Effect of landscape composition and configuration on the diversity of amphibians and reptiles

Amphibians and reptiles are highly sensitive to environmental changes due to their physiological and biological characteristics. Nevertheless, the effects of landscape changes on amphibians and reptiles are rarely studied. We set out to determine the effect of landscape attributes at two different scales (landscape and patch) on herpetofaunal diversity in the area influenced by the Reserva de la Biosfera Selva el Ocote, a Protected Natural Area in Chiapas, Mexico. We monitored the herpetofauna from January 2018 to March 2019. We used general linear models to determine the effect of landscape composition and configuration at the two scales. Amphibians were affected by attributes at both scales; their diversity was positively affected by more a permeable matrix and heterogeneous sites at the landscape scale, while being negatively affected by larger patches at the patch scale. In contrast, reptiles were only affected at the patch scale; their diversity was positively affected by greater distances of patches from highways and roads and was negatively affected by greater distances between similar patches and from water bodies. The response of amphibians to attributes at both the landscape and patch scales suggests that their diversity could be favored by habitat, microhabitat, and microclimate conditions contributing to their access to vital resources, decreased risk of desiccation, and decreased exposure to predators. In contrast, for reptiles, connectivity and ease of mobility among patches and access to water bodies at the patch scale appear to be the most relevant requirements to preserve species in the area.