Spatial and environmental patterns of Amazonian anurans: Differences between assemblages with aquatic and terrestrial reproduction, and implications for conservation management

Abstract

We evaluated whether species with aquatic reproduction would be more dependent on environmental conditions than species with terrestrial reproduction, which we predicted to be more affected by factors that induce spatial patterns unrelated to known environmental predictors. An analysis of all the species combined indicated a stronger spatial pattern than that induced by the environmental factors. However, the observed pattern was highly dependent on the reproductive mode. The distributions of species with aquatic reproduction were more related to the environmental variables, while species with terrestrial reproduction showed strong spatial patterns. Species that are strongly influenced by environmental controls may be more sensitive to specific threats (such as conversion of riparian areas), whereas species that do not have restrictive reproductive requirements, but present strong associations with forests, could be better indicators of the general environmental degradation associated with climate change or selective timber harvesting.