possible synergistic interaction between drought and the pathological effect of the chytrid fungus on amphibian populations.

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Crossref · 10.1655/03-50

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  • Ongoing losses of anuran biodiversity on Puerto Rico and other West Indian islands are part of a global amphibian decline that has continued largely unabated since at least the 1970s.

    “The ongoing losses of anuran biodiversity on Puerto Rico and other West Indian islands (66, 67) are part of a global amphibian decline that has continued largely unabated since at least the 1970s (68–72).”
  • B. dendrobatidis has been detected in E. coqui populations at higher elevations in Puerto Rico, but the fungus is restricted to areas above 600 m.

    “While B. dendrobatidis has been detected in E. coqui populations at higher elevations in Puerto Rico (66, 75), the fungus is restricted to areas above 600 m (76)”

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Authors
Burrowes, P. A., Joglar, R. L., & Green, D. E.
Affiliations
  • University of Puerto Rico System (PR)
  • United States Geological Survey (US)
Corresponding author
Burrowes, Patricia A.
Venue
Herpetologica
Published
2004-06
Volume
60
Issue
2
Pages
141-154
ISSN
  • 0018-0831 (ISSN-L)
  • 1938-5099
OpenAlex
W2072987737
Cited by
231
References
50
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 14
FWCI
16.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Herpetologica (publishedVersion)
  • BioOne Complete (BioOne) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Amphibian and Reptile Biology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecological Modeling › Species Distribution and Climate Change
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
Keywords
amphibian decline, Eleutherodactylus, chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, climate change, drought, temperature warming, amphibian extinction, El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico

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