The value of long-term datasets
Only time can distinguish a fluctuation from a decline.
Amphibian populations in Picos de Europa National Park have been exposed to Ranavirus and the chytrid fungus Bd for years. Monitoring begun in 2007 allows us to compare how each population responds to these pathogens.
Trend analyses covering fourteen years identified steep declines in seven populations exposed to one or both agents. The response, however, was not uniform across the park.
The other sixteen populations were free of both pathogens or belonged to less susceptible species. They remained stable, and one even showed a positive trend.
A long-term dataset turns isolated observations into a trend that can be interpreted.
Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, the findings reinforce the importance of continuous monitoring.
