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Anuran diversity in an Araucaria Forest fragment and associated grassland area in a sub-tropical region in Brazil
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Considering the rapid advancement of forest fragmentation and habitat destruction, understanding species composition, richness and distribution is crucial for the development of conservation strategies. In this context, the main goal of this study is to provide an inventory of anuran species using different sampling methods (survey at breeding sites, transect sampling and pitfall traps) and to evaluate the assemblage structure of anurans in an Araucaria Forest and its associated grasslands in a subtropical region in Brazil. For the analyses, 21 breeding sites were classified into three categories: open area (OA; n=7), forest interior (FI; n=7) and forest edge (FE; n=7). A diversity profile analysis was performed to evaluate alpha diversity. ANOSIM and SIMPER analyses were carried out to verify differences regarding species composition (beta diversity) between the categories. A total of 33 species comprising nine families were recorded, representing ca. 80% of the estimated richness for the region. The greatest alpha diversity was observed in FI, whereas OA and FE did not differ in terms of diversity. Regarding beta diversity, all categories differed amongst themselves (dissimilarity 80%), which may be related to the presence of exclusive species in each category, requiring specific habitat characteristics, due to specific reproductive modes. Furthermore, many species showed high abundance due to their generalist habits. The presence of exclusive species at OA and FI reinforces the importance of preserving different habitats for the maintenance of local species richness and diversity.
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... Even with the arboreal habits, the breeding sites of the hylid species were in lentic environments, most of them There are 19 forest-dependent species, 13 openarea-dependent species, four generalist species, and the remaining 27 species have some association with forest or open areas. Therefore, it is relevant for the amphibians to preserve both landscape matrixes (Foerster and Conte, 2018), even with some anthropic ...
The Serra Dona Francisca is located in the subtropical region of the Atlantic Forest and part of its area is protected by a sustainable use conservation unit. In the present study, we performed an anuran inventory at different elevations, providing information on natural history of each species. Field work was carried out from October 2012 to January 2014. We sampled the anuran by visual and auditory surveys and used three 50-meter pitfall lines composed of four 60L buckets with drift-fences at each elevation area. We registered 63 species belonging to 13 families: Brachycephalidae (4), Bufonidae (4), Centrolenidae (1), Craugastoridae (1), Cycloramphidae (2), Hemiphractidae (2), Hylidae (30), Hylodidae (2), Leptodactylidae (10), Microhylidae (2), Odontophrynidae (3), Phyllomedusidae (1), and Ranidae (1). We observed four new records for the northeastern region of the stare of Santa Catarina: Bokermannohyla luctuosa, Scinax aromothyella, Odontophrynus americanus, and Leptodactylus plaumanni. We registered a higher number of species during the hot and wet months, with subsequent drop during the cold months. We found an increase of species richness at higher elevations. Considering that our results represent 50% of anuran richness of the state of Santa Catarina, this is an important region for conservation of biodiversity of southern Atlantic Forest.
... The anuran amphibian community has been the focus of many studies in Brazil (e.g. Martins et al. 2014, Leivas & Hiert 2016, Santos-Pereira et al. 2016, Andrade et al. 2017, Ceron et al. 2017, Foerster & Conte 2018, Fiorillo et al. 2018. Surveys typically provide important insights into the characteristics of an anuran community and its populations (Rocha et al. 2003). ...
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the world’s most biodiverse biomes, with large numbers of endemic and threatened species. However, this biome has suffered extensive deforestation and habitat fragmentation, with a drastic reduction of its original vegetation cover. The compilation of data on the occurrence patterns of anurans and their natural history is important for the development of effective conservation strategies. Here, we present the results of a survey of the anuran fauna of Parque Estadual do Papagaio Charão (PEPC) in Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil, providing information on species endemism, conservation status, and reproductive modes. We collected data on the local anurans between March 2018 and February 2019 using active searches and pitfall traps. We recorded 26 anuran species distributed in seven families, with eight different reproductive modes. The largest number of species (20) was found at the forest edge, followed by the interior of the forest and open area, each with 16 species. The most abundant species were Leptodactylus plaumanni (41.7% of records), Physalaemus cuvieri (27.1%), and P. carrizorum (16.5%). Greater species richness and abundance were recorded during the rainier months, while temperature influenced only the abundance of the anurans. Rhinella henseli, Rhinella icterica, Vitreorana uranoscopa, Aplastodiscus perviridis, Boana curupi, Boana leptolineata and Proceratophrys brauni are all endemic to the Atlantic Forest. Melanophryniscus devincenzii is classified as Endangered by the IUCN, and Proceratophrys bigibbosa as Near Threatened. Boana curupi is considered to be Endangered in Rio Grande do Sul state, and Vulnerable in Brazil, while V. uranoscopa is Near Threatened in Rio Grande do Sul. Our findings emphasize the importance of protected areas, such as the PEPC, for the maintenance of anuran populations and communities in the Mixed Rainforest formations of southern Brazil.
... Here we describe the embryonic development of Ischnocnema henselii (Peters, 1870), which occurs in subtropical Atlantic rainforest and parts of the Araucaria forest of southern and southeast (Serra do Mar) Brazil and Misiones, Argentina (Lucas et al. 2018;Frost 2019). Despite its wide distribution, and several studies analyzing the microhabitat use (Santos-Pereira et al. 2015), diet and feeding behavior (Dietl et al. 2009), conservation status (Vaira et al. 2012;Foerster & Conte 2018), and its taxonomy and systematic position (Taucce et al. 2018a, b), nothing is known about its early development. Thus, in this article we provide detailed data on the embryonic ontogeny of I. henselii and discuss some morphological aspects related to its developmental mode. ...
Due to the difficulty in finding newly fresh spawn in natural environments, few embryonic developmental studies have been carried out in anurans with direct development. Here we provide detailed data on the embryonic ontogeny of Ischnocnema henselii, and compare some morphological aspects related to its developmental mode within and outside of the brachycephaloid clade. Embryonic development in I. henselii is characterized by a unicuspid egg tooth (bicuspid in most other Brachycephaloidea), external gills present, open vent tube, and tail fins with dorsoventral orientation throughout the development. We also provide the first account of skin development in direct-developing frogs, revealing that the maturation of the integument has a typical dorsal to ventral sequence of changes as in most biphasic anurans. The early onset of thyroid development seems to be consistent with the hypothesis that the evolution of direct development in anuran amphibians involved precocious activation of the thyroid axis. A comparative analysis with the still few described embryonic ontogenies for direct-developing species reveals variation in the length of the embryonic period, rate of development, size at hatching and presence/absence of external morphological characters, which suggests heterochronic shifts in the rate of species-specific stage progression. All these details reinforce the idea of the high morphological variability among direct-developing frogs.
Abstract One of the most important resources for reproduction in frogs is the acoustic space since the advertisement call, which is mostly used to attract females, may suffer interference when the acoustic space is widely filled. Other important resources are calling sites and adequate climatic conditions. We analyzed herein three dimensions of the acoustic niche of anurans (advertisement calls, calling period, and calling sites). We recorded 11 calling species of frogs in a tropical community. Species richness was negatively related to temperature, and daily activity was positively related to humidity. We also observed a greater niche overlap than expected by chance in calling periods. These results indicate that the climatic conditions should act as an environmental filter, synchronizing the calling period. The calling site was not shared among species, and no clear pattern of substrate use was observed. Regarding the acoustic dimension, we observe a phylogenetic signal in the dominant frequency of advertisement calls. Hierarchical cluster analysis also indicated a congruence between acoustic distances and phylogenetic relationships. Therefore, the dominant frequency of advertisement calls was constrained by phylogenetic relationships, indicating that it affects the partitioning and use of acoustic resources, an important dimension in reproductive activity in anurans.
The expansion of agriculture causes habitat loss and fragmentation that negatively affects biodiversity. We analyzed the species richness, composition and habitat preferences of anuran species in aquatic habitats in mesophytic semideciduous Atlantic Forest remnants and surrounding agricultural landscapes in southern Brazil, between April 2011 and March 2013. Nineteen anuran species, belonging to 11 genera and 5 families, were recorded. Species richness was similar between the forest remnants and the agricultural landscapes (18 and 19 species, respectively). Anuran species composition was associated with habitat type and the number of vegetation types in breeding habitats. Most species preferred breeding habitats in the agricultural landscape. Our results suggest that the anuran species recorded have access to both forest remnants and agricultural landscapes, as species richness in the two areas was similar. Habitat type and the number of vegetation types may influence species composition, because vegetation provides shelter and calling sites for anurans, which breed mainly in lentic water bodies. Thus, to maintain anuran populations in fragmented landscapes, it is important to preserve artificially constructed bodies of water within the agricultural landscape and on the forest edge.
In the Campos Gerais region a mixed Araucaria forest has been fragmented mainly as a result of natural processes related to Quaternary climatic fluctuations. Yet these fragmented grassland patterns in South Brazil have not yet been settled; therefore, two preserved areas, Vila Velha and Guartelá State Parks, were selected to determine the region’s current natural forest patterns. Mapping reveals a highly fragmented landscape on a fractal dimension. It was observed that most of the patches were smaller than 10 ha (90.3% of the total number of patches) and very few were larger than 100 ha (2.7%). The smaller patches were in simple regular shape, and exhibited increased edge effects. However, their sum makes up a small representation of the total area. The largest patch was over 100 ha, and was more complex and irregular in shape. The connectivity between all patches was considered good once they were at least 50 m apart. Several islets acted as “stepping-stone” corridors. From the ecological perspective, large patches can act as source areas and maintain biodiversity, whereas small patches can act as stepping-stones or migration corridors, refuges, or provide sites for nucleation. This natural pattern could act as a reference for further study in landscape restoration. This analysis discourages government efforts to increase hydroelectrical expansion, in Campos Gerais, as infrastructure will be built across the gorges and canyons that support the most demanding and sensitive species. Furthermore, public policies requiring landowners to protect small forest patches within their farmlands are needed because they are extremely important for maintaining these landscape connections.
A new species of the Hypsiboas polytaenius clade is described from Itapecerica da Serra (23°43′S, 46°51′W, 906 m elevation; datum WGS84), State of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. The new species is characterized by its medium snout-vent length (SVL) for the group (SVL 27.1–29.1 mm in males; 31.2 mm in female), head width 31.1–33.9% of SVL in males, 37.8% in female, snout rounded in dorsal and lateral views, calcar appendix and supra-cloacal crest absent, webbing poorly developed between fingers, moderately developed between toes, and dorsal color pattern composed of four wide pale brown stripes, intercalated by three brown stripes, arranged longitudinally. The four pale brown stripes join to form two stripes anterior to the eyes and then join again at the tip of snout. Within these pale brown stripes, narrow longitudinal brown lines, complete or broken, occur. The pale brown marginal stripes show, on the external border, a white line passing over the canthus rostralis, edge of the upper eyelid, and along the flank to the groin, contrasting with a broad dark brown lateral stripe. This dark brown stripe extends from the tip of snout to the eye and from the posterior border of the eye, passing on the tympanum, to the groin. The ventral half of the loreal region is pale brown with a dark brown longitudinal line, continuing as a white stripe below and contrasting to the dark brown lateral stripe, to the groin. The new species is distributed in the extreme south of the State of Rio de Janeiro and northeastern State of São Paulo, above 400 m altitude.
A comprehensive, but simple-to-use software package for executing a range of standard numerical analysis and operations used in quantitative paleontology has been developed. The program, called PAST (PAleontological STatistics), runs on standard Windows computers and is available free of charge. PAST integrates spreadsheettype data entry with univariate and multivariate statistics, curve fitting, time-series analysis, data plotting, and simple phylogenetic analysis. Many of the functions are specific to paleontology and ecology, and these functions are not found in standard, more extensive, statistical packages. PAST also includes fourteen case studies (data files and exercises) illustrating use of the program for paleontological problems, making it a complete educational package for courses in quantitative methods.
In the Neotropics, conversion of natural habitats into agricultural areas is occurring at a high rate, with consequent reduction of habitat complexity in anuran breeding ponds. Identifying features of farmland ponds that allow them to support a high diversity of species is fundamental for successful management and conservation policies and is especially important in Neotropical regions that harbor the highest anuran species richness in the world. Here, we aimed to investigate which environmental descriptors correlate the occurrence of anuran species in tropical farmland ponds in southeastern Brazil. We found that environmental descriptors reflecting the complexity of vegetation in farmland ponds primarily predict the diversity of anuran species in these habitats. Species richness was correlated mainly by vegetation height in the margin, with ponds that exhibit greater stratification harboring a larger number of species. Vegetation height in the interior of ponds, diversity of vegetation in the margin, pond area and hydroperiod were also important variables predicting the abundance of six of 10 anuran species analyzed. Our results show that features of farmland ponds representing increased habitat complexity are key factors in maintaining a high diversity of species, providing a greater variety of microhabitats, both in vertical and horizontal strata, and thus meeting diverse species-specific requirements.
A diversidade de anfíbios no Cerrado é ameaçada principalmente pelo aumento das atividades antrópicas. A legislação vigente exige de empreendimentos potencialmente impactantes a implantação de programas ambientais que incluem a recuperação de áreas degradadas e o estudo dos mecanismos ecológicos associados à recolonização de áreas alteradas. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: avaliar possíveis diferenças na composição de espécies em assembléias de anuros entre áreas de topografia modificada (ATM) e áreas de topografia não modificada (ATNM); e comparar a riqueza de anuros entre ATM e ATNM. Apesar do maior número de espécies registradas na ATM (28 espécies) em relação à ATNM (22 espécies), não houve diferença na riqueza quando comparamos as curvas de rarefação ou a riqueza estimada (jackknife1). Entretanto, as duas assembléias diferiram quanto às curvas de abundância relativa, especialmente quanto ao padrão das espécies mais abundantes. Localmente, a análise de co-ocorrência demonstrou que as espécies na ATM co-ocorrem menos do que o esperado ao acaso, o que indica a partilha dos ambientes para reprodução mediada por interações competitivas. A presença de corpos d'água artificiais com alta heterogeneidade estrutural, associados a fragmentos florestais em bom estado de conservação são fatores que contribuem para a manutenção de uma alta diversidade de anfíbios na área. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Modelos nulos. Análise de co-ocorrência. Recolonização. Impactos ambientais.
Although most of the unique ways that frogs reproduce were described in the 1800s and 1900s, additional modes are still being discovered in the 21st Century. The concept of reproductive mode has evolved from descriptive natural history to an integration of developmental biology, genetics, systematics, evolution, ecology, behavior, and physiology that frames our thinking about the transition of vertebrates from water to land and about anuran reproductive adaptations to diverse environments today. We have classified reproductive modes, examined quantitative parameters, searched for geographical and ecological patterns, and described variability. We have speculated about selective pressures guiding the evolution of terrestrial reproduction and argued about the usefulness of reproductive mode as a character to construct phylogenies. In the past, researchers assumed that the reproductive modes exhibited by living frogs represented stages in an incomplete, linear sequence of steps toward greater independence from open water, with direct development at the end of the spectrum. Newly proposed phylogenies based on molecular data allow us to re-think the evolution of anuran reproductive modes. On another level, we are increasingly realizing the value of incorporating life history information (aquatic larvae or terrestrial development) in setting priorities to formulate more effective and ecologically relevant conservation strategies. The next decade is certain to witness significant advances in our understanding of anuran reproductive modes.
We hypothesized that the environmental heterogeneity of breeding ponds influences the species composition and species richness of anuran assemblages from southeastern Brazil, because it provides humidity, shelter, and breeding microhabitats for anuran species, which can result in an increasing number of species in a given habitat. To begin, we tested whether the occurrence of anuran species in each breeding pond is different from a null model of random placement of species in those ponds. We then performed two tests to evaluate which of the five environmental descriptors of breeding ponds influence (1) the species composition and (2) species richness. Species composition of the 38 breeding ponds was correlated with number of edge types, number of plant types along the edges of the breeding ponds, and the hydroperiod. Neither the percentage of vegetation cover on the water's surface nor the size of the breeding ponds were correlated with species composition. Only the number of edge types was correlated with species richness of breeding ponds. The correlation of three environmental descriptors with species composition and one environmental descriptor with species richness, as well as the high beta diversity among breeding ponds, suggest that the analyses of environmental heterogeneity on species composition was more informative than was the analysis for species richness, because breeding ponds with similar species richness can have distinct species composition among them (high beta diversity).