Anurans from preserved and disturbed areas of Atlantic Forest in the region of Etá Farm, municipality of Sete Barras, state of São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Abstract: We provide information on the diversity and natural history of anurans from preserved and disturbed habitats in the region of Etá Farm, municipality of Sete Barras, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The region is covered by rainforest and plantations of banana and peach palm. From April, 2013 to March, 2014 we sampled amphibians mainly with pitfall traps with drift fences and visual and auditory surveys. A total of 9813 individuals of 36 species of anurans from nine families were recorded in this study. A larger number of species was found in forests (29 species), followed by peach palm plantations (21 species), and banana plantations (17 species). The areas of peach palm plantation and forests showed the greatest similarity in species composition. The vegetation type with the highest number of exclusive species was the forest, whereas only four species were exclusive of the peach palm plantation, and none was exclusive of the banana plantation. Species accumulation curves indicated that our sampling effort was not enough to sample all the species that occur in the region. Our results reinforce the importance of forested habitats for the maintenance of anuran diversity in the Atlantic forest. The preservation of large fragments of forest in the region of Etá Farm is necessary to preserve the diverse amphibian fauna of this region.