Natural history traits influence winners and losers for herpetological communities in disturbed tropical habitats.

ABSTRACT: Habitat alteration can lead to a few 'winning' species outcompeting many 'losing' species, an effect commonly termed as 'Winner-Loser-Replacements' or WLRs. This can lead to homogenisation of species assemblages at phylogenetic and functional levels. Most previous studies analyse responses of species abundance without considering natural history traits associated with those species. This study uses fourth corner modelling techniques to investigate the interaction between ecological data and natural history trait information using a herpetofaunal assemblage that includes 19 species of amphibians, 28 snakes, and 20 lizards, in Parque Nacional Laguna del Tigre, Guatemala. A total of 120 transects were surveyed using Visual Encounter Surveys, comprising 18 in disturbed habitat, 66 in forest ha

SUBMITTER: Griffin RK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11897091 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature