IBS   24490
INSTITUTO DE BIOLOGIA SUBTROPICAL
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
artículos
Título:
Morphological responses of three persistent native anuran species after forest conversion into monoculture pine plantations: tolerance or prosperity?
Autor/es:
GANGENOVA, E.; MARANGONI, F.; ZURITA, G.; GIOMBINI, M. I.
Revista:
Integrative Zoology
Editorial:
Wiley Online Library
Referencias:
Año: 2020 vol. 15 p. 428 - 440
ISSN:
1749-4877
Resumen:
Species loss by habitat replacement operating as an ecological filter is a well-known consequence of modern human activities. In contrast, the ecological and evolutionary response on species overcoming those filters in converted habitats has not been thoroughly explored. Species that persist are subject to novel and potentially stressful conditions that may induce certain morphological changes. We evaluated changes in the functional morphology of three anuran species persisting after the conversion of areas of the Atlantic Forest into pine plantations. We specifically evaluated 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 of the three anurans, with varying effects upon species and traits. Regarding the effect of habitat conversion, Elachistocleis bicolor increased body condition in plantations with no changes in the other traits, Physalaemus cuvieri showed only a marginal increment in residual body mass in plantations, and Odontophrynus americanus exhibited a substantial increment in body size while maintaining its body condition in plantations. Remarkably, none of the results suggested these persistentanurans were stressed by forest conversion. This study shows that habitat conversion may induce intraspecific morphological changes in ecologically relevant traits of persistent species, and that disturbed areas do not necessarily imply stressful, low quality habitats affecting all persistent native species negatively