2023 WINNER: Eli Bieri
PROJECT: Frogs, Fires, & Fungus: Interacting Threats to Biodiversity in a Changing World
The Project:
Climate change is causing longer and more intense droughts, leading to severe wildfires like the ones seen in Australia in 2019, but what impact these fires have on pathogens like Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bd) is understudied. Frogs in eastern Australia, affected by recent mega-fires and disease-driven declines, offer a valuable opportunity to study the interaction between bushfires and disease. While some studies have been conducted on the short-term impacts of extreme weather events, few have looked at the long-term impact these events have on disease outcomes. Understanding these dynamics is crucial as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe. By combining citizen science with traditional methods, Eli and his associates will assess how bushfires directly affect frogs and whether disease threats are worsened or mitigated in burnt areas.
Climate change is causing longer and more intense droughts, leading to severe wildfires like the ones seen in Australia in 2019, but what impact these fires have on pathogens like Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bd) is understudied. Frogs in eastern Australia, affected by recent mega-fires and disease-driven declines, offer a valuable opportunity to study the interaction between bushfires and disease. While some studies have been conducted on the short-term impacts of extreme weather events, few have looked at the long-term impact these events have on disease outcomes. Understanding these dynamics is crucial as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe. By combining citizen science with traditional methods, Eli and his associates will assess how bushfires directly affect frogs and whether disease threats are worsened or mitigated in burnt areas.
