Tadpole richness in riparian areas is determined by niche-based and neutral processes

Abstract

In this study, we evaluate the effects of spatial and environmental factors on the structure of tadpole assemblages in Central Amazonia testing the following hypotheses: (1) environmental factors are more important than spatial ones in tadpole richness distribution and (2) habitat structure variables are more important than biotic variables in tadpole richness distribution. Tadpoles were sampled at 20 riparian plots between February and June 2010. Spatial and environmental components explained the major part of the variation in observed and estimated tadpole richness, respectively. Among all fitted models, the best model that explains species richness distribution is the one that contains only the number of ponds. Our results showed that tadpole richness in streamside ponds is influenced by niche-based processes and can be explained by local factors related to habitat structure. Predator density was not an important biotic factor in our study, contradicting the results found by other studies conducted in tropical areas. However, neutral processes are also important because spatial variation can explain the spatial distribution of species richness, probably as a result of dispersal limitation. Therefore, our results contribute to understanding of the local and landscape features which influence the amphibian species diversity in a tropical forest.