INVESTIGADORES
LAJMANOVICH Rafael Carlos
artículos
Título:
First evidence of the effects of agricultural activities on gonadal form and function in Rhinella fernandezae and Dendropsophus sanborni (Amphibia: Anura) from Entre Ríos Province, Argentina
Autor/es:
SÁNCHEZ L.C.; LAJMANOVICH R.C; PELTZER P.M; MANZANO A.S; JUNGES C.M; ATTADEMO A.M
Revista:
ACTA HERPETOLOGICA
Editorial:
FIRENZE UNIV PRESS
Referencias:
Año: 2014 p. 75 - 88
ISSN:
1827-9635
Resumen:
The relationship between male gonadal abnormalities and habitats with different degrees of agriculturalactivities was quantified in two anuran species, Rhinella fernandezae and Dendropsophus sanborni. The study siteswere selected along a gradient of increasing agricultural land use in south-western Entre Ríos province (Argentina):an agroecosystem, a natural wetland (a non-agricultural site adjacent to monoculture zones), and a natural forest (notassociated with agriculture). Rhinella fernandezae and D. sanborni were manually captured from each environmentduring field surveys. A scaled mass index (MI) was evaluated for each animal. Specimens of R. fernandezae from theagroecosystem and the natural wetland site presented poorly developed seminiferous tubules, lower testicular volume,and a lower number of seminiferous tubules, primary spermatogonia, and spermatids than specimens from the naturalforest site. Additionally, we observed fewer primary spermatocytes in the agroecosystem group than in the naturalforest group. Individuals of D. sanborni from the agroecosystem and the natural wetland site presented poorly developedtubules, higher proportions of irregularly shaped testes, and a reduced number of primary and secondary spermatogoniacompared with specimens from natural forest sites. Consequently, the affected anurans are likely to havereduced reproductive success. We suggest that agrochemical use may be associated with decreased testicular developmentand function in both R. fernandezae and D. sanborni occurring in agroecosystems and nearby environments.Buffer zones are needed to prevent contamination, preserve wildlife, and enhance the conservation value of pristinenatural forests.
