Karen Lips
I study amphibian ecology, with a focus on the effects of disease and climate change on population and community ecology. I work in the Neotropics and in Appalachia.
Phone: 301.405.5030; Twitter: @kwren88
Address: Dept. Biology
1210 Biology-Psychology Bldg.
College Park, MD 20742
Twitter: @Kwren88
Phone: 301.405.5030; Twitter: @kwren88
Address: Dept. Biology
1210 Biology-Psychology Bldg.
College Park, MD 20742
Twitter: @Kwren88
less
InterestsView All (15)
Uploads
Papers
the host, the pathogen, and their environment. The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium
dendrobatidis (Bd), affects amphibian hosts differently, causing extinction and population de -
clines in some species but having limited effects on others. Phenotypic differences in zoospore
production rates among Bd lineages likely contribute to some of the variation observed among
host responses, although no studies have quantified the viability of zoospores shed from live animals.
We compared host survivorship, infection intensity, shedding rates, and zoospore viability
between 2 species of endangered tropical frogs, Hylomantis lemur and Atelopus zeteki, when
exposed to a highly virulent lineage of Bd (JEL 423). We applied a dye to zoospores 30 to 60 min
following animal soaks, to estimate shedding rate and proportion of live zoospores shed by different
species. The average infection intensity for A. zeteki was nearly 17 times higher (31 455 ±
10 103 zoospore genomic equivalents [ZGEs]) than that of H. lemur (1832 ± 1086 ZGEs), and A.
zeteki died earlier than H. lemur. The proportion of viable zoospores was ~80% in both species
throughout the experiment, although A. zeteki produced many more zoospores, suggesting it may
play a disproportionate role in spreading disease in communities where it occurs, because the
large number of viable zoospores they produce might increase infection in other species where
they are reintroduced.
the host, the pathogen, and their environment. The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium
dendrobatidis (Bd), affects amphibian hosts differently, causing extinction and population de -
clines in some species but having limited effects on others. Phenotypic differences in zoospore
production rates among Bd lineages likely contribute to some of the variation observed among
host responses, although no studies have quantified the viability of zoospores shed from live animals.
We compared host survivorship, infection intensity, shedding rates, and zoospore viability
between 2 species of endangered tropical frogs, Hylomantis lemur and Atelopus zeteki, when
exposed to a highly virulent lineage of Bd (JEL 423). We applied a dye to zoospores 30 to 60 min
following animal soaks, to estimate shedding rate and proportion of live zoospores shed by different
species. The average infection intensity for A. zeteki was nearly 17 times higher (31 455 ±
10 103 zoospore genomic equivalents [ZGEs]) than that of H. lemur (1832 ± 1086 ZGEs), and A.
zeteki died earlier than H. lemur. The proportion of viable zoospores was ~80% in both species
throughout the experiment, although A. zeteki produced many more zoospores, suggesting it may
play a disproportionate role in spreading disease in communities where it occurs, because the
large number of viable zoospores they produce might increase infection in other species where
they are reintroduced.