Talampaya National Park (TNP) was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with Ischigualasto Provincial Park in 2000, but there is no list with updated information from reptiles and amphibians eighteen years after its creation. Therefore, we listed a complete inventory of the herpetofauna of TNP with the information obtained from bibliography, data from Argentina National Parks Administration (ranger reports and the species listed in their database) and fieldwork using pitfall traps, active search transects and pictures/material collected in the site. We confirm the occurrence of 35 species of herpetofauna in the TNP, including 29 reptiles and 6 amphibians. Some species found in TNP are of great value because their national conservation status is vulnerable (Chelonoidis chilensis, Liolaemus anomalus, Liolaemus riojanus) or even endangered (Boa constrictor occidentalis). Therefore, priority areas for conservation of these species should be proposed inside the park.
Background
Urbanization will increase in the next decades, causing the loss of green areas and bird diversity within cities. There is a lack of studies at a continental scale analyzing the relationship between urban green areas, such as parks and cemeteries, and bird species richness in the Neotropical region. Bird diversity-environment relationships in urban parks and cemeteries may be influenced by latitudinal gradients or species-area relationships. However, the seasonal variation of species diversity- environment has not been analyzed at a continental scale in the Neotropics.
Methods
Bird surveys were conducted in 36 cemeteries and 37 parks within 18 Neotropical cities during non-breeding and breeding seasons. Bird diversity was assessed through Hill numbers, focusing on species richness, the effective number of species derived from Shannon index and the Simpson index. Environmental variables included latitude, altitude, and local scale variables such as area size, habitat diversity and pedestrian traffic.
Results
Species richness and Shannon diversity were higher during the breeding season, whereas Simpson diversity did not vary between seasons. During both seasons, species richness increased with area size, was negatively related to altitude, and was the highest at 20° latitude. Species richness was also positively related to habitat diversity, pedestrian traffic, and was highest in suburban areas during the non-breeding season. Shannon and Simpson diversity showed significant relationships with habitat diversity and area size during the breeding season. Bird diversity was similar between parks and cemeteries.
Discussion
Our results showed that urban parks and cemeteries have similar roles in conserving urban bird diversity in Neotropical cities. However, species diversity-environment relations at the continental scale varied between seasons, highlighting the importance of conducting annual studies.
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