An UV-sensitive anuran species as an indicator of environmental quality of the Southern Atlantic Rainforest.
The Southern Atlantic rainforest is continuously suffering from wood extraction activity, which results in the increase of clearings within the forest. Although the direct impacts of deforestation on landscape are already well described, there is an absence of studies focused on the evaluation of its indirect effects, such as the increase of solar UV radiation levels inside forest environment and its consequences for forest specialist anuran species. The results presented in this work clearly show that the threatened tree frog species Hypsiboas curupi presents severe traits of sensitivity to UV wavelengths of sunlight, making it a vulnerable species to this environmental stressor, as well as a biological indicator of the quality of forest canopy coverage. In addition, the measurement of solar UVB and UVA radiation incidence upon H. curupi breeding site and the analyses of a 20-year dataset of satellite images regarding the management of canopy coverage indicate that the photoprotection provided by trees of the Southern Atlantic rainforest is critical for the conservation of this forest specialist anuran species. Therefore, this work demonstrates that the deforestation process enhances the exposure of H. curupi embryos to solar UVB and UVA radiation, negatively affecting their embryonic development, inducing mortality and population decline.
Federal University of Santa Maria, Post-Graduation Program of Animal Biodiversity, Av. Roraima s/n, building 17, room 1140, Camobi, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil.
Victor Mendes
VM
Lipinski
Federal University of Santa Maria, Post-Graduation Program of Animal Biodiversity, Av. Roraima s/n, building 17, room 1140, Camobi, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Federal University of Pampa, Av. Antônio Trilha, 1847, Centro, 97300-000 São Gabriel, RS, Brazil.
Tiago Gomes Dos
TG
Santos
Federal University of Santa Maria, Post-Graduation Program of Animal Biodiversity, Av. Roraima s/n, building 17, room 1140, Camobi, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil; Southern Regional Space Research Center, CRS/INPE-MCTI, P.O. Box 5021, room 3010, 97110-970 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: schuchap@gmail.com.
André Passaglia
AP
Schuch
D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura; D001938:Brazil; D065947:Rainforest; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
Amphibian decline; Deforestation; Malformation; Mortality; UV radiation