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Understanding infection dynamics of emerging pathogens, such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is crucial for wildlife conservation, especially in highly disturbed urban ecosystems that support diverse host communities. While Bd typically thrives in cool, humid environments, recent studies have shown that it can exhibit plasticity to warmer conditions. Our study was conducted in fragmented urban forests of Guayaquil and Durán, Ecuador, a coastal region characterized by warm temperatures year-round and facing rapid habitat loss. We hypothesized that seasonal changes associated with temperature and precipitation, anuran species richness, host family, and habitat fragment size would in uence Bd infection dynamics. We found that Bd prevalence was in uenced by season and host taxonomy, with the highest infection rates during the dry season and in the family Leptodactylidae. Speci cally, Bd prevalence across all sites was 10.7%; with an overall prevalence of 2.5% during part of the rainy season (February to April), and 26.0% when temperatures and precipitation were lower (May to July). We also found lower amphibian richness in smaller forest fragments and during the dry season, which appeared to amplify pathogen prevalence. Our research elucidates Bd dynamics in seasonally dry tropical coastal forests and highlights the importance of considering variables associated with dry and rainy seasons (i.e., temperature and precipitation) in disease ecology and conservation planning. Understanding these dynamics is essential for safeguarding amphibian populations in the face of ongoing urbanization and climate change. 

Abstract Conservation funding is currently limited; cost‐effective conservation solutions are essential. We suggest that the thousands of field stations worldwide can play key roles at the frontline of biodiversity conservation and have high intrinsic value. We assessed field stations’ conservation return on investment and explored the impact of COVID‐19. We surveyed leaders of field stations across tropical regions that host primate research; 157 field stations in 56 countries responded. Respondents reported improved habitat quality and reduced hunting rates at over 80% of field stations and lower operational costs per km²than protected areas, yet half of those surveyed have less funding now than in 2019. Spatial analyses support field station presence as reducing deforestation. These “earth observatories” provide a high return on investment; we advocate for increased support of field station programs and for governments to support their vital conservation efforts by investing accordingly.