Fragmentos florestais circundados por cana-de-açucar são os mais inóspitos para a abundância de anfíbios terrestres que fragmentos envolvidos por café e pasto

Abstract

In recent years there has been increasing interest in studies on a matrix-type influence on forest fragments. Terrestrial amphibians are good bioindicators for this kind of study because of low vagility and high philopatry. This study compared richness, abundance and species composition of terrestrial amphibians through pitfall traps in three sets of semi-deciduous seasonal forest fragments in southeastern Brazil, according to the predominant surrounding matrix (sugar cane, coffee and pasture). There were no differences in richness, but fragments surrounded by sugar cane had the lowest abundance of amphibians, whereas fragments surrounded by pastures had a greater abundance. This matrix and coffee showed higher permeability than sugar cane. The most abundant species, Rhinella ornata, showed no biometric differences between fragment groups, but like many other amphibians sampled, showed very low numbers of individuals in fragments dominated by sugar cane fields.