Using Canals in Southern Florida to Measure Impacts of Urbanization on Herpetofaunal Community Composition

Abstract

Abstract Urban ecosystems provide habitat for a variety of amphibian and reptile species, but in most places, these communities are understudied. Gradients of urbanization have been used to examine how herpetofaunal communities respond to anthropogenic disturbance. We used visual-encounter surveys along human-made canals that track a gradient of urbanization as a system to examine changes in aquatic and semiaquatic herpetofauna. We found substantial changes in herpetofaunal community composition along the urbanization gradient, primarily driven by the association of exotic invasive amphibians with canals adjacent to urban areas relative to canals adjacent to natural areas.