OOS 9 - New Frontiers in Conservation Ecology of Tropical Amphibians and Reptiles

Tuesday, August 9, 2016: 8:00 AM-11:30 AM
Grand Floridian Blrm G, Ft Lauderdale Convention Center
Organizer:
Steven M. Whitfield, Zoo Miami
Co-organizer:
James I. Watling, James Carroll University
Moderator:
James I. Watling, James Carroll University
The combined threats of disease, habitat loss, and climate change are the major drivers of amphibian and reptile decline, threatening entire clades with extinction. The vast majority of amphibian and reptile diversity is harbored in tropical regions, making it imperative that we understand and respond to the scale of biodiversity loss in the tropics. Because this year’s ESA meeting finds us at the fringes of the New World tropics, it is appropriate to take this opportunity to consider some new frontiers in tropical amphibian and reptile conservation ecology. Although the chytrid fungus has devastated amphibian communities around the world, recent expeditions have identified resistant populations of species heretofore presumed to be extinct. New discoveries also suggest the possibility that probiotics isolated from resistant populations could be used to limit the future threat of the chytrid fungus. Although habitat loss remains the greatest threat to amphibian and reptile species, new models are forcing researchers to re-think the conceptual framework of patch dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems. Against the backdrop of these new scientific developments, approaches to conservation are evolving. This session aims to bring together researchers and conservation practitioners working in tropical countries around the world to evaluate the contemporary conservation landscape for amphibians and reptiles, and discuss the ongoing response to biodiversity loss.
8:00 AM
 "Lizards on the Loose": Harnessing the citizen science power of high school students to conduct herpetofauna surveys
James T. Stroud, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden; Andrew C. Battles, University of Rhode Island; Zachary Chejanovski, University of Rhode Island; Kenneth J. Feeley, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden; Amanda Noble, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden; Jason J. Kolbe, University of Rhode Island
8:20 AM
 Enigmatic amphibian survival follows enigmatic decline: A turning point for amphibian conservation?
Steven M. Whitfield, Zoo Miami; Juan Abarca, Universidad de Costa Rica; Gilbert Alvarado, Universidade de São Paulo; Jacob L. Kerby, University of South Dakota
8:40 AM
9:00 AM
 Climate change, rapid deglaciation, and amphibians at extreme elevations in the tropical Andes
Kelsey E. Reider, Florida International University; Tracie Seimon, Wildlife Conservation Society-Bronx Zoo; Maureen A. Donnelly, Florida International University
9:30 AM Cancelled
9:20 AM
9:50 AM
 How does it end? Evolution in disease dynamics in a tropical amphibian community
Jamie L Voyles, University of Nevada, Reno; Cori Richards-Zawacki, University of Pittsburgh; Erica Rosenblum, University of California, Berkeley
10:10 AM
 Context-dependency of amphibian-Bd-microbiome interactions in the Neotropics: Implications for future ecological research and conservation
Daniel Medina López, Virginia Tech; Myra C. Hughey, Virginia Tech; Matthew H. Becker, Virginia Tech; Jenifer B. Walke, Virginia Tech; Thomas P. Umile, Villanova University; Elizabeth A.i Burzynski, Villanova University; Anthony A. Iannetta, Villanova University; Kevin P. C. Minbiole, Villanova University; Lisa K. Belden, Virginia Tech
10:30 AM
 Conservation activities in tropical plantations: A case study of tea plantations from the Southern Western Ghats
Lilly Eluvathingal, Florida International University; Maureen A. Donnelly, Florida International University
10:50 AM
 Thermal and hydric relations of Australian tropical rainforest frogs: A long way from constant
Ross A. Alford, James Cook University; Jodi J. L. Rowley, Australian Museum; Elizabeth A Roznik, University of South Florida; Robert Puschendorf, Plymouth University
11:10 AM
 Faunal rescue in Brazil: Bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and practice
Julia Laterza, John Carroll University; James I. Watling, James Carroll University