The Herpetological Journal

pp. 75-81
Authors: Goyannes-Araújo, Pablo; Siqueira, Carla Costa; Laia, Rafael Camilo; Almeida-Santos, Marlon; Guedes, Diego Medeiros & Rocha, Carlos Frederico Duarte

Abstract: Documenting elevational gradients in species richness is important to understand the determinants of spatial distributions. We studied anuran richness along an elevational gradient in an Atlantic Rainforest area to evaluate i) how anuran richness and elevation are related; ii) if the data support the hypothesis of the mid-domain effect or the Rapoport effect and iii) if there is seasonal variation in species richness and abundance of leaf litter anurans in the studied site. Sampling was carried out using time-constrained visual encounter surveys and plot (quadrat) methods at six elevational levels. We found 406 individuals belonging to 19 anuran species. The most abundant frog species were Ischnocnema parva (6.2 individuals per 100 m²) and Adenomera marmorata (2.0 individuals per 100 m²). The overall leaf litter frog abundance was 11.2 ind/100 m², with highest values at 150 m (26.6 ind/100 m²) and 300 m (25.6 ind/100 m²) elevations. We found high species turnover across altitudes. Our data neither supported the mid-domain effect nor the elevational Rapoport effect. There was no significant difference in frog abundance among seasons, although most of the leaf litter frogs species were found in the wet season (235 individuals or 69.3%). Our study demonstrates a high local frog species richness and abundance in combination with an abundance decreasing with elevation.

Keywords: AMPHIBIA, MID-DOMAIN EFFECT, ALTITUDE, RANGE SIZE, MONTANE RAINFOREST, RAPOPORT EFFECT