The Challenge of Conserving Amphibian Megadiversity in Madagascar
Franco Andreone,Angus I. Carpenter,Neil A. Cox,Louis H. Du Preez,Karen Freeman,Samuel Furrer,Gerardo Garcia,Frank Glaw,Julian Glos,David Knox,Jörn Köhler,Joseph R. Mendelson,Vincenzo Mercurio,Russell A. Mittermeier,Robin D. Moore,Nirhy H. C. Rabibisoa,Herilala Randriamahazo,Harison Randrianasolo,Noromalala Raminosoa,Olga Ramilijaona,Christopher J. Raxworthy,Denis Vallan,Miguel Vences,David R. Vieites,Ché Weldon +24 more
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TLDR
Highly diverse and so far apparently untouched by emergent diseases, Malagasy frogs nevertheless are threatened by ongoing habitat destruction, making pro-active conservation actions especially important for preserving this unique, pre-decline, amphibian fauna.Abstract:
Frogs from Madagascar constitute one of the richest groups of amphibian fauna in the world, with currently 238 described species; caecilians and salamanders are absent [1]. Several frog radiations of the island are species-rich and parallel lemurs and tenrecs in their astonishing morphological and ecological diversity. According to the Global Amphibian Assessment (GAA), Madagascar ranks as the country with the 12th highest amphibian species richness [2,3] (see also http://www.globalamphibians.org), but this is likely an underestimate, because an additional 182 candidate species have been identified since [1]. Diversity is concentrated in rainforests and can locally reach over 100 species. Impressively, 100% of the autochthonous species and 88% of the genera are strictly endemic to Madagascar and its inshore islands [1]. Most of these species belong to two radiations of astonishing ecomorphological and reproductive diversity, the mantellids and the scaphiophrynine plus cophyline microhylids [4,5] (Figure 1).read more
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Global emergence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and amphibian chytridiomycosis in space, time, and host.
TL;DR: This review explores the molecular, epidemiological, and ecological evidence that Bd evolved from an endemic ancestral lineage to achieve global prominence via anthropogenically mediated spread and considers the major host and pathogen factors that have led to the occurrence of chytridiomycosis in amphibian species, populations, and communities.
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Vast underestimation of Madagascar's biodiversity evidenced by an integrative amphibian inventory
David R. Vieites,Katharina C. Wollenberg,Franco Andreone,Jörn Köhler,Frank Glaw,Miguel Vences +5 more
TL;DR: The results suggest that in Madagascar the spatial pattern of amphibian richness and endemism must be revisited, and current habitat destruction may be affecting more species than previously thought, in amphibians as well as in other animal groups.
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Epidemic disease decimates amphibian abundance, species diversity, and evolutionary history in the highlands of central Panama
TL;DR: A community-level assessment combining long-term field surveys and DNA barcode data describing changes in abundance and evolutionary diversity within the amphibian community of El Copé, Panama, following a disease epidemic and mass-mortality event is presented.
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Madagascar as a model region of species diversification.
TL;DR: Madagascar has a diverse biota that has evolved in isolation, and is characterised by regionally pronounced and locally steep environmental gradients, common patterns of microendemism across taxa and numerous evolutionary radiations, which establish Madagascar as a promising system for the study of pattern and process in species diversification.
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Fully-sampled phylogenies of squamates reveal evolutionary patterns in threat status
João Filipe Riva Tonini,Karen H. Beard,Rodrigo B. Ferreira,Rodrigo B. Ferreira,Walter Jetz,R. Alexander Pyron +5 more
TL;DR: The findings show no association between threat status and ED, suggesting that future extinctions may not result in a disproportionate loss of evolutionary history and that immediate efforts should focus on geckos, iguanas, and chameleons, representing 67% of high- ED threatened species and 57% of Unassessed high-ED lineages.
References
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Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities
Norman Myers,Russell A. Mittermeier,Cristina G. Mittermeier,Gustavo A. B. da Fonseca,Jennifer Kent +4 more
TL;DR: A ‘silver bullet’ strategy on the part of conservation planners, focusing on ‘biodiversity hotspots’ where exceptional concentrations of endemic species are undergoing exceptional loss of habitat, is proposed.
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Status and Trends of Amphibian Declines and Extinctions Worldwide
Simon N. Stuart,Janice Chanson,Neil A. Cox,Bruce E. Young,Ana S. L. Rodrigues,Debra L. Fischman,Robert W. Waller +6 more
TL;DR: The first global assessment of amphibians provides new context for the well-publicized phenomenon of amphibian declines and shows declines are nonrandom in terms of species' ecological preferences, geographic ranges, and taxonomic associations and are most prevalent among Neotropical montane, stream-associated species.
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Response to Comment on "Status and Trends of Amphibian Declines and Extinctions Worldwide"
Simon N. Stuart,Janice Chanson,Neil A. Cox,Bruce E. Young,Ana S. L. Rodrigues,Debra L. Fischman,Robert W. Waller +6 more
TL;DR: The first global assessment of amphibians provides new context for the well-publicized phenomenon of amphibian declines and shows declines are nonrandom in terms of species' ecological preferences, geographic ranges, and taxonomic associations and are most prevalent among Neotropical montane, stream-associated species.
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Emerging infectious disease and the loss of biodiversity in a Neotropical amphibian community
Karen R. Lips,Forrest Brem,Roberto Brenes,John D. Reeve,Ross A. Alford,Jamie Voyles,Cynthia Carey,Lauren J. Livo,Allan P. Pessier,James P. Collins +9 more
TL;DR: An outbreak of chytridiomycosis in Panama is described and it is argued that this infectious disease has played an important role in amphibian population declines and the high virulence and large number of potential hosts of this emerging infectious disease threaten global amphibian diversity.
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Fifty years of deforestation and forest fragmentation in Madagascar
TL;DR: The extent of tropical forests and their rate of destruction and degradation through fragmentation remain poorly known as discussed by the authors, and past estimates of forest cover and deforestation have varied widely, and there is no consensus on the current state of the forest cover.