Differential success in sampling of Atlantic Forest amphibians among different periods of the day

In general, anurans tend to be nocturnal, though diurnal activity is characteristic of some groups. Studies show that frog activity may be inferred based on the number of individuals collected at different periods of the day, during large-scale field surveys. We investigated the best period of the day to conduct amphibian sampling in nine Atlantic Rainforest areas in southeastern Brazil, based on intensive field surveys. At each locality we employed similar sampling effort during diurnal, crepuscular and nocturnal searches (totaling 704.5 sampling hours). We pooled data from all localities for each period and estimated the proportion of frogs of each species active at each period based on the total number of individuals and on the number of species found during all surveys for that period. We recorded a total of 817 individual frogs from 69 species. Species richness was highest at night (median = 12 species), intermediate at dusk (median = 8), and lowest during the day (median = 4). The percentage of the total number of individual frogs found (pooled species) was highest during the night (ca. 53%) and lowest during the day (ca. 14%). Analyzing each species separately, the number of individuals recorded was consistently higher at dusk and night for most species. Our study evidences a trend for nocturnal activity for most Atlantic Rainforest frogs, with few species having primarily diurnal habits. Those results may favor future studies and conservation efforts for amphibian species.

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Amphibians of Serra das Torres Natural Monument: a reservoir of biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2020-1085 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Jane C. F. Oliveira ◽

Rafael dos Santos ◽

Lorena P. Vasconcelos Barros ◽

Mateus Leite ◽

Bárbara Risse-Quaioto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Leaf Litter ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Sampling Effort ◽

Amphibian Species ◽

Espírito Santo ◽

Forest Remnant ◽

Natural Monument ◽

Espirito Santo

Abstract The Brazilian Atlantic Forest holds a major part of the country’s amphibian species richness and high rates of endemism. In this study, we conducted surveys using the Rapid Assessment (RA) method to sample the amphibian fauna of the Serra das Torres Natural Monument (MONAST), an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil. We sampled actively with a 6-10-person team to collect standard samples from 09:00 to 12:00 hours for the daytime period, and from 18:00 to 22:00 hours for the crepuscular/nighttime period, with a total of approximately 1,320 hours of sampling effort. We supplemented these data with 720 hours of passive sampling, using pitfall traps with drift fences (30 bucket-days). We recorded 54 amphibian species (two gymnophionans and 52 anurans), and the species richness estimated by the Bootstrap method indicates that a slightly larger number of species (n = 60) may occur in the study area. The most speciose family was Hylidae (n = 21), followed by Brachycephalidae (n = 8). Overall, 25% of the species (n = 13) were recorded only once (singletons) and 15% (n = 8) only twice (doubletons). Most amphibians recorded in this study (71%, n = 37 species) were restricted to the Atlantic Forest biome, two species (Euparkerella robusta and Luetkenotyphlus fredi) are endemic to the Espírito Santo state, and one of them, the leaf litter species E. robusta, is endemic to the MONAST. Euparkerella robusta is currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and is classified as Critically Endangered in the Espírito Santo State red list, while L. fredi has yet to be evaluated due to its recent description. Thoropa lutzi is currently listed as Endangered (EN) by both the IUCN and in the State list. Nine species are listed as Data Deficient (DD) and populations of 13 species are considered to be declining by the IUCN. We extend the geographical distribution of two anuran species (Hylodes babax and Phasmahyla lisbella) and fill an important gap in the distribution of Siphonops hardyi. Amphibians associated with the forest floor represented 42% of the species richness from MONAST, and 43% of these species inhabit the leaf litter exclusively. Our study revealed that Serra das Torres preserves a considerable diversity of Atlantic Forest amphibians, which reinforces the need for the conservation of this forest remnant.

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Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera assemblages in litter in a mountain stream of the Atlantic Rainforest from Southeastern Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Zoologia ◽

10.1590/s0101-81752007000300004 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 545-551 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Vera L. Crisci-Bispo ◽

Pitágoras C. Bispo ◽

Claudio G. Froehlich

Keyword(s):

Dissolved Oxygen ◽

Atlantic Rainforest ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Mountain Stream ◽

Faunal Composition ◽

Feeding Structure ◽

Number Of Individuals ◽

Water Speed

The study of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera associated with litter in southeastern Brazil streams aimed to answer the following questions: 1) Does richness and composition of EPT fauna differ between riffle and pool mesohabitats despite being associated to the same substratum, litter? 2) Does the similarity of the EPT fauna between both mesohabitats change with time? 3) Does the EPT functional feeding structure differ between both mesohabitats (riffles-pools)? In order to answer these questions, monthly collections, from November 1999 to June 2000, were done in Ribeirão (Stream) Bocaina with a D-net (10 litter patches in riffles and 10 in pools). The EPT fauna at Ribeirão Bocaina was more diversified and more abundant in the litter in riffles than in the litter in pools, although, when richness was standardized for the same number of individuals it became similar in both conditions. EPT fauna was very different between both mesohabitats in terms of faunal composition as well as in terms of function. Probably it was due to differences in water speed, in the time of litter residence and in the concentration of dissolved oxygen between both mesohabitats.

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Birds, montane forest, state of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil

Check List ◽

10.15560/5.2.289 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 289

Author(s):

Maria Alice S. Alves ◽

Clinton N. Jenkins ◽

Stuart L. Pimm ◽

Alline Storni ◽

Marcos A. Raposo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Rio De Janeiro ◽

Bird Species ◽

Montane Forest ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Vulnerable Species ◽

Field Surveys ◽

Future Studies ◽

Baseline Knowledge ◽

Janeiro State

Field surveys in montane Atlantic forest of Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, provided a list of 82 bird species in four sites visited. Our protocol relied on standardized use of mist nets and observations. The birds recorded include 40 Atlantic forest endemics, three globally and two nationally Vulnerable species, and two regionally Endangered species. Data on species elevation are included and discussed. This work enhances baseline knowledge of these species to assist future studies in these poorly understood, but biologically important areas.

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Induced morphological defence: evidence from whole-lake manipulation experiments

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z01-225 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 80 (2) ◽

pp. 199-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Frank Johansson ◽

Eva Wahlström

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Laboratory Experiments ◽

Laboratory Studies ◽

Plastic Response ◽

Spine Length ◽

Field Surveys ◽

Induced Defences ◽

Fish Predators ◽

Large Scale Field ◽

Morphological Defence

Predator-induced defences are activated by cues associated with predators and confer some degree of resistance to subsequent attacks. Laboratory studies of many taxa have revealed such induced defences, and these data often conform to large-scale surveys of defence levels in habitats with and without predators. However, there have been no studies that make the direct connection between these laboratory studies and field surveys. We conducted a large-scale field manipulation of predators to provide this connection. Previous laboratory experiments on dragonfly (Leucorrhinia dubia) larvae have demonstrated that the presence of fish predators induces the development of elongated abdominal spines that serve to reduce mortality risk. In this study we determine the effect of whole-lake predator manipulation on this induced morphological defence of L. dubia. We monitored the spine lengths of final-instar larvae in two experimental lakes for 7 consecutive years. Fish were present during the first 2 years and then removed for the remaining 5 years. Results demonstrate that the spine lengths of L. dubia larvae decreased significantly in both lakes after the removal of fish. In contrast, there was no corresponding change in the spine lengths of larvae in reference lakes, and we found little change in food supply for larvae. Our results suggest that the plastic response in spine length is strong and attributable to the presence of predators.

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Amphibia, Hylidae, Dendropsophus anceps (A. Lutz, 1929) and Itapotihyla langsdorffii (Duméril and Bibron, 1841): New records for the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Check List ◽

10.15560/7.2.128 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 128

Author(s):

Emanuel Teixeira da Silva ◽

Paula Leão Ferreira ◽

Patrícia Da Silva Santos ◽

Renato Neves Feio

Keyword(s):

Geographic Distribution ◽

New Records ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Minas Gerais ◽

The State ◽

Atlantic Rainforest ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Field Surveys

Herein, we report new records of the treefrogs Dendropsophus anceps and Itapotihyla langsdorffii for the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Both species are known from several localities in the Atlantic Rainforest domain, but their presence in state of Minas Gerais is restricted to few localities. The present records reinforce the importance of field surveys for improving the knowledge about the geographic distribution and conservation status of Brazilian amphibians.

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Richness, diversity patterns, and taxonomic notes of amphibians from the Tocantins state

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2019-0838 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Leandro Alves da Silva ◽

Priscila Santos Carvalho ◽

Elvis Almeida Pereira ◽

Renata Moleiro Fadel ◽

Silionamã Pereira Dantas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New Records ◽

Taxonomic Status ◽

The State ◽

High Rate ◽

Morphological Data ◽

Sampling Effort ◽

Undescribed Species ◽

Field Sampling ◽

Amphibian Species ◽

Field Surveys

Abstract: Herein, we provide the first comprehensive amphibian checklist for the State of Tocantins, North of Brazil, based on field sampling, literature data, and specimens deposited in zoological collections. We performed field surveys from 2012 to 2019 in 12 Tocantins municipalities, totaling 376 days of sampling effort. We analyzed 25 papers from the literature and examined 1311 specimens from collections and collected 750 during field surveys. We recorded 90 amphibian species distributed in 12 anurans and two caecilians families. At least seven undescribed species along the state were recorded. We also present new records for 20 species for the state, nine of them corresponding to Amazonian species, four Cerrado endemic, one Caatinga species, and the widely distributed treefrog Boana crepitans; the others five new records comprise undescribed species. Our data also suggest that the Tocantins amphibian composition is not geographically structured in relation to the biomes, since Amazonian, Caatinga, and Cerrado amphibian lineages have their distribution nearly completely overlapped in the state. We propose that this absence of spatial structuration may be a result of two factors (synergetic or not). First, the events of expansion and retraction of the biomes caused by the Quaternary climatic cycles, which may have mixed the populations of species from different biomes causing the notable pattern of overlapped distribution observed here. Second, the forest environments (e.g. gallery and riparian forests) associated to the Araguaia-Tocantins River basins may have acted as historical dispersal corridors for the Amazonian amphibian lineages into the Cerrado of the Tocantins. Despite the sampling effort of the present study, we stress that gaps of information still remain and further field sampling efforts should be performed along the state. Lastly, taxonomic appraisals involving the species with problematic taxonomic status recorded here should be based on multiples lines of evidences (acoustic, molecular, and morphological data), which will render a more accurate view on the Tocantins amphibian diversity. Such data are extremely necessary under the current high rate of habitat loss across the state, since they can be used to guide public policies of conservation.

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