Amphibians at Risk: Do Landscape Changes Drive Disease in Northern Pennsylvania?

Human development and climate driven shifts in land use have fragmented habitats, altering wetland connectivity, and negatively impacting amphibian communities. At the same time, the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has emerged as a global pathogen responsible for widespread amphibian decline, with outbreaks linked to environmental stressors including habitat degradation, thermal stress, and hydrological changes. Currently, it is unclear to what extent habitat continuity influences Bd prevalence and amphibian species diversity in temperate regions. My submission uses historical habitat data as well as Bd load and species richness data for 10 ponds, 2022-2025, to identify how landscape changes influence Bd spread and species presence in northern Pennsylvania. It is hypothesized that amphibian species in more fragmented habitats will exhibit higher average Bd presence and lower species richness. While this project is still in progress, understanding these relationships may improve our ability to predict Bd risk and spread as climate change continues to reshape habitats.