caa a22 4500 445378115 CHVBK 20180317143009.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170323e20110901xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10393-011-0716-8 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10393-011-0716-8 Aspergillus fumigatus Densities in Relation to Forest Succession and Edge Effects: Implications for Wildlife Health in Modified Environments [Elektronische Daten] [John Perrott, Doug Armstrong] The hihi (or stitchbird, Notiomystis cincta) is a New Zealand endemic nectivorous forest bird now restricted to one pristine island. Relocation to establish viable hihi populations on other islands has been the main conservation action since the early 1980s. To date, hihi reintroductions to young growth islands have had poor success despite the absence of mammalian predators. It was thought that past failures were due to food limitation, but research suggests that food limitation alone cannot account for their poor survivorship. Post-mortems of dead hihi has shown that aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus is a major mortality factor and there is current concern regarding their susceptibility to this fungal disease. In this paper we develop and assess the hypothesis that A. fumigatus limits hihi population viability on modified islands, and suggest that A. fumigatus is a potential indicator species for habitat disturbance. We report that the prevalence of A. fumigatus spores in the soil is much higher in young growth forests and forest edge habitats. Results suggest that hihi mortality rates between islands are potentially due to differential exposure to A. fumigatus spores. We assess relationships between habitat disturbance, A. fumigatus contamination and hihi mortality rates by testing the following predictions: (1) that densities of A. fumigatus spores will be higher on modified islands, (2) that densities of A. fumigatus spores on islands will be correlated with hihi mortality rates and (3) that densities of A. fumigatus spores will be higher at the forest edge than in the interior. We test each of these predictions using soil samples, air samples and samples of nectar from plant species fed on by hihi. International Association for Ecology and Health, 2011 reintroduction nationallicence endangered nationallicence hihi nationallicence Aspergillus fumigatus nationallicence habitat modification nationallicence mortality rates nationallicence Perrott John Wildlife Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand aut Armstrong Doug Wildlife Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand aut EcoHealth Springer-Verlag 8/3(2011-09-01), 290-300 1612-9202 8:3<290 2011 8 10393 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-011-0716-8 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-011-0716-8 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Perrott John Wildlife Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Armstrong Doug Wildlife Ecology Group, Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North, New Zealand aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- EcoHealth Springer-Verlag 8/3(2011-09-01), 290-300 1612-9202 8:3<290 2011 8 10393 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer