Community structure of anuran in altitudinais gradients: the role of climatic variables, environmental and of the landscape and their implications for conservation

Abstract

Understanding the richness patterns and distribution of species along altitudinal gradients has received greater attention in recent decades. These altitudinal gradients due to their rapid changes in climate, soil and vegetation structure over relatively short distances, provide a great heterogeneity in the landscape becoming ideal environments for understanding in ecological studies. This study will evaluate the influence of altitude in the community (structure and species composition) of frogs, linking these to alpha diversity patterns, beta and gamma. It will be also evaluated the influence of climatic, environmental variables and landscape in frog community along the altitudinal gradients. The sampling anurofauna will be held on 14 tracks altitudes distributed over two altitudinal gradients, seven tracks in the eastern portion of the mountain (Atlantic Forest) and seven tracks in the western portion of the mountain (Cerrado), which vary between 800 and 1500 m altitude, are spaced at intervals of 100 altitudinal me away at least 3 km. Sampling of anurofauna will be used two methods simultaneously: the visual and acoustic search method and the method of land. Data analysis will be performed rarefaction curves, the alpha diversity partitioning analysis, beta and gamma and the relationship between the frog community climate, environmental and landscape variables will be analyzed by competing models using analysis of "AIC" (Akaike Information Criterion). (AU)