Anuran fauna of reforested riparian forests: is microhabitat the decisive factor for colonization?

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of riparian forests restoration on anuran communities in the Brazilian Cerrado. We analyzed five riparian reforested fragments around a reservoir of an hydroelectric plant using microhabitat variables (humidity, canopy opening, amount of leaf litter and vegetation density), the dominant landscape (matrix type, fragment width) and reforestation age. We tested whether anuran abundance, richness and diversity were influenced by these variables using generalized linear models. Matrix type and fragment width were limiting factors for anurans to reach and establish themselves in riparian forest fragments, whereas microhabitat and reforestation age did not influence anuran succession. We conclude that reforestation in the midst of impermeable matrices creates anuran communities dominated by widely-distributed species that live in open areas, reflecting the highly modified surrounding habitat.