Journal article
Time-delayed influence of urban landscape change on the susceptibility of koalas to chlamydiosis
Landscape ecology, Vol.32(3), pp.663-679
2017
Abstract
Infectious diseases are important in the dynamics of many wildlife populations, but there is limited understanding of how landscape change influences susceptibility to disease.
We aimed to quantify the time-delayed influence of spatial and temporal components of landscape change and climate variability on the prevalence of chlamydiosis in koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) populations in southeast Queensland, Australia.
We used data collected over 14 years (n = 9078 records) from a koala hospital along with time-lagged measures of landscape change and rainfall to conduct spatial and temporal analyses of the influence of landscape and environmental variables on prevalence of chlamydiosis and koala body condition.
Areas with more suitable habitat were associated with higher levels of disease prevalence and better body condition, indicating that koalas were less likely to be impacted by chlamydiosis. More intact landscapes with higher proportions of total habitat are associated with a reduction in prevalence of chlamydiosis and a decrease in body condition. Increased annual rainfall contributed to a decrease in prevalence of chlamydiosis and an increase in body condition. Urbanization was associated with an increase in disease, however the effects of urban landscape change and climate variability on chlamydiosis may not manifest until several years later when overt disease impacts the population via effects upon body condition and reproductive success.
Our study highlights the importance of effects of landscape change and climate variability on disease prevalence in wildlife. This recognition is essential for long-term conservation planning, especially as disease often interacts with other threats.
Details
- Title
- Time-delayed influence of urban landscape change on the susceptibility of koalas to chlamydiosis
- Authors/Creators
- Clive McAlpine - The University of QueenslandGrant Brearley - The University of QueenslandJonathan Rhodes - The University of QueenslandAdrian Bradley - The University of QueenslandGreg Baxter - The University of QueenslandLeonie Seabrook - The University of QueenslandDaniel Lunney - Parks and Wildlife ServiceYan Liu - The University of QueenslandManuelle Cottin - The University of QueenslandAndrew G. Smith - Parks and Wildlife ServicePeter Timms - University of the Sunshine Coast
- Publication Details
- Landscape ecology, Vol.32(3), pp.663-679
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 17
- Grant note
- Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection
- Identifiers
- 991005578583207891
- Copyright
- © Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2017
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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Source: InCites
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Citation topics
- 1 Clinical & Life Sciences
- 1.248 Sexually Transmitted Infections
- 1.248.655 Chlamydia Infections
- Web Of Science research areas
- Ecology
- Geography, Physical
- Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
- ESI research areas
- Environment/Ecology