Abstract
We present an assessment on composition, diversity and structure of amphibians in three zones along an elevation gradient (2,400–3,000 m) in the Central Cordillera of Colombia. For this purpose, we carried out two field trips in November 2014 and February 2015, covering rainy and dry seasons, respectively. Diurnal (08:00–12:00 h) and nocturnal (18:00–22:00 h) visual encounter surveys were made without spatial restrictions. The diversity for each zone (alpha) and for the entire landscape (gamma) was evaluated by the effective number of species, and the structure of the communities was analyzed by range-abundance curves. The inequality factor for each of the sampling zones was also calculated. A total of 15 species belonging to seven genera and three families were recorded, all of the order Anura. Craugastoridae with 11 species (73.3% of richness) and Pristimantis (eight species) were the most diverse family and genus, respectively. The average alpha diversity per zone was 6.6 effective species, with zone A being the most diverse with eight species. In terms of beta diversity we found 2.5 effective communities at the landscape level, and differences between zones are given by the rare species, while the most abundant ones (e.g., Pristimantis uranobates) are shared between them. It is presumed that the greater diversity of zone A is due to the lower elevation and better state of conservation if compared to the other two zones. Of the total species recorded, three are threatened with extinction: Endangered (Hypodactylus latens, Osornophryne percrassa), and Critically Endangered (Niceforonia adenobrachia). The finding of three yet undescribed species is highlighted.
Highlights
The study of biodiversity in the mega-diverse countries is a condition without which development models could not be implemented in a sustainable manner (Erhlich & Wilson 1991; Adams et al 2004; Greene et al 2005)
Richness and species composition Among current ectothermic vertebrates, amphibians are the most diversified group in the high mountain ecosystems of the tropical Andes (Lynch 1999a; Lynch & Suárez-Mayorga 2002; Navas 2006; Bernal & Lynch 2008; Hutter et al 2013), amphibian distribution patterns show that there is a decrease in diversity as elevation increases, similar to latitudinal reduction patterns (Lynch 1986)
In this study we recorded 15 amphibian species with a representativeness between 89–93 % for the three evaluated zones, indicating that the fauna observed is a representative sample, but possibly some additional species can be found with an increasing sampling effort
Summary
The study of biodiversity in the mega-diverse countries is a condition without which development models could not be implemented in a sustainable manner (Erhlich & Wilson 1991; Adams et al 2004; Greene et al 2005). Despite having a small geographic area (7888km2), its amphibian fauna represents approximately 14% of the known richness for Colombia (Acosta 2009; Rojas-Morales et al 2014a) Such diversity can be attributed to its location within the north Andean region, which represents the global Hotspot (Myers et al 2000) with the highest amphibian diversity in the world (Hutter et al 2017). In some areas above 2,500m of elevation and up to the Páramo level (3,200– 3,700 m), there is still an information gap regarding composition and diversity of amphibians At this area, landscape configuration has been modified since the mid-nineteenth century to expand livestock farms, and subsequently extensive potato crops (Solanum tuberosum). This has considerably transformed the original habitat of this mountain region (Valencia 1985; Márquez 2001)
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