ATLANTIC AMPHIBIANS: a data set of amphibian communities from the Atlantic Forests of South America

Abstract

Amphibians are among the most threatened vertebrates in the world and this is also true for those inhabiting the Atlantic Forest hotspot, living in ecosystems that are highly degraded and threatened by anthropogenic activities. We present a data set containing information about amphibian communities sampled throughout the Atlantic Forest Biome in South America. The data were extracted from 389 bibliographic references (articles, books, theses, and dissertations) representing inventories of amphibian communities from 1940 to 2017. The data set includes 17,619 records of 528 species with taxonomic certainty, from 1,163 study sites. Of all the records, 14,450 (82%) were classified using the criterion of endemism; of those, 7,787 (44%) were considered endemic and 6,663 (38%) were not. Historically, multiple sampling methods were used to survey amphibians, the most representative methods being active surveys (82.1%), surveys at breeding sites (20%), pitfall traps (15.3%), and occasional encounters (14.5%). Species richness averaged 15.2 ± 11.3 (mean ± SD), ranging from 1 to 80 species per site. We found a low dominance in the communities, with 10 species occurring in about 26% of communities: Physalaemus cuvieri (4.1%), Dendropsophus minutus (3.8%), Boana faber (3.1%), Scinax fuscovarius (2.8%), Leptodactylus latrans (2.7%), Leptodactylus fuscus (2.6%), Boana albopunctata (2.3%), Dendropsophus nanus (1.6%), Rhinella ornata (1.6%), and Leptodactylus mystacinus (1.6%). This data set represents a major effort to compile inventories of amphibian communities for the Neotropical region, filling a large gap in the data on the Atlantic Forest hotspot. We hope this data set can be used as a credible tool in the proposal of new studies on amphibian sampling and even in the development of conservation planning for these taxa. This information also has great relevance for macroecological studies, being foundational for both conservation and restoration strategies in this biodiversity hotspot. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or teaching events.

Anurans of a remnant of Mixed Rainforest in southern Brazil

“…Some anurans, such as Dendropsophus minutus, P. cuvieri, A. perviridis, Leptodactylus mystacinus, L. plaumanni, Scinax fuscovarius, P. carrizorum, and R. icterica, occurred in all three of the environments sampled in the present study. This reflects the ecological adaptations of these species, which are generalists with ample geographic ranges (Haddad et al 2013, Vancine et al 2018. By contrast, Proceratophrys biggibosa, P. brauni and Rhinella henseli were recorded only in the forest interior.…”

A framework for near-real time monitoring of diversity patterns based on indirect remote sensing, with an application in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

“…The epiphyte dataset was composed of 89,270 observations from 1824 to 2018 ( Ramos et al, 2019 ). That of the amphibians was composed of 17,619 records, with data from 1940 up to 2015 ( Vancine et al, 2018 ). For both datasets, we created maps of species richness for both datasets at a resolution of 100 km.…”

Anuran fauna of the Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho - Núcleo Sete Barras, southeastern Brazil: species composition, use of breeding sites, and seasonal patterns of breeding activity

“…The species composition at the NSB is typical of Neotropical sites, with high representativeness of Hylidae (Duellman 1999). In addition, 69% of the species are endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest; the high degree of endemism is also typical of this biome (Vancine et al 2018), however the geomorphological characteristics of NSB, with altitudes close to the sea level, rising in a gradient that reaches 1,000 m in altitude, influenced the composition of the anuran fauna, which is composed by species typical of the low Atlantic Rainforest (Rhinella hoogmoedi, Ololygon argyreornata and O. littoralis) (Pombal & Gordo 1991, Caramaschi & Pombal 2006 alongside of species restricted to the hillside forest (e.g., Ischnocnema aff. guentheri) (Bertoluci et al 2007).…”

“…The Atlantic Rainforest is home to 528 species of anurans, of which about 80% are endemic (Vancine et al 2018). This astonishing diversity is commonly attributed to the highly rugged terrain and the existence of geographical barriers that isolate populations and create high levels of speciation and endemism; the stratified physiognomy of the vegetation, with a great diversity of epiphytes, together with high levels of rainfall and humidity, result in intense partitioning of habitats and microhabitats by anurans and the evolution of specialized reproductive modes (see Haddad & Prado 2005 and references herein).…”