The role of the matrix-edge dynamics of amphibian conservation in tropical montane fragmented landscapes

Abstract

Edge effects play a key role in forest dynamics in which the context of the anthropogenic matrix has a great influence on fragment connectivity and function. The study of the interaction between edge and matrix effects in nature is essential to understand and promote the colonization of some functional groups in managed ecosystems. We studied the dynamics of 7 species of frogs and salamanders occurring in 8 ecotones of tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) which interact with adjacent managed areas of coffee and corn plantations in Guerrero, southern Mexico. A survey effort of 196 man/hours along 72 transects detected 58 individuals of 7 amphibian species and 12 environmental and structural variables were measured. The diversity and abundance of amphibians in the forest mostly depended on the matrix context adjacent to the forest patches. The forest interior provided higher relative humidity, leaf litter cover, and canopy cover that determined the presence of some amphibian species. The use of shaded coffee plantations was preferred by the amphibians over the corn plots possibly due to the maintenance of native forest arboreal elements, low management rate and less intensity of disturbance in the coffee plantations than in the corn plots. Shaded coffee plantations reduce the edge effects in TMCF, improve the connectivity between TMCF fragments and increase habitat quality for the forest interior amphibian species. Future wildlife management research should take into account edge and matrix effects to understand species dynamics which move along anthropogenic-natural ecotones in managed ecosystems, thus prioritizing sites to buffer edge effects and increase habitat quality in remaining natural ecosystems.