Cambios en la estructura de la comunidad de anuros (Amphibia: Anura) en el Cerro Chompipe, Costa Rica

Changes in anuran (Amphibia: Anura) community composition in Cerro Chompipe, Costa Rica. Amphibian diversity in Costa Rica has declined over the past 40 years, mostly at higher elevations. Cerro Chompipe in the Central Volcanic Cordillera has suffered an extraordinary loss of these species. To measure the degree of contemporary impacts and their effects on anuran communities, I conducted diurnal and nocturnal amphibian surveys for one year at Cerro Chompipe and surrounding sites (from February 2010). Data were compared with species lists reported from the literature in the 1970s. In this survey I recorded only 7 of the 18 species reported originally for Cerro Chompipe, representing a 61% loss of diversity. The most common species recorded were Craugastor podiciferus, Diasporus hylaeformis, Isthmohyla picadoi, I. pseudopuma, Incilius holdridgei and Lithobates taylori. In this survey, the presence of I. holdridgei, a critically endangered toad, was confirmed. Different species composition was observed at lower elevation sites then recorded previously, and none of the historic highland species were recorded at lower elevations. The tree frog, I. pseudopuma, occupied sites voided by species recorded previously, underscoring the observation that this species is an excellent colonizer because of their resistance and adaptation. In this paper I discuss how mass extinctions may alter and rearrange the trophic relationships in ecosystems.KEY WORDSAmphibians, diversity, extinction, recolonization, Cerro Chompipe, Costa Rica.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Abarca Alvarado, Juan G.
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	spa
Published:	Universidad Estatal a Distancia, Costa Rica 2012
Online Access:	https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/cuadernos/article/view/127
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