Response to Comment on "Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity"

Scheele BC; Pasmans F; Skerratt LF; Berger L; Martel A; Beukema W; Acevedo AA; Burrowes PA; Carvalho T; Catenazzi A; De la Riva I; Fisher MC; Flechas SV; Foster CN; Frias-Alvarez P; Garner TWJ; Gratwicke B; Guayasamin JM; Hirschfeld M; Kolby JE; Kosch TA; La Marca E; Lindenmayer DB; Lips KR; Longo AV; Maneyro R; McDonald CA; Mendelson J; Palacios-Rodriguez P; Parra-Olea G; Richards-Zawacki CL; Rodel MO; Rovito SM; Soto-Azat C; Toledo LF; Voyles J; Weldon C; Whitfield SM; Wilkinson M; Zamudio KR; Canessa S

Science, Vol.367, No.6484, 2020

DOI10.1126/science.aay2905 Export Citation

Response to Comment on "Amphibian fungal panzootic causes catastrophic and ongoing loss of biodiversity"

Scheele BC, Pasmans F, Skerratt LF, Berger L, Martel A, Beukema W, Acevedo AA, Burrowes PA, Carvalho T, Catenazzi A, De la Riva I, Fisher MC, Flechas SV, Foster CN, Frias-Alvarez P, Garner TWJ, Gratwicke B, Guayasamin JM, Hirschfeld M, Kolby JE, Kosch TA, La Marca E, Lindenmayer DB, Lips KR, Longo AV, Maneyro R, McDonald CA, Mendelson J, Palacios-Rodriguez P, Parra-Olea G, Richards-Zawacki CL, Rodel MO, Rovito SM, Soto-Azat C, Toledo LF, Voyles J, Weldon C, Whitfield SM, Wilkinson M, Zamudio KR, Canessa S

Lambert et al. question our retrospective and holistic epidemiological assessment of the role of chytridiomycosis in amphibian declines. Their alternative assessment is narrow and provides an incomplete evaluation of evidence. Adopting this approach limits understanding of infectious disease impacts and hampers conservation efforts. We reaffirm that our study provides unambiguous evidence that chytridiomycosis has affected at least 501 amphibian species.