Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 421-428 (2018) (published online on 09 May 2018) Anuran diversity in an Araucaria Forest fragment and associated grassland area in a sub-tropical region in Brazil Nathalie Edina Foerster1,* and Carlos Eduardo Conte,2,3 Abstract. Considering the rapid advancement of forest fragmentation and habitat destruction, understanding species composition, richness and distribution is crucial for the development of conservation strategies. In this context, the main goal of this study is to provide an inventory of anuran species using different sampling methods (survey at breeding sites, transect sampling and pitfall traps) and to evaluate the assemblage structure of anurans in an Araucaria Forest and its associated grasslands in a subtropical region in Brazil. For the analyses, 21 breeding sites were classified into three categories: open area (OA; n=7), forest interior (FI; n=7) and forest edge (FE; n=7). A diversity profile analysis was performed to evaluate alpha diversity. ANOSIM and SIMPER analyses were carried out to verify differences regarding species composition (beta diversity) between the categories. A total of 33 species comprising nine families were recorded, representing ca. 80% of the estimated richness for the region. The greatest alpha diversity was observed in FI, whereas OA and FE did not differ in terms of diversity. Regarding beta diversity, all categories differed amongst themselves (dissimilarity 80%), which may be related to the presence of exclusive species in each category, requiring specific habitat characteristics, due to specific reproductive modes. Furthermore, many species showed high abundance due to their generalist habits. The presence of exclusive species at OA and FI reinforces the importance of preserving different habitats for the maintenance of local species richness and diversity. Keywords: Anura; assemblage structure; Campos Gerais; Mixed Ombrophilous Forest; Piraí do Sul Introduction Parris, 2004; Silva et al., 2012). Ecological studies seek to understand how these interactions occur and how Anuran assemblage compositions are determined they influence species richness and distribution (e.g., by species interactions with biotic and abiotic factors Parris, 2004; Santos et al., 2007; Ernst and Rödel, 2008; (Eterovick and Sazima, 2000; Parris, 2004; Wells, Vasconcelos et al., 2009; Silva et al., 2012). Answering 2007; Oda et al., 2016), as well as by historical and these questions is important in the present setting, since evolutionary processes (Zimmerman and Simberloff, habitat destruction and alterations are major threats to 1996; Piha et al., 2007). The availability of different several species, especially anurans (Dixo and Verdade, microhabitats allows for the segregation and coexistence 2006; Bishop et al., 2012). Most anurans are extremely of species in a same habitat, as well as species dependent on their habitat characteristics, due to several differentiation among habitats (Conte and Rossa-Feres, factors, including permeable skin (Wells, 2007) and 2007; Santos et al., 2007; Vasconcelos et al., 2009; reproductive modes that require specific microhabitats Silva et al., 2011). In this sense, habitat heterogeneity (Haddad and Prado, 2005; Crump, 2015). has been considered an important factor regarding This study presents an evaluation of the structure of anuran assemblage structure (Cardoso et al., 1989; an anuran assemblage at an Araucaria forest region and its associated grasslands, located in the Piraí do Sul municipality, Brazil. The study aims to (i) provide a list 1 Autonomous researcher: Major França Gomes, 673, CEP of species for the region and (ii) compare the assemblage 80310-000, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil composition of three different habitats types: open area, 2 Instituto Neotropical: Pesquisa e Conservação (INPCON). forest interior and forest edge. Avenida Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, 100, CEP 81531-980, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil Material and Methods 3 Criadouro Onça Pintada. Estrada do Pocinho, s/n, Campina Grande do Sul, CEP 83420-000, Paraná, Brazil This study was carried out at the Piraí do Sul * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] municipality (24.5397°S, 49.9278°W; datum SIRGAS, 422 Nathalie Edina Foerster & Carlos Eduardo Conte 2000) (SISBIO license n°26992-1), in a region known The Campos Gerais climate, according to Köppen, is as Campos Gerais, in the state of Paraná, Brazil, in two Cfb (humid subtropical), with mild summers. Maximum areas: 1) Floresta Nacional de Piraí do Sul (FNPS) and average temperatures in the hottest months are below 2) Piraí da Serra (Figure 1). 22˚C, and during the coldest months are below 18˚C, The FNPS (24.5667°S, 49.9167°W) is located with frequent frost (Moro et al., 2009). between the first and second Paraná plateau, comprising Diversity data was obtained monthly at 24 sites, 152 ha. The area presents a slightly undulating relief, from October 2012 to March 2013. Three sites were with altitudes ranging between 900 and 1248m above composed of transects locates in the forest interior, 20 sea level (asl). The dominant vegetation types are Pinus, sites were breeding habitats (six puddles, nine swamps, Araucaria and Imbuia (Ocotea), and Araucaria forest in five lakes, one artificial tank and three 120-meter different successional stages where selective logging transects in streams) at FNPS and its surrounding areas, has transpired (Moro et al., 2009). Different vegetation and one site was a stream transect in Piraí da Serra (Table types, such as Pinus, Eucalyptus and crops, as well as 1). The habitats sampling sequence of each campaign different-sized Araucaria forest fragments, occur in the was altered to minimize possible variations in species surrounding areas of the FNPS (ICMBio, 2011). activities (sensu Conte and Rossa-Feres, 2006). The Piraí da Serra area (24.4667°S, 50.0167°W) is The applied sampling methods were: 1) breeding site located in the Environmental Protection Area (APA) sampling (Scott Jr. and Woodward, 1994), in which the of the Devonian Escarpment, with an elevation of perimeter of each water body and stream were slowly around 1000 m asl comprising 51.20 ha (SEMA, 2004) traversed, counting individuals from different species at approximately 15 km from the FNPS. The region is and calling males during one hour per site per campaign, formed by approximately 37% grassy-woody steppe, totalling 150 hours for all habitats; and 2) transects 18% Araucaria Forest, 45% fast-growing exotic species inside the forest, slowly traversed, counting individuals monocultures (Pinus and Eucalyptus) and crops (Veloso from different species and calling males, with an effort et al., 1991; Bilenca and Miñarro, 2004; SEMA, 2004). of one hour per transect per campaign, totalling 18 Figure 1. Map of Brazil, state of Paraná and satellite images of the sampled areas in the municipality of Piraí do Sul: A- Piraí da Serra; B- Floresta Nacional de Piraí do Sul and surrounding areas. Asterisks indicate the locations of the habitats sampled in the study area; more than one habitat can be located at the same asterisk point at the map. The red asterisks indicate the locations at the Floresta Nacional de Piraí do Sul. Satellite image: Google Earth©. Anuran diversity in an Araucaria Forest fragment in Brazil 423 Table 1. Characterization of the sampled habitats in Piraí do Sul municipality, from October 2012 to March 2013 according to the matrices in which they were inserted: Open area: swamps (SO1, SO2), lakes (LO1, LO2), ponds (PO1, PO2), stream (STO1); Forest edge: swamps (SE1, SE2), lakes (LE1), ponds (PE1-PE4); Forest interior: swamps (SF1, SF2), lakes (LF1, LF2); streams (STF1, STF2); artificial tank (ATF), Transections (TF1, TF2, TF3). Vegetation in the breeding habitat: % Interior = percentage of vegetation inside the breeding habitat, % Marginal= percentage of vegetation on the edge of breeding habitat. Type of vegetation: He = herbaceous, Sr = shrub, Ab = arboreal, Pt = pteridophyta, Aq = aquatic, Tb = Typha sp., Gr = gramineae, Br = Bryophyte. * = Not applicable. Breeding habitat vegetation Maximum Habitat Vegetation type % Interior % Marginal depth (m) SO1 60 80 Sr, He, Gr,Aq 1,30 SO2 100 100 Sr, Ab, Hb, Gr 0,40 SE1 55 60 Sr, Ab, He, Pt, Gr, Aq 0,80 SE2 60 65 Sr, Ab, He, Gr 0,25 SF1 100 100 Sr ,Ab, He, Gr, Pt, Aq 0,40 SF2 100 100 Sr, Ab, He, Gr, Pt, Aq 4,00 LO1 10 75 Sr, He, Gr, Aq 5,40 LO2 50 90 Sr, He, Tb, Aq 3,60 LE1 30 75 Sr, Ab, He, Aq, Gr 3,40 LF1 5 100 Sr, Ab, He, Tb, Aq, Gr 6,00 LF2 40 100 Sr, Ab, He, Aq, Gr 4,40 PO1 5 60 Sr, He, Aq, Gr 1,15 PO2 1 30 Br, Gr 1,00 PE1 5 75 Sr, Ab, He 3,00 PE2 98 25 Sr, Ab, He, Gr 0,25 PE3 80 25 Sr, Ab, He 0,40 PE4 2 30 Sr, Ab, He, Gr 1,50 STO1 0 100 Sr, He, Gr, Br 2,00 STF1 0 95 Sr, Ab, He, Gr, Pt 0,30 STF2 0 100 Sr, Ab, He, Pt 0,40 ATF 90 100 Sr, Ab, He, Aq, Gr 0,45 TF1 * 100 Sr, Ab, He, Gr, Pt * TF2 * 100 Sr, Ab, He, Pt * TF3 * 100 Sr, Ab, He, Pt * hours for all transects, jointly. Pitfall traps were used as differences in capture and recapture results. These the inventory method (Corn, 1994). Five sites with three results demonstrate that, despite differences between trap lines were sampled. Each line was composed by species, the number of individuals present in more than four 60-liter buckets, located 10 meters apart from each one breeding event tends to be lower than the number of other, connected by drift fences, set in a way to induce individuals present at only a single breeding event. individual capture. The buckets remained open for five The first-order Jackknife estimator extrapolation consecutive nights per campaign, totalling an effort of method was applied to evaluate species richness 60 buckets per night per campaign.