Diversity of amphibians in fragmented landscapes in mature and in regeneration Atlantic Forest

• Grant number: 24/08475-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: June 01, 2025
• End date: March 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Marcio Roberto Costa Martins
• Grantee: Thays Natani Silva dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/12658-4 - Challenges to the conservation of amphibians and squamate reptiles, with emphasis on the Brazilian fauna: from basic information to conservation actions, AP.BTA.TEM

Abstract

Despite decades of extensive forest loss and fragmentation, the regeneration of forested areas in the AtlanticForest has drawn attention to studies aiming to understand how biological communities restructure in these areas. For amphibians, regenerating areas may play a crucial role in maintaining and recovering populations and stabilizing pathogens, but there is still a need to better understand which landscape and vegetation parameters influence this successional dynamics. Therefore, the objective of this study is to understand: i) how taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversities of amphibians vary in well-preserved forests and in isolated and connected regenerating fragments within Atlantic Forest landscapes; ii) how vegetation structure variables affect taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversities of amphibians in these different fragment types; iii) how landscape composition and configuration variables affect taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversities of amphibians in these different fragment types; iv) how the prevalence of the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) varies in these different fragment types. We expect a lower incidence of chytridiomycosis in connected and old preserved fragments due to the greater environment complexity and increased species diversity in these areas. We hope that our results can provide insights to assist studies on the conservation and restoration of amphibian populations in the Atlantic Forest, as well as to review the state of knowledge on the functional diversity of anurans in the Atlantic Forest and improve understanding of the dynamics between the risk of amphibian pathogen infection in areas undergoing forest regeneration.