Environmental Factors Affecting Amphibian Communities in River Basins of the Southern Apennines

Abstract

The study of the environmental features affecting amphibian communities is a priority task for addressing effective conservation initiatives. In the southern edge of the Apennines (Sila Massif, Calabria Region, Italy), we surveyed the distribution of amphibians in lotic freshwater habitats (eight rivers, 17 sampling stations, 87 transects) and recorded nine environmental variables, including the occurrence of potential predators (fish and Eurasian otter Lutra lutra), potentially affecting the distribution and breeding success of amphibian species. A total of seven amphibian species was recorded (75.9% of transects). Fish occurred in all rivers while the otter was found in four rivers (Amato, Lese, Neto, and Savuto). Illuminance and bank heterogeneity were the main factors affecting amphibian reproduction, while neither otter nor fish presence showed significant effects on the amphibian community. Overall, habitat complexity and coevolution history seemed to shape the distribution of amphibians and their breeding sites, while the ongoing recolonization of the study area by the otter is expected to have a negligible impact on the richness of the amphibian community.