**4. Discussion**

The phylogeny generated concerning the anurans showed the formation of two distinct clades (**Figure 5**). The first, the oldest clade (about 90 million years), is formed by two genera with one species each (*Lithobates catesbeianus* and *Elachistocleis bicolor*); the second clade is formed

**Figure 5.** Phylogeny of the anurans recorded at waterbodies monitored along an environmental gradient ranging from an agricultural landscape to a well-preserved forest at the southern Brazil. Generated based in Pyron and Wiens [34], Narvaes and Rodrigues [37], Faivovich (2002), Nascimento et al. [36], de Sá et al. (2012), [38] and Vieira (2010). We defined the branch length based on the estimative of the age of the clades, given by the TimeTree (Hedges et al., 2006).

**Figure 4.** Regression results between the ratios of the morphological characteristics of anurans and their reproductive modes along the agricultural-preserved forest gradient (environmental filter) at Parque Estadual do Turvo and

adjacencies, southern Brazil between 2014 and 2016.

28 Tropical Forests - New Edition

The anuran community of the PET is characterized as a mixture of species (from several families and genera) [44] given their distribution patterns. From the 15 species found at our study, five occurred only at the inner portion of the gradient (*Ololygon aromothyella*, *Phyllomedusa tetraploidea*, *Rhinella ornata*, *S. fuscovarius* and *S. perereca*), and four of them are quite dependent of the arboreal strata or the different types of vegetation at water surface (*O. aromothyella*, *P. tetraploidea*, *S. fuscovarius* and *S. perereca*) [43, 45, 46].

The pattern observed at the Whittaker's diagram (**Figure 2**) showed the dominance of a low number of species at the inside and outside portions of the gradient. This kind of pattern is considerably recurrent; other studies already showed the decrease of richness and enhancing on dominance at places affected by anthropogenic disturbance [47–49]. In the present case, at both portions of the studied gradient, the native species *Dendropsophus minutus* and *S. granulatus* and the exotic species *Lithobates catesbeianus* presented higher abundances when compared to other species. These two native and abundant species share not just the reproductive mode but are also highly tolerant to human induced disturbances, being found close to human dwelling (or inside of them, like *S. granulatus*) and man-made water bodies. However, *L. catesbeianus* presents a high invasive potential, and as explained by Madalozzo et al. [50], its distribution is facilitated by the influence of the edge effect and the man-made water bodies along the borders of PET.

Our results show that despite the initial assumption of a higher taxonomic and functional diversity at the inner portions of the gradient, there is no significant difference between the two sampling sites. The great number of man-made water bodies available outside of PET area may explain the similarity on the taxonomic and functional diversity given the high number of generalist species that inhabit both agriculture and forest environments (e.g. *D. minutus*, *S. granulatus*, *L. catesbeianus*, and *Physalaemus* spp.) and their reproductive modes, associated to both permanent and temporary ponds. This pattern of occurrence is commonly found at studies on Atlantic rainforest *lato sensu* (with exception of the wet evergreen forest), mainly at locations that present ecotonal characteristics (given the recent anthropogenic modifications). This landscape feature may exert influence on anuran reproductive behavior and physiology, given the unpredictability of variables like temperature and evaporation at these places, enhancing the establishment of more plastic species which can respond differently and maybe more efficiently to disturbed environmental conditions [51, 52]. In this way, it is expected to find similar species (with similar functional traits) when thinking only on the pond-dwelling anurans, both, in and outside of the gradient, since they have to deal with the diversity of microhabitat of both places, diminishing the difference of this diversity patterns. However, when adding the stream (e.g. *Vitreorana uranoscopa*, *Hypsiboas curupi*, *Crossodactylus schmidti*) the marsh-dwelling anurans (e.g. *Odontophrynus americanus*, *Proceratophrys avelinoi* and *P. bigibosa*) and the extremely ephemeral pond-dwelling anurans (e.g. *Melanophryniscus*), we can expect to see greater differences.

Despite the lack of difference on taxonomic and functional diversities (and also functional redundancy), we found evidence of a decrease on the phylogenetic component of diversity toward the interior of the park. This result suggests that the environmental filter (distance) has influence on the phylogenetic structure of the assemblages and also suggests low phylogenetic competition, opposing to what can be seen outside of the park [53, 54]. However, another possibility may arise (concerning the decrease of phylogenetic diversity) with the presence of strong competitors (clades); in this case the competition would be also a biotic influence on these assemblages [55, 56]. These two non-excluding possibilities agree with the hypothesis of the niche conservatism [56, 57], so the similar ecological traits shared by the phylogenetically close species would allow them to coexist and the conservative similarity on niche usage by these species would have shaped the actual clustering or over dispersion (e.g. outside portion of the gradient).

research fellowship and financial support (proc. 307352/2013-7 and proc. 441407/2014-5, respectively). We are also thankful to the local people from Derrubadas municipality (RS, Brazil). This work was performed by following the licenses provided by the Secretaria Estadual do Meio Ambiente, RS, Brazil (SEMA, #144/2013), ICMBIO/MMA (#39772-1), and the Ethics Committee on Animal Use of the Federal University of Santa Maria (#060/2013).

Enhanced Phylogenetic Diversity of Anuran Communities: A Result of Species Loss in…

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.72256

31

*Dendropsophus minutus:* ZUFSM4540, ZUFSM4558, ZUFSM4621, ZUFSM4622, ZUFSM4630 and ZUFSM4632; *Elachistocleis bicolor:* ZUFSM4575; *Hypsiboas faber:* ZUFSM *4476,* ZUFSM*4619* and ZUFSM*4661; Leptodactylus fuscus:* ZUFSM*4585,* ZUFSM*4628* and ZUFSM *4660*; *Leptodactylus latrans:* ZUFSM4557 and ZUFSM4604; *Leptodactylus mystacinus:* ZUFSM4473, ZUFSM4526 and ZUFSM4551; *Ololygon aromothyella: ZUFSM4547, ZUFSM4566, ZUFSM4596, ZUFSM4598, ZUFSM4616, ZUFSM4623, ZUFSM4633, ZUFSM4634* and *ZUFSM4635*; *Phyllomedusa tetraploidea:* ZUFSM*4533,* ZUFSM*4580* and ZUFSM*4581; Physalaemus cuvieri:* ZUFSM*4555,* ZUFSM*4563,* ZUFSM*4578* and ZUFSM*4579; Physalaemus* **aff.** *gracilis: ZUFSM4356, ZUFSM4358, ZUFSM4359, ZUFSM4368, ZUFSM4553, ZUFSM4572* and *ZUFSM4609; Rhinella icterica:* ZUFSM4529, ZUFSM4518, ZUFSM4516, ZUFSM4515, ZUFSM10000, ZUFSM10009, ZUFSM10010 and ZUFSM10011; *Rhinella ornata:* ZUFSM4477, ZUFSM4496, ZUFSM4497, ZUFSM4498, ZUFSM4499, ZUFSM4527, ZUFSM4659, ZUFSM10005, ZUFSM10006 and ZUFSM10007; *Scinax fuscovarius:* ZUFSM4549, ZUFSM4556, ZUFSM4576 and ZUFSM4610; *Scinax granulatus:* ZUFSM4550, ZUFSM4559, ZUFSM4594 and ZUFSM4607; *Scinax perereca:* ZUFSM2810, ZUFSM2956, ZUFSM4513, ZUFSM4597,

**Appendix I. Examined anuran specimens from the Herpetological Collection of Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (ZUFSM). Missing numbers are individuals measured in field and from** 

ZUFSM4599, ZUFSM4606, ZUFSM4613, ZUFSM4617, ZUFSM4627 and ZUFSM4808.

1 Post Graduation Program of Animal Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Laboratory of

3 Southern Regional Space Research Center, CRS/INPE-MCTI, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

4 Department of Ecology - Bioscience Institute, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil

, André Passaglia Schuch1,3 and

\*, Samanta Iop4

Herpetology, Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

\*Address all correspondence to: lipinskivictor@gmail.com

2 Universidade Federal do Pampa, São Gabriel, RS, Brazil

**didactic collection**

**Author details**

Victor Mendes Lipinski<sup>1</sup>

Tiago Gomes dos Santos1,2

In this way, it is expected that species occupying the same habitat (e.g. inner portion or outside portion of the gradient) will show similar morphological traits in response to the environment [58]. However, under a more competitive scenario, it would be expected that they show differences on morphology and, then, show the existence of some degree of niche specialization [59]. Despite the assumption of a similar response in morphology trait from closely related species (evolutionary), the difference found on the size of some morphological traits (e.g. hind limbs, forearms and mouth), greater from individuals from inside and smaller to individuals from outside, here, this pattern occurs following the premises of adaptive radiation, showing that when the species (or lineages) adapt themselves to explore new or different niches, the changes can be rapid [60–62]. The individuals present at the inner portion of the gradient are adapted to cope with some barriers of dispersion (e.g. fallen trees, streams) and/or make use of a larger number of habitats than the individuals present on the outside portion that are susceptible to predation, to desiccation and to pesticides (given the anthropic nature of the landscape). This is also corroborated when we see that species that construct nests that can hold water (reproductive mode 4) could be better distributed or more frequently found at places with hydrological deficit.

It is widely known that land-use intensification is one of the major threats to biodiversity in local and global perspectives. Several studies have shown that anthropogenic influence can cause a decline in several aspects of diversity in natural assemblages [22]. In this way, these modifications would not allow the species to track their optimum environment, forcing them to adapt in situ to avoid extinction [63]. These adaptations can be seen when the functional traits (functional diversity) from individuals of a highly preserved area, show similarity from individuals of a highly converted area; it is the phenotypical plasticity of these individuals that seems to be needed at these places. In the present study, we found evidence of a strong influence of the environmental conditions shaping the assemblages, given the phylogenetic clustering and the lack of difference on functional diversity.
