Dendrobates pumilio and UV-B Avoidance in the Aftermath of a Tropical Storm
Presentation Type
Poster
Keywords
D. pumilio, UV-B avoidance
Department
Biology
Major
Biology
Abstract
Ultraviolet-B radiation negatively impacts amphibian development and behavior across life stages. Amphibians in the neotropics remain disproportionately susceptible to increased UV-B. One diurnal neotropical poison frog species, Dendrobates pumilio, actively vocalizes during the day and has been shown to behaviorally avoid increased levels of UV-B. Recently, an intense tropical storm disturbed large portions of forest at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, exposing large areas of D. pumilio habitat to higher than average levels of UV-B. We investigated the relationship between number of fallen trees in disturbed areas of forest and UV-B, and consequently the relationship between number of D. pumilio detected and fallen trees. Here, we investigated the relationship between UV-B level and perches selected by vocalizing male frogs in areas disturbed and undisturbed by the storm. We found that ambient UV-B was significantly higher in areas with a high number of fallen trees, and there were significantly fewer D. pumilio detected in areas with a high number of fallen trees compared to undisturbed areas. Additionally, we found that in areas of high tree fall, frogs called from perches that received significantly lower UV-B compared to ambient UV-B in disturbed areas of forest. However, both perch UV-B and ambient UV-B of disturbed forest areas were significantly higher than perch UV-B and ambient UV-B in areas of the forest undisturbed by the storm.
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Lee Kats
Funding Source or Research Program
Summer Undergraduate Research in Biology
Location
Waves Cafeteria
Start Date
29-3-2019 2:00 PM
End Date
29-3-2019 3:00 PM
Dendrobates pumilio and UV-B Avoidance in the Aftermath of a Tropical Storm
Waves Cafeteria
Ultraviolet-B radiation negatively impacts amphibian development and behavior across life stages. Amphibians in the neotropics remain disproportionately susceptible to increased UV-B. One diurnal neotropical poison frog species, Dendrobates pumilio, actively vocalizes during the day and has been shown to behaviorally avoid increased levels of UV-B. Recently, an intense tropical storm disturbed large portions of forest at the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica, exposing large areas of D. pumilio habitat to higher than average levels of UV-B. We investigated the relationship between number of fallen trees in disturbed areas of forest and UV-B, and consequently the relationship between number of D. pumilio detected and fallen trees. Here, we investigated the relationship between UV-B level and perches selected by vocalizing male frogs in areas disturbed and undisturbed by the storm. We found that ambient UV-B was significantly higher in areas with a high number of fallen trees, and there were significantly fewer D. pumilio detected in areas with a high number of fallen trees compared to undisturbed areas. Additionally, we found that in areas of high tree fall, frogs called from perches that received significantly lower UV-B compared to ambient UV-B in disturbed areas of forest. However, both perch UV-B and ambient UV-B of disturbed forest areas were significantly higher than perch UV-B and ambient UV-B in areas of the forest undisturbed by the storm.