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

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

Integrative Zoology

Wiley

Año: 2020

1749-4877

Species loss by habitat replacement operating as an ecological filter is a well-known consequence of modern hu-man activities. 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 condi-tions that 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,Elachis-tocleis bicolorincreased body condition in plantations with no changes in the other traits,Physalaemus cuvierishowed only a marginal increment in residual body mass in plantations, andOdontophrynus americanusexhibiteda 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 con-version may 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 species negatively