Morphological responses of three persistent native anuran species after forest conversion into monoculture pine plantations: Tolerance or prosperity?

GANGENOVA, ELENA; GIOMBINI MARIANO; ZURITA, GUSTAVO A.; MARANGONI, FEDERICO

Integrative Zoology

Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Año: 2020

Species loss by habitat replacement operating as an ecological filter is a well-known consequence of modern humanactivities. In contrast, the ecological and evolutionary response of species overcoming those filters in convertedhabitats has not been thoroughly explored. Species that persist are subject to novel and potentially stressful conditionsthat may induce certain morphological changes. We evaluated changes in the functional morphology of threeanuran species persisting after the conversion of areas of the Atlantic Forest into pine plantations. We specificallyevaluated differences in body size and body condition indices, head width, and hind legs? length between adultindividuals from both habitats and sexes. Habitat conversion and sexual dimorphism affected the morphology ofthe three anurans, with varying effects upon species and traits. Regarding the effect of habitat conversion, Elachistocleisbicolor increased body condition in plantations with no changes in the other traits, Physalaemus cuvierishowed only a marginal increment in residual body mass in plantations, and Odontophrynus americanus exhibiteda substantial increment in body size while maintaining its body condition in plantations. Remarkably, none of theresults suggested these persistent anurans were stressed by forest conversion. This study shows that habitat conversionmay induce intraspecific morphological changes in ecologically relevant traits of persistent species, andthat disturbed areas do not necessarily imply stressful, low quality habitats affecting all persistent native speciesnegatively.