Variação sazonal nos parâmetros da comunidade de anuros de folhiço (Amphibia; Anura) da Reserva Natural Salto Morato, sul do Brasil

Abstract

In this study we provide the first data regarding community parameters of leaf-litter anurans inhabiting the floor of a forest in the State of Paraná, southern Brazil, including information on community species richness, composition, specific density and biomass. Our study was conducted at Reserva Natural Salto Morato between July 2009 and April 2010. To sample the leaf-litter frogs community used 40 plots of 4 x 4 m in each season (winter, spring, summer and autumn), totaling 2.560 m2 of forest floor sampled. We sampled a total of 96 frogs inhabiting the forest floor, belonging to seven species: Brachycephalus hermogenesi, Ischnocnema guentheri, Haddadus binotatus, Leptodactylus gr. marmoratus, Physalaemus spiniger, Proceratophrys boiei and Rhinella abei. The overall frog density in the forest floor was 3.73 ind/100m2, being I guentheri (1.37 ind/100m2) the most numerous species and R. abei (0.19 ind/100m2), the rarest. The estimated overall frog mass in the community was 3.290g. The temperature was a significant environmental factor for the abundance of leaf-litter frogs, while the humidity was not important in structuring the community in the area. The abundance, richness and density varied consistently among the four seasons sampling, with the highest values occurring in the spring and summer seasons. This study adds to the geographic distribution of Brachycephalus hermogenesi.