Diversidad de anfibios y reptiles asociada a diferentes hábitats presentes en la reserva natural El Encanto de Guanapalo. San Luis de Palenque, Casanare, Colombia.

Abstract

The expansion of African palm plantations in the department of Casanare is a potential risk for the diversity of amphibians and reptiles, due to the high dependence of these organisms on environmental conditions and their low dispersal capacity. In the particular case of the RNSC El Encanto de Guanapalo, it was analyzed how the diversity of amphibians and reptiles varies in relation to three habitats: gallery forest, flooded savanna and African palm cultivation. In this way, the structure and composition of the assemblages in each habitat was characterized, likewise, it was determined how the diversity varies with respect to the climatic seasons. Finally, the spatio-temporal turnover of the species was analyzed. For this, two samplings were carried out with a duration of 20 days each, during the rainy and drought season. 1000 individuals were recorded, belonging to 17 species of anurans, 12 species of snakes, 5 species of saurians, 4 species of tertudines and 1 species of crocodilia. In relation to the habitats, the gallery forest had the greatest richness of amphibians, while the reptiles had the greatest richness in the savannah. Regarding the climatic seasons, during the rains the habitat with the highest number of amphibian and reptile species was the savanna, during the dry season the gallery forest had the greatest richness of amphibians and reptiles. The cultivation of palm had evident differences in the structure and composition of the amphibian and reptile communities, in relation to the climatic seasons. Given that, during the rainy season it had a higher species richness compared to the dry season, where the diversity was remarkably low. Natural habitats such as savannas and forests are of great importance for the conservation of amphibians and reptiles. Although, during the rains the cultivation of palm complies with the environmental and structural conditions for the establishment of the herpetofauna, it does so temporarily. It is concluded that amphibians and reptiles respond differentially to the climatic seasons, according to their physiological requirements, taking advantage of the resources that best meet these needs, according to the changes in the environmental conditions of each climatic season.