Habitat split leads to biodiversity decline

Crossodactylus caramaschii, a stream-breeder species from the locality of Ribeirão Branco, Brazil. This is a species that has been demonstrated to suffer with habitat split.

Amphibians such as frogs are at risk, especially those that have to travel from their homes in forest habitats to aquatic areas to breed and back; and with this added risk, the diversity, or variety, of species declines, according to a new report. Traveling to the water to breed, then returning to the forest is called habitat split and researchers say that it is usually caused by human activity.

Brazilian Horned Frog Proceratophrys boiei, a leaf-litter species with aquatic larvae that has been demonstrated to suffer with habitat split. In the background, we can see the wetness of its natural habitat, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

To learn more about how habitat problems are contributing to the deaths of amphibians, Carlos Guilherme Becker and Brazilian colleagues performed research in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, which is home to many amphibians. The area is one of the world’s most endangered biodiversity hot spots and has thousands of amphibious species, most of which have larvae than breed in the water.

The researchers determined that habitat split is the most dangerous situation for amphibians and suggest that habitat split may be the reason that amphibian species with aquatic larvae are declining more than others.

Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation are two other reasons for a decline in the diversity of amphibians.

The researchers suggest restoring split habitats to reduce the rate of amphibian decline.

This study appears in the 14 December issue of Science.

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