What do Data from Fieldwork and Scientific Collections Tell us about Species Richness and Composition of Amphibians and Reptiles

Author(s)

da Silva, Fernando R. ; Provete, Diogo B. ; Gerassi, Leyla K. ; Bovo, Rafael P.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: South American Journal of Herpetology; v. 12, n. 2, p. 99-106, AUG 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Combining different sampling methods is essential to determine species richness. Recently, herpetological surveys have been conducted in poorly sampled regions in Brazil using data from scientific collections as complementary information for richness estimated from fieldwork. However, few studies have evaluated discrepancies between estimation of species richness obtained from fieldwork and scientific collections. Here, we demonstrate quantitatively how data available in scientific collections can be important complementary sources for assessing amphibian and reptile species richness. We used rarefaction and PERMANOVA to compare species richness and composition, respectively, of amphibians and reptiles from fieldwork carried out in southeastern Brazil with data from four of the most representative herpetological collections in the Sao Paulo state, southeastern Brazil. Our results showed no difference between amphibian species richness recorded in the field and scientific collections. In contrast, reptile species richness recorded in scientific collections was 2.5 times higher than in the fieldwork. Furthermore, pooling data from fieldwork and scientific collections increased amphibian and reptile species by 25% and 75%, respectively. Species composition of both amphibians and reptiles were significantly different between field survey and scientific collections. Thus, future inventories, ecological, and taxonomic researches may considerably benefit from information available in scientific collections. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/20061-6 - Thermal physiology and water balance at different altitudinal gradients in Atlantic rainforest anurans
• Grantee: Rafael Parelli Bovo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 13/50714-0 - Influence of ecological and evolutionary processes in structuring amphibian communities at different spatial and temporal scales
• Grantee: Fernando Rodrigues da Silva
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 16/13949-7 - Patterns and processes in the origin and diversification of terrestrial vertebrate diversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
• Grantee: Diogo Borges Provete
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral