Anurans of a seasonally dry tropical forest: Morro do Diabo State Park, São Paulo state, Brazil

Abstract

We studied the richness and composition of the anuran assemblage of Morro do Diabo State Park, the major remnant of Mesophytic Semideciduous Forest in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, through hypothesis tests. From September 2005 to March 2007 we recorded 28 anuran species, comprising a mix of Atlantic, Cerrado and South American widespread species, usually considered tolerant to anthropic modifications. The low richness of species and reproductive modes, the predominance of habitat generalist species, and the high similarity with Cerrado areas can be explained by the climatic seasonality of the studied area (a pronounced dry season), as well as its large distance from centres of anuran diversification, such as the coastal mountains of the wet Atlantic Forest.

Keywords:

• Anurans
• composition
• Atlantic Domain
• similarity analysis
• hypothesis tests

Acknowledgements

This study received financial support from the BIOTA/FAPESP program – The Biodiversity Virtual Institute (www.biota.org.br). We thank Capes and CNPq for the doctorate fellowships given to T.G.S. and T.S.V., respectively; IBAMA for the collection permit (02001.007052/2001); the Morro do Diabo State Park (MDSP) direction and staff for the logistic support and stimulus and everyone who participated in the fieldwork. We also thank Katia Kopp for suggestions on the manuscript. Special thanks are extended to Dr Hussam Zaher (Fapesp: 02/13602‐4) and Dr Paula Eterovick for logistical support and improvements to the manuscript, respectively. C.F.B.H. thanks FAPESP and CNPq for financial support.