Anurans from a local assemblage in Central Brazil: linking local processes with macroecological patterns

Abstract

Macroecological variables of Anuran species found in a local assemblage from Central Brazil (Silvânia, Goiás State) were linked to population dyamics statistics of these species. Geographical range size (GRS), body size, and species' midpoints were the macroecological variables investigated for those species found in the local assemblage and for all other species (105 in the total) found in the Cerrado biome. For each species found in the local assemblage, data on abundance was obtained. Using this data, local population variability as expressed by the coefficient of variation was estimated. Distribution of means, medians, maximum, variances, and skewness (g1), for both GRS and body size, estimated in the local assemblage were compared, using null models, with the data extracted from the overall Cerrado species pool. The results indicated a clear macroecological relationship between GRS and body size and a decrease in local abundance when distance between the locality analyzed and species midpoint increased. According to null models, both body size and GRS values measured in the local assemblage can be considered a random sample from the regional species pool (Cerrado region). Finally, a three-dimensional analysis using body size, GRS, and local population estimates (abundance and variability), indicated that less abundant and more fluctuating species fell near the lower boundary of the polygonal relationship between GRS and body size. Thus, macroecological results linked with local data on population dynamics supported the minimum viable population model.

Species richness, relative abundance, and habitat of reproduction of terrestrial frogs in the Triângulo Mineiro region, Cerrado biome, southeastern Brazil

“…Our results did not support the expected inverse correlation between specific abundance and body size (DINIZ-FILHO et al, 2004). For the frog species studied we expect that other factors such as fecundity, capabilities of movement, hydric regulation and predator avoidance may play a role in the determination of the local abundance.…”

“…There were 14 species of terrestrial frogs at Estação Ecológica de Águas Emendadas (800-1,250m altitude) (BRANDÃO & ARAÚJO, 1998), and 15 at Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra (900-1,350m) (HADDAD et al, 1988), Floresta Nacional de Silvânia (900m) (DINIZ-FILHO et al, 2004) and Morrinhos (720m) (BORGES & JULIANO, 2007). Restricting comparisons to similar sized sampled areas, Uberlândia presented a richness of terrestrial frogs similar to that of Brasília (1,170m, 25 spp.)…”

Geographic body size gradients in tropical regions: water deficit and anuran body size in the Brazilian Cerrado

“…We used a distributional database for Cerrado anurans (Diniz-Filho et al 2004. The database comprises 131 species belonging to eleven families (Aromobatidae, Brachycephalidae, Bufonidae, Cycloramphidae, Dendrobatidae, Hylidae, Hylodidae, Leiuperidae, Leptodactylidae, Microhylidae and Ranidae) (Frost et al 2006).…”

“…Even though the Neotropical Realm has greater species richness of anurans than any other biogeographical region in the world (Duellman 1988), our knowledge of the distribution and ecology of the anuran faunas in the Neotropics is still rather limited (Ron 2000, Eterovick et al 2005. These limitations prevent an analysis for the whole Neotropical region and lead us to focus on a single biome, the Cerrado, where enough biological information (extents of occurrence and body size) is ready available for all anuran species described so far (Diniz-Filho et al 2004. a high number of species remain formally undescribed, and there is a paucity of distributional data for most species) (Bini et al 2006).…”

Conservation biogeography of anurans in Brazilian Cerrado

“…These 131 species are distributed in 6 families and 29 genera, out of which 47 are endemics to Cerrado region (Table 1). A detailed species list and references are available from the authors upon request (see also Diniz-Filho et al 2004a, b, 2005, 2006, for a discussions of this dataset).…”