Modeling Habitat Split: Landscape and Life History Traits Determine Amphibian Extinction Thresholds


Autoria(s): Fonseca, Carlos Roberto; Coutinho, Renato M.; Azevedo, Franciane; Berbert, Juliana M.; Corso, Gilberto; Kraenkel, Roberto André
Contribuinte(s)

Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)

Data(s)

27/05/2014

27/05/2014

20/06/2013

Resumo

Habitat split is a major force behind the worldwide decline of amphibian populations, causing community change in richness and species composition. In fragmented landscapes, natural remnants, the terrestrial habitat of the adults, are frequently separated from streams, the aquatic habitat of the larvae. An important question is how this landscape configuration affects population levels and if it can drive species to extinction locally. Here, we put forward the first theoretical model on habitat split which is particularly concerned on how split distance - the distance between the two required habitats - affects population size and persistence in isolated fragments. Our diffusive model shows that habitat split alone is able to generate extinction thresholds. Fragments occurring between the aquatic habitat and a given critical split distance are expected to hold viable populations, while fragments located farther away are expected to be unoccupied. Species with higher reproductive success and higher diffusion rate of post-metamorphic youngs are expected to have farther critical split distances. Furthermore, the model indicates that negative effects of habitat split are poorly compensated by positive effects of fragment size. The habitat split model improves our understanding about spatially structured populations and has relevant implications for landscape design for conservation. It puts on a firm theoretical basis the relation between habitat split and the decline of amphibian populations. © 2013 Fonseca et al.

Identificador

http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066806

PLoS ONE, v. 8, n. 6, 2013.

1932-6203

http://hdl.handle.net/11449/75690

10.1371/journal.pone.0066806

WOS:000322342800104

2-s2.0-84879267954

2-s2.0-84879267954.pdf

Idioma(s)

eng

Relação

PLOS ONE

Direitos

openAccess

Palavras-Chave #Amphibia #aquatic environment #controlled study #habitat #habitat split model #landscape #life history trait #metamorphosis #nonhuman #population size #reproduction #species extinction #theoretical model
Tipo

info:eu-repo/semantics/article