Unidades de conservação com fronteira agrícola podem evitar invasões? O caso da rã-touro na Mata Atlântica do Sul do Brasil

Abstract

Lithobates catesbeianus, the bullfrog is considered one of the 100 more prejudicial invasive species of the planet. Predictions based on climatic and topographic models showed atlantic forest biome regions of southern Brazil as favorable to invasive populations become established. Models that predict increase of temperature and gases concentration related with greenhouse effect, showed protected areas of the biome as propitious to invasion in the coming years. We conducted surveys at 36 waterbodies located in a protected area and anthropic adjacent locations through a forest-edge-farming gradient. We collected data on abundance and breeding to understand which the main descriptors (local and landscape) explained the bullfrog distribution. Our results showed that L. catesbeianus is mainly related with area-hidroperiod-deep gradient (local descriptors) and secondarily with environment gradient florest-edge-agriculture (landscape descriptors). Management strategies of aquatic invader populations as bullfrogs should focus both the management of landscape and waterbodies located at the edge. The supervision of large waterbodies (permanent or deep) construction in the park edge and adjacent areas can be effective, and the use of forest-agriculture management could be an important complement to prevent invasions.