Abstract

GARCIA-R., JUAN CARLOS; CARDENAS-H., HEIBER  and  CASTRO-H., FERNANDO. Relationship between anurans diversity and sucesional stages of a very humid low montane forest in Valle del Cauca, southwestern, Colombia. Caldasia [online]. 2007, vol.29, n.2, pp.363-374. ISSN 0366-5232.

We examined the relationship of climatic variables and vegetation parameters with the distribution and abundance of anurans in a very humid low montane forest in the western region of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. We sampled six transects in three types of habitat (secondary forest, early secondary forest and shrub area), over a period of seven months. We collected data on several forest characteristics (vegetation cover, average heights and densities of different strata, depth of leaf litter, air temperature, soil temperature and relative humidity) in each site. Five species of genus Pristimantis and one of genus “Eleutherodactylus” were registered being the most abundant (P. brevifrons with a total of 19 individuals, followed by P. palmeri with 15 and P. erythropleura with 14). The distribution of species differed between habitats and climatic variables. The abundance of the species in the secondary forest was correlated with the soil temperature, whereas relative humidity was correlated with species abundance in early secondary forest and shrub. We suggest the existence of three different behaviors within the group with respect to the following structural parameters: vegetation cover (%), average height (m) of the subarboreal (Ar) stratum, density of this stratum (ind/m2), density (ind/m2) of the bush stratum (ar) and thickness of the leaf litter layer (cm.). We identify three groups of species defined according to the following criteria: group I, comprised of those species that tolerate moderately degraded environments (P. brevifrons, P. erythropleura, “E”. mantipus); group II, present in more conserved environments (P. calcaratus, P. thectopternus); and group III comprised by P. palmeri, which is present in medium to highly degraded environments.

Keywords : Anura; climatic variables; cloud forest; Fauna of Colombia; Pristimantis; vegetation parameters.

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