Functional and acoustic diversity of anuran communities

Abstract

Biological diversity can be defined as the variety and abundance of species in a defined place. It could be measured by its species number (alpha diversity) and the phylogenetic diversity. The functional diversity could be defined as the component of diversity that influences the ecosystem, generally measured from functional characteristics of organisms. In chorus systems presented by different groups of organisms it is important to understand the relationship between acoustic diversity and different components of biodiversity. The soundscape can be defined as the relationship between environment and the sound produced by species, varying across time and space. The soundscape is generally measured by acoustic diversity indexes. A chorus system like formed by amphibian anurans is an ideal model for studies of relationships between acoustic diversity and other components of biological diversity. Such relationships can contribute to understanding how these chorus systems are formed and maintained. Our general aim in this project is to investigate the functional diversity related to communication in different communities of frogs in southeastern Brazil. We also propose to develop a way of measuring acoustic diversity from individual variation. We expect this metric would be useful to explore the possible relationships between functional and acoustic diversity in amphibian anuran communities. (AU)