Abstract
The recent decline in populations of European salamanders caused by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) has generated worldwide concern, as it is a major threat to amphibians. Evaluation of the areas most suitable for the establishment of Bsal combined with analysis of the distribution of salamander species could be used to generate and implement biosecurity measures and protect biodiversity at sites with high salamander diversity. In this study, we identified the areas most suitable for the establishment of Bsal in Mexico. Mexico has the second-highest salamander species diversity in the world; thus, we identified areas moderately to highly suitable for the establishment of Bsal with high salamander diversity as potential hotspots for surveillance. Central and Southern Mexico were identified as high-risk zones, with 13 hotspots where 30% of Mexican salamander species occur, including range-restricted species and endangered species. We propose that these hotspots should be thoroughly monitored for the presence of Bsal to prevent the spread of the pathogen if it is introduced to the country.
Highlights
Chytridiomycosis, an emergent disease caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has caused alarming population collapses and extinctions of amphibians worldwide [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]
Yap et al [18] created a species distribution model for Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) using the native ranges of the three putative native Bsal host species in Asia (Cynops cyanurus, C. pyrrhogaster, and Paramesotriton deloustali) and projected these results to North America. These analyses identified the southern part of the Appalachian Mountains, the Pacific Northwest, the Sierra Nevada, and the mid-Atlantic as high-risk zones in the USA and the Sierra Madre Oriental (SMO) and the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TVB) as high-risk zones in Mexico
We found that areas from the Sierra Madre Oriental (SMO), Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TVB), Sierra Madre del Sur (SMS), Mexican Gulf and Yucatan Peninsula were the most suitable areas for Bsal
Summary
Chytridiomycosis, an emergent disease caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has caused alarming population collapses and extinctions of amphibians worldwide [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. In many regions throughout the world, Bd infections have transitioned from epidemic to endemic states after declines occurred, and at present, some amphibian populations are either stable or recovering after more than a decade since the disease outbreaks occurred [4, 8, 9]. The recent emergence of a second chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), has unleashed great concern among researchers and conservation agencies since this pathogen has already caused die-offs of native salamander species in Europe [10]. Recent studies in European salamander populations determined that the combination of Bsals transmission strategy, virulence and host population dynamics could have
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