Linking environmental drivers with amphibian species diversity in ponds from subtropical grasslands

Amphibian distribution patterns are known to be influenced by habitat diversity at breeding sites. Thus, breeding sites variability and how such variability influences anuran diversity is important. Here, we examine which characteristics at breeding sites are most influential on anuran diversity in grasslands associated with Araucaria forest, southern Brazil, especially in places at risk due to anthropic activities. We evaluate the associations between habitat heterogeneity and anuran species diversity in nine body of water from September 2008 to March 2010, in 12 field campaigns in which 16 species of anurans were found. Of the seven habitat descriptors we examined, water depth, pond surface area and distance to the nearest forest fragment explained 81% of total species diversity. Water depth, margin vegetation type, surface area and distance to the next body of water explained between 31-74% of the variance in abundance of nine of the 16 species. Thus, maintenance of body of water, of the vegetation along the water edge and natural forest fragments in the grasslands, along with fire control (used to renovation of pasture), are fundamentally important for the maintenance of anuran species diversity through the conservation of their breeding sites.