Sep 29, 2006 - species (Salmo trutta and Onclwrh)â¢nclms mykiss) have been introduced into Andean streams ...... "Libro R~jo de Anlibios de Colombia". Se1;e.
128
AMPHIBIAN BIOLOCY
CHAPTER 6
Biodiversity and Conservation Status of Amphibians of Ecuador Santiago R. Ron, Juan M. Guayasarnin and Pablo /\. Me nendez-Guerrero
I. Introduction
1. Effect of Climatic Change on the S1ze of Distribution Ranges 2. Species Extinction Risks Under Future Chmahc Change Threatened Species 1. Conservation Status of Frogs of the Genus Atelopus 2. Conservation Status of Frogs of the Genus Telmatobius 3. Conservation Status of Frogs of the Genus Hyloxalus 4. Conservation Status of Frogs of the Family Centrolenidae D. Potential Threats for Amphibians in Ecuador t . Global Changes in Climate 2. Habitat l oss and Fragmentation 3. Infectious Diseases 4. Introduced Species 5. Contaminants E. Conservation Efforts 1. Indirect Efforts: Protection of Natural Habitats 2. Direct Effons: Scientific Research and Conservation Projects
II. Geography A. Western Lowlands (Costa) B. Andean Region (Sierra) C. Eastern Lowlands (Amazonian Reg1on, Oriente) D. Insular Reg10n (Galapagos Islands)
c.
Ill. Biogeography and Diversity A. Biogeographic Regions 1. Dry Shrub 2. Western Deciduous Forest 3. Chocoan Tropical Rainforest 4. Western Foothill Forest 5. Western Montane Forest 6. Paramo 7. Andean Shrub B. Eastern Montane Forest 9. Eastern Foothill Forest 10. Amazonian Tropical Rainforest B. Diversity and Distributional Patterns of Ecuadorian Amphibians IV. Conservation A . Conservation Status of Ecuadorian Amphibians: Extinction Risk Categories B Exti nction Risk Categories Under Global Climatic Change
v.
Acknowledgments
VI. References
Abbreviations and acronyms used rfl the text and references: DBH=diameter (of trees) at breast hetght; ACAP = Amphibian Conservation Action Plan; AEE = Almanaque Electr6nico Ecuatoriano; CDC = Centro de Datos para Ia Conservac16n; CIMMYT =The lntematJonal Maize and Wheat Improvement Cent er; EPN = Escuela Politecn1ca Nacional (Quito): ESPE = Escuela Politecnica del EJilrcito; FHGO = FundaciUn Herpeto16gica Gustavo Orcbs; GEF = Global Environment Facility; BIRF Banco lntemacional de ReconstrtlCCI6n y Fomento; INEC = lnstituto NacionaJ de Estadisticas y Censos (Ecuador); INEFAN Institute Ecuatonano Forestal d€ Areas Naturales y VIda Silvestre; IUCN International Union tor the Conservation of Nature; MECN = Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales; MHNG Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, Geneva, Switzertand: NSPA = National System of Protected Natural Areas (Ecuador); PROMSA = Programa de Modemizaci6n de los Servlcios Agropecuarios; QCAZ Museo de Zoologia de Ia Pontificia Universidad Cat61ica del Ecuador; SSC "' Species Survival Commission; USFQ = Universidad San Franci$co de Quito; UICN = Spanish acronym for the lntemational Union for the Conservation of Nature
=
=
= =
=
130
AMPHIBIAN BIO LOGY RO'II d al; BIOOIVERSm· .-\NO CONSERVATION STATUS O F AMPHIBIANS Of ECUAD()R
I. INTRODUCTION
T
HE amphibian fauna of Ecuacior is the third most diverse in the world with a total of 501 formally described species (Appendix 1). The present work summarizes the geographic and biogeographic features of Ecuador in the comext of its amphibian fauna. In additjon, the patterns of distribution and diversity of l::cuadodan amph ibians are aualysed, their conscr,ation status evaluated and possible causes for population declines discussed.
.,.,
Ecuador is located iu northwestem South America. bordered by Colombia to rhe north and northeast, Peru to the south and southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to tue wesL It has an area of 256 370 km~ and a human population of 13 780 000 (INEC 2008), b
CJ "))).:~
Fig. 1. Elc:\-ation and ruean annual pn-cipirntion in conunc-ntal F.cuadnr.
II. GEOGRAPHY A. Western Lowlands (Costa)
Located between the Pacific Ocean and th
Num~r
Mean Annual Precipibltion (mm)
or species
Den.s ity (apecies/lOOO kml)
8,033 23.673
2'LS (0.66) 24.3 (1.32)
500 (393) 843 (316)
15 !H
t 87 I 21
3 1.737 15.305
25. 1 (0.59) 22.4 ( J.?l)
2,086 (665) 2,2 18 (907)
79 103
2.19 6.73
~lonwne
21.576
13.0 (4.0•1.)
1.187 (610)
136
630
Pa.r.uno Andean Shrob Eastern Montane Fon::s1
U.976 11.266 31.553
7.3 (2 30) 15.8 (2.70) 15.8 (4.13)
803 (277) 817 (215) 1.691 (799)
37 33 173
2.32 3. 11 .:i..t8
Dry- Shrub Decicluou\ Rlrest Cbocoan Troptc:tl Rainforest \\'estero Footbul Forest Westem
Forese
Eastern roothill Fon::~l Amazonian Troptcal Rainforest
13,1 33 73,909
Galapa§:OS Arehieelago
7.960
Total for country (continental)
241:1,164
21.7 (0.91) 24.9 (0.81)
21 .0 (5.78)
2.923 ( t.023) 3.349 (335)
2.023 (1.177)
9!)
IG4
7.!14 2 22
,.
< 0.00)
301
2.02
• The o nly amvhtbtan that occurs 111 the Gahipagos is the hylid &max qtlmtpufasciotus, an uuroduccd specte, that established breeding colotues during the late 1990s.
F1f. 4. AI.Uiual preopitauon and mean ammaJ temperature
8 10 F.cuad · 2). The values ~ere measured &om digitnl clunatc ma >~ I fna~ to~cograpbtc RegiOns {as defined m f'igu~ wirb iu each biogeogr:~phic regiou were ch h I a oca tte~ roughout Ecuador. Forty random site~ fo r the Dry Shrub where 28 locatioru ~·ere ':n~~~~) aractenLe temperature and precipuation regime~ (except
TabU 2. Land CO\er (
BIOLOCY
L39
log S= -1.827 + 0.837 1og A; R2 = 0.42
500 450 400 (/) C/)
lh
·c:; 350 Q)
Q)
c
Q)
0.
CJ)
Q)
.n
~
2
~
,
..c
300
U
·~
0
.....
2.2
1.8
I
I
I
\.
... ____
-1
Am azonian Tropical Rainforest
. ---
0
Chocoan Tropical Rainforest
250
z~ 200
1.6 -l I
0>
150
0
0
1.4
Deciduous Forest
100
I
1.2
50 0 1750
0
1800
1900
1850
1950
2000
i
Dry 0 Shru b
3.
Year
Fig. ' · Relationship bccweea pc~ent~ges of threatened .amphibian ~p«tCS versus mean annual temperature and a,·crage ele,-ation acrms Ecuadonan B1ogeograph1c Regtons.
ameliorated anlhropogeoic habitat degradation. In thi region, only 21 : 1% of the nau~ral vegetation has been cleared or severely fragm ented, the lowest prop~ruoo for an y ~gton (fable 2~ Fig. 3). However, the Paramo is rh~ .r egion with ~e htghesl proportiOn of enda ngered amphibians (Table 3; Fig. 5). Amplubtans occur as lugh as 4 200 m. 7. Andean Shrub This Biogeographic Regi~n Hes between .1 400 and 3 000 m .and has .an a:e"'
0 _,"'"' Of
0 0
0 Paramo
75 -
0
CJ)
......
Paramo
u(I)
......
......
(ij (I) .....
~ 0
4000 3000 Median Altitude (m)
2000
Montane
' ~Forests
............
.r::. 25I-
0
Andean Shrub
0
(I)
Amazon
1000
(I)
a.
......
c: 50
Montane
Foothill Forests
O
;:,R
0
-~ (J
/
/
CJ)
!'-
Ill
0
Ill
Foothill Forests
0
~--
'
() ChocO
0
