Changes in the community structure of anurans in the Coastal plain forest, southeastern Brazil

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, we analyzed how variations in species richness, composition and abundance of anurans in a community could be explained by temporal environmental factors such as temperature and precipitation and spatially between different vegetation types. The study was carried out in Vale Natural Reserve, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, from June 2015 to October 2016. We sampled the anuran community in 21 plots of 250 m in length, with 10 m of width. We recorded a total of 326 individuals of anurans, corresponding to 23 species in six families. We concluded that the anurans community of the Vale Natural Reserve remained relatively stable throughout the seasons and along vegetation types in terms of richness but differed in composition and abundance. The anurans were more abundant in the rainy season, with precipitation being the most important factor for anuran density in the area. Anuran community composition varied among vegetation types due to differences in complexity and structure of each vegetation type. Our study showed that different factors were determinant for the variation in species abundance and composition in the area. Therefore, the conservation of fragments and their associated habitat and the monitoring of environmental changes is of fundamental importance in anuran conservation in the area.