Jennifer Brown, 2016

Thesis:

Effects of canopy cover on the prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis on frogs in Jamaican coffee farms.

After Humboldt, Jen went on to work as a veterinary technician in Humboldt County, and then as a wildlife technician with the Yurok Tribe.

For her thesis, Jennifer examined the incidence and prevalence of a disease-causing fungus on frogs in coffee farms in Jamaica.Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bdfor short) is a fungus that causes Chytridiomycosis, an infectious disease affecting the survival of amphibians worldwide. Previous research has hypothesized that Bd is positively associated with forest cover, perhaps because a closed canopy is more moist and favorable for fungi. Jennifer tested this hypothesis by examining Bd loads on frogs captured on coffee farms that span a gradient of shade canopy cover. She hoped to find an optimal vegetative structure type that promotes a balance between frog diversity/richness and sub-lethal chytrid fungus infections. Her research provided a useful tool for understanding how to manage agriculture practices, such that maximum conservation of frog species is possible.