The effects of edge influence on the microhabitat, diversity and life-history traits of amphibians in western Ecuador

• DOI: 10.1017/s026646742400004x
• Publication Date: 2024-03-19T09:33:05Z
• Authors: Valentina Posse-S...; Cristina Banks-Leite
• Keywords: Habitat Fragmentation; Life History Theory; Fragmentation; Plant litter

Abstract Edge effects change biodiversity patterns and ecological processes, particularly in tropical forests. To understand the synergistic impact of multiple edges, this study examines how edge influence (EI) is associated with life-history traits (snout-vent length body temperature), diversity microhabitat amphibians as well habitat characteristics a forest Ecuador. We used EI, metric that calculates cumulative across all nearby combination five environmental variables are part amphibians’ (temperature, humidity, slope, canopy cover leaf litter depth) to their impacted. Our results show most amphibian species tend be specialists, many had an affinity for edges warmer habitats. do not find significant correlations between EI diversity. findings corroborate previous positively fragmentation association likely driven by thermal regulation.