The role of anthropogenic habitat modifications in the structuring of functional groups of anuran communities in the Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexico

Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to anthropogenic habitat modifications. Nonetheless, some species are tolerant and persist in modified sites due to unique functional traits. We evaluated how environmental variables (structural, climatic and water physicochemical) derived from anthropogenic modifications structure communities of amphibians from a functional perspective in the Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexico. We sampled 34 sites with varying degrees of habitat modification and classified the anuran community in five functional groups. Redundancy analysis and zero-inflated negative binomial generalised linear mixed models were used to evaluate the relationship between abundance (number of individuals per functional group) and the environmental variables. Results support that community structure and abundance are determined by the ecological preferences and diversity of functional traits of the species. Positive relationships prevailed between abundance and variables of water quality for anurans with rapid development, and humidity for anurans with direct development. Aggregation of forest patches and bare soil areas favoured groups with medium to large arboreal and terrestrial anurans, while these were negatively impacted by agriculture areas. Functional groups with higher abundance where water bodies exhibited certain physicochemical toxic levels were associated with the arrangement and composition of patches of different land uses. We highlight the importance of considering functional groups and landscape variables for understanding the community structure and habitat use of anurans. Specifically, for the anthropogenic landscapes studied, considering key environmental variables that allow sustaining the species’ functional traits is essential, with emphasis on an adequate management of water bodies, to establish effective conservation measures. Keywords: amphibians, environmental filters, functional traits, landscape metrics, water pollution