Abstract
ABSTRACT The increasing urbanization of the Amazonian biome has promoted the creation of several forest fragments surrounded by an urban matrix, but the relationship of animal assemblages to the urban environment, especially in forest fragments, is poorly known. Here we aimed to 1) determine the composition of the squamate fauna of the largest urban forest fragment from central Amazonia, in the Brazilian city of Manaus, and 2) evaluate the influence of environmental parameters on assemblage diversity. We sampled 10 standardized riparian plots through visual search in six surveys between 2008/09 and 2015, totaling 360 observer-hours. We found 15 species of lacertoids (lizards and amphisbaenians) and seven species of snakes through active search. After considering occasional encounters and search in museum collections, we recorded a total of 24 lacertoid and 22 snake species. Multiple regression models indicated that species richness and abundance of individuals increased with the distance from the edge of the fragment, while other structural parameters of the environment did not affect the assemblage. We conclude that this forest fragment 1) consists of a subset of the regional species pool, and 2) undergoes reduction of species richness and abundance of individuals from the center to the borders. This and additional urban forest fragments should be continually monitored in order to evaluate their long-term role in maintaining the tropical biodiversity.
Highlights
In areas under constant anthropogenic pressure, specific changes in habitat components might affect the composition and distribution of squamate reptiles (Gardner et al 2007; Folt and Reider 2013)
Knowledge about the composition and ecology of squamate reptile assemblages in central Amazonia mainly comes from studies in peri-urban/rural or continuous forest areas (e.g. Martins and Oliveira 1998; Neckel-Oliveira and Gordo 2004; Fraga et al 2013a)
We recorded a total of 209 individuals from 15 lizard species and 23 individuals from seven snake species in the plots (Table 1)
Summary
In areas under constant anthropogenic pressure, specific changes in habitat components might affect the composition and distribution of squamate reptiles (Gardner et al 2007; Folt and Reider 2013). Changes such as increases in temperature and decreases in humidity, may affect microhabitats and suitable reproductive sites or impact the dispersal ability for Squamata, causing local extirpation of this group, mainly in smaller forest patches (Laurance 2002; Araújo and Pearson 2005; Gardner et al 2007). The relationship of these assemblages with the urban environment, especially in forest fragments, is poorly known
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