DISTRIBUIÇÃO ESPAÇO-TEMPORAL DE COMUNIDADES DE GIRINOS (AMPHIBIA: ANURA) NO CERRADO SUL-MATO-GROSSENSE

Abstract

We studied species richness, abundance and spatial-temporal distribution of tadpole communities in eight ponds in an area of Cerrado in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. We carried out this study during a rainy season (October 2009 to March 2010). We determined the spatial and temporal niche breadth by standardized Levins index, and we used null models to explore the patterns of niche overlap. Additionally, we evaluated the influence of environmental descriptors and spatial distribution of ponds on the studied communities using redundancy analysis (RDA) applied to three phases of the rainy season (outset, middle and the end). We recorded tadpoles of 18 species belonging to four families: Hylidae, Leiuperidae, Leptodactylidae, and Microhylidae. Most species was considered specialist regarding to spatial niche breadth a (BA <0.20), and generalist regarding the temporal niche breadth (BA> 0.50). The spatial niche overlap did not differ from expected by chance, while the temporal niche overlap was clearly not random. Niche overlap was negatively correlated with ecomorphological guilds, even after removed the phylogenetic effects. This pattern seems figure a mechanism to reduce the competitive pressure among ecologically similar species. In relation to environmental and spatial components, these presented differential influence and importance along the rainy season. In early season pond area and the percentage of marginal vegetation up to 30 cm height were the descriptors related to community organization. During the full rainy season, the percentage of marginal vegetation up to 40 cm height, percentage of flat margin profile, pond depth, as well as two spatial co-variables explained the spatial distribution of species, followed by pure environmental variables and by pure spatial variables. At the end of rainy season no environmental or spatial and descriptor was included in the model. The importance of environmental descriptors of spatial components of spatially structured descriptors varied throughout the rainy season, indicating that dynamic processes occurs along the time are responsible for the organization of the studied communities.