Factors Influencing Community Assembly of The Amphibian Microbiome in Rochester, NY

Amphibians are crucial in wetlands and, by extension, our planet. As predator and prey, amphibians serve as keystone species, vital for the continued equilibrium in their wetland ecosystems. However, the global amphibian population is currently threatened by the spread of a pathogenic fungus known as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). Over the past thirty years, Bd has spread worldwide, threatening hundreds of amphibian species. The environmental factors that influence microbial community assembly in amphibians are key to developing interventions that can protect amphibians from disease. This research examines the abiotic and biotic factors influencing microbial community composition in amphibians of Rochester, New York. Additionally, this research examines novel factors that may impact community composition, such as Bd's environmental presence and metamorphosis's role in structuring the adult amphibian microbiome. I demonstrate that factors such as host species, development stage, location, and pathogen presence significantly contribute to structuring the amphibian microbiome, highlighting their impact on an amphibian population that had not been previously studied. Additionally, I found that amphibian species that undergo typical metamorphosis have a more diverse microbiome, including many beneficial bacteria that have been putatively identified to have antifungal properties. The presence of Bd in amphibian breeding habitats was found to influence the diversity and composition of the microbiome significantly. This research demonstrates the effect of Bd on community structure in populations that were historically considered unaffected by the pathogen, highlighting a significant gap in the standard practices of the field.