Non-invasive Methods for Measuring and Monitoring Stress Physiology in Imperiled Amphibians
Global climate change is negatively impacting global biodiversity and ectothermic vertebrates, with amphibians being the most imperiled vertebrate taxa. Increased mean global atmospheric temperatures, high rates of habitat degradation, and exposure to infectious diseases, such as chytridiomycosis, h...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2019.00431/full |
| _version_ | 1831689755371241472 |
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| author | Edward J. Narayan Edward J. Narayan Zachery R. Forsburg Drew R. Davis Caitlin R. Gabor |
| author_facet | Edward J. Narayan Edward J. Narayan Zachery R. Forsburg Drew R. Davis Caitlin R. Gabor |
| author_sort | Edward J. Narayan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Global climate change is negatively impacting global biodiversity and ectothermic vertebrates, with amphibians being the most imperiled vertebrate taxa. Increased mean global atmospheric temperatures, high rates of habitat degradation, and exposure to infectious diseases, such as chytridiomycosis, have contributed to population declines and extinctions of rare and endangered amphibian species. Field-based monitoring of physiological endocrine traits can help determine the sub-lethal effects of environmental stressors and provide early alerts when populations are chronically stressed. Recent advances in amphibian stress endocrinology include the development and use of non-invasive methods to quantify the glucocorticoid, or stress biomarker, corticosterone. Non-invasive methods, such as urinary, skin and buccal swabs, and water-borne hormone monitoring methods (suited for terrestrial and aquatic dwelling species), are available to quantify baseline and short-term physiological stress responses of amphibians under field settings. In this review, we illustrate, by using two case studies of aquatic and terrestrial amphibian species, the applications of non-invasive corticosterone monitoring methods to advance the ecological knowledge and conservation of imperiled amphibian species, discuss the limitations of these methods, and provide future directions for the use of non-invasive hormone monitoring methods. We highlight the use of non-invasive field endocrinology methods to monitor the impacts of environmental stressors on the physiology of amphibians, which can be applied to advance ecological research, conservation, and management of imperiled species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T10:55:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aa42d9b7510040adbab03e9c810aeeda |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T10:55:32Z |
| publishDate | 2019-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-aa42d9b7510040adbab03e9c810aeeda2022-12-21T19:43:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2019-11-01710.3389/fevo.2019.00431462760Non-invasive Methods for Measuring and Monitoring Stress Physiology in Imperiled AmphibiansEdward J. Narayan0Edward J. Narayan1Zachery R. Forsburg2Drew R. Davis3Caitlin R. Gabor4School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW, AustraliaFaculty of Science, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, AustraliaDepartment of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, United StatesSchool of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, South Padre Island, TX, United StatesDepartment of Biology, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, United StatesGlobal climate change is negatively impacting global biodiversity and ectothermic vertebrates, with amphibians being the most imperiled vertebrate taxa. Increased mean global atmospheric temperatures, high rates of habitat degradation, and exposure to infectious diseases, such as chytridiomycosis, have contributed to population declines and extinctions of rare and endangered amphibian species. Field-based monitoring of physiological endocrine traits can help determine the sub-lethal effects of environmental stressors and provide early alerts when populations are chronically stressed. Recent advances in amphibian stress endocrinology include the development and use of non-invasive methods to quantify the glucocorticoid, or stress biomarker, corticosterone. Non-invasive methods, such as urinary, skin and buccal swabs, and water-borne hormone monitoring methods (suited for terrestrial and aquatic dwelling species), are available to quantify baseline and short-term physiological stress responses of amphibians under field settings. In this review, we illustrate, by using two case studies of aquatic and terrestrial amphibian species, the applications of non-invasive corticosterone monitoring methods to advance the ecological knowledge and conservation of imperiled amphibian species, discuss the limitations of these methods, and provide future directions for the use of non-invasive hormone monitoring methods. We highlight the use of non-invasive field endocrinology methods to monitor the impacts of environmental stressors on the physiology of amphibians, which can be applied to advance ecological research, conservation, and management of imperiled species.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2019.00431/fullconservationecologyecophysiologyglucocorticoidsinvasionstress physiology |
| spellingShingle | Edward J. Narayan Edward J. Narayan Zachery R. Forsburg Drew R. Davis Caitlin R. Gabor Non-invasive Methods for Measuring and Monitoring Stress Physiology in Imperiled Amphibians Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution conservation ecology ecophysiology glucocorticoids invasion stress physiology |
| title | Non-invasive Methods for Measuring and Monitoring Stress Physiology in Imperiled Amphibians |
| title_full | Non-invasive Methods for Measuring and Monitoring Stress Physiology in Imperiled Amphibians |
| title_fullStr | Non-invasive Methods for Measuring and Monitoring Stress Physiology in Imperiled Amphibians |
| title_full_unstemmed | Non-invasive Methods for Measuring and Monitoring Stress Physiology in Imperiled Amphibians |
| title_short | Non-invasive Methods for Measuring and Monitoring Stress Physiology in Imperiled Amphibians |
| title_sort | non invasive methods for measuring and monitoring stress physiology in imperiled amphibians |
| topic | conservation ecology ecophysiology glucocorticoids invasion stress physiology |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2019.00431/full |
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