Perspectives on invasive amphibians in Brazil

Author(s)

Forti, Lucas Rodriguez ; Becker, C. Guilherme ; Tacioli, Leandro ; Pereira, Vania Rosa ; Santos, Andre Cid F. A. ; Oliveira, Igor ; Haddad, Celio F. B. ; Toledo, Luis Felipe

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PLoS One; v. 12, n. 9 SEP 22 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 4

Abstract

Introduced species have the potential to become invasive and jeopardize entire ecosystems. The success of species establishing viable populations outside their original extent depends primarily on favorable climatic conditions in the invasive ranges. Species distribution modeling (SDM) can thus be used to estimate potential habitat suitability for populations of invasive species. Here we review the status of six amphibian species with invasive populations in Brazil (four domestic species and two imported species). We (i) modeled the current habitat suitability and future potential distribution of these six focal species, (ii) reported on the disease status of Eleutherodactylus johnstonei and Phyllodytes luteolus, and (iii) quantified the acoustic overlap of P. luteolus and Leptodactylus labyrinthicus with three cooccurring native species. Our models indicated that all six invasive species could potentially expand their ranges in Brazil within the next few decades. In addition, our SDMs predicted important expansions in available habitat for 2 out of 6 invasive species under future (2100) climatic conditions. We detected high acoustic niche overlap between invasive and native amphibian species, underscoring that acoustic interference might reduce mating success in local frogs. Despite the American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus being recognized as a potential reservoir for the frog-killing fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) in Brazil, we did not detect Bd in the recently introduced population of E. johnstonei and P. luteolus in the State of Sao Paulo. We emphasize that the number of invasive amphibian species in Brazil is increasing exponentially, highlighting the urgent need to monitor and control these populations and decrease potential impacts on the locally biodiverse wildlife. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 13/21519-4 - Distress call in frogs: a vocalization with coespecific information?
• Grantee: Lucas Rodriguez Forti
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 11/51694-7 - Into the heart of an epidemic: a US-Brazil collaboration for integrative studies of the amphibian-killing fungus in Brazil
• Grantee: Luis Felipe de Toledo Ramos Pereira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/50342-8 - Amphibians of Lagamar Mosaic protected areas: diversity, conservation and perspectives
• Grantee: Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Partnership for Technological Innovation - PITE
• FAPESP's process: 11/52070-7 - NavScales: navigating through scales in space, time and domains of knowledge
• Grantee: Claudia Maria Bauzer Medeiros
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research Partnership for Technological Innovation - PITE
• FAPESP's process: 14/23388-7 - Comunication and sensory systems of the anurans of the Atlantic Forest
• Grantee: Luis Felipe de Toledo Ramos Pereira
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/50741-7 - Diversity and conservation of Brazilian amphibians
• Grantee: Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/02219-0 - Navscales: navigating through scales in space, time and knowledge domains
• Grantee: Leandro Tacioli
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Technical Training Program - Technical Training