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Time-delayed influence of urban landscape change on the susceptibility of koalas to chlamydiosis
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Time-delayed influence of urban landscape change on the susceptibility of koalas to chlamydiosis

Clive McAlpine, Grant Brearley, Jonathan Rhodes, Adrian Bradley, Greg Baxter, Leonie Seabrook, Daniel Lunney, Yan Liu, Manuelle Cottin, Andrew G Smith, …
Landscape Ecology, Vol.32(3), pp.663-679
2017
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-016-0479-2
url
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-016-0479-2View
Published Version

Abstract

wildlife disease body condition habitat loss chlamydiosis time lags climate variability phascolarctos cinereus
Context Infectious diseases are important in the dynamics of many wildlife populations, but there is limited understanding of how landscape change influences susceptibility to disease. Objectives 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. Methods 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. Results 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. Conclusions 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.

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Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas
Ecology
Geography, Physical
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

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#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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