Distribution and abundance of neotropical amphibians and reptiles in silvicultural landscape in Sao Paulo, Brazil

Author(s)

Paula Caroline Lopes

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2010-10-18

Examining board members

Luciano Martins Verdade; Cinthia Aguirre Brasileiro; Denise de Cerqueira Rossa Feres

• Advisor: Luciano Martins Verdade; Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad

Abstract

Most studies on biodiversity conducted in Brazil are accomplished in remnants of native vegetation. However, recent studies suggest that agricultural landscapes support a considerable biodiversity. The state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, has extensive grassland areas which is still its primary land use, followed by sugar cane crops and eucalyptus forests. The present study was conducted in Três Lagoas and Arca farms, located in the Upper Paranapanema basin. The area originally used as pasture (Brachiaria spp.) was partially replaced by eucalyptus plantations from August 2006 to February 2008. During the present study amphibians and reptiles were surveyed in 30 sampling units containing pitfall traps one kilometer apart from each other. Three different environments were sampled: eucalyptus forest (18 sampling units), native vegetation (seven sampling units) and abandoned pastures (five sampling units), resulting in a total effort of 4977 trap-days in 23 monthly campaigns between August 2007 and July 2009. Concerning data analysis the environments (eucalyptus, abandoned pastures and native vegetation) were considered as independent variable and as dependent variables richness and abundance of trapped amphibians and reptiles. 23 species were detected in traps, 18 amphibians (13 in eucalyptus, 11 in abandoned pastures and 10 in native vegetation) and five reptiles (three in eucalyptus, three in abandoned pastures and three in native vegetation). Surprisingly, native vegetation environment presented lower species richness than plantation and abandoned pasture environments, possibly due to its precarious conservation condition. This relationship was marginally significant for abundance. The temporal distribution of species was heterogeneous, concentrating the encounters during the hot and rainy season. Additionally, the lists of species were supplemented through active search and occasional encounters, totaling 49 species for the study area (31 amphibians and 18 reptiles). In eucalypt plantations, the distance from water body and closest native vegetation did not influence the distribution of species. The results coupled with the current context of land use change, demonstrate that silvicultural landscapes, whose matrix are eucalyptus forests may have a reasonable conservation value. (AU)