Data from: Disassembly of a tadpole community by a multi-host fungal pathogen with limited evidence of recovery

Emerging infectious diseases can cause host community disassembly, but the
mechanisms driving the order of species declines and extirpations
following a disease outbreak are unclear. We documented the community
disassembly of a Neotropical tadpole community during a chytridiomycosis
outbreak, triggered by the generalist fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium
dendrobatidis (Bd). Within the first 11 months of Bd arrival, tadpole
density and occupancy rapidly declined. Rarity, in terms of tadpole
occupancy and adult relative abundance, did not predict the odds of
tadpole species occupancy declines. But species losses were taxonomically
selective, with glassfrogs (Family: Centrolenidae) disappearing the
fastest and tree frogs (Family: Hylidae) and dart-poison frogs (Family:
Dendrobatidae) remaining the longest. We detected biotic homogenization of
tadpole communities, with post-decline communities resembling one another
more strongly than pre-decline communities. The entire tadpole community
was extirpated within 22 months following Bd arrival, and we found limited
signs of recovery within 10 years post-outbreak. Because of imperfect
species detection inherent to sampling species rich tropical communities
and the difficulty of devising a single study design protocol to sample
physically complex tropical habitats, we used simulations to provide
recommendations for future surveys to adequately sample diverse
Neotropical communities. Our unique dataset on tadpole community
composition before and after Bd arrival is a valuable baseline for
assessing amphibian recovery. Our results are of direct relevance to
conservation managers and community ecologists interested in understanding
the timing, magnitude, and consequences of disease outbreaks as emerging
infectious diseases spread globally.