Revista de Biología Tropical ISSN Impreso: 0034-7744 ISSN electrónico: 2215-2075

OAI: https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rbt/oai
Distribution of Ambystoma altamirani (Caudata: Ambystomatidae) in relation to biotic and abiotic factors in its habitat

How to Cite

Vargas-Gómez, A. C., & Chaparro-Herrera, D. de J. (2024). Distribution of Ambystoma altamirani (Caudata: Ambystomatidae) in relation to biotic and abiotic factors in its habitat. Revista De Biología Tropical, 72(1), e59832. https://doi.org/10.15517/rev.biol.trop.v72i1.59832

Abstract

Introduction: The mountain stream axolotl (Ambystoma altamirani) is an endemic amphibian of Mexico cataloged as a priority species for conservation with a very restricted distribution in the Sierra de las Cruces. Anthropogenic activities currently endanger it. Objective: To determine the habitat factors most associated with its presence to propose conservation strategies. Methods: Four sites in Villa del Carbon, State of Mexico, were sampled monthly for one year (September 2022 to August 2023) with the presence and absence of A. altamirani. Environmental, physicochemical, bacteriological, physicochemical, and biotic parameters of the water were randomly analyzed. Results: A total of 1 186 organisms were censused, and it was determined with a CCA that the variables most related to the populations were solar radiation, total coliforms, percentage of oxygen saturation, UV radiation, fecal coliforms, and temperature. It was observed that the habitat is not being adequately conserved. The populations studied showed a decline during the study. The sites with the highest population abundance showed an increase in the presence of adults, mainly females. It is essential to focus conservation actions on this umbrella species and maintain the variables mentioned above with little disturbance to allow the prevalence of the species. Conclusion: This information can be useful in developing conservation actions for the habitat, which it shares with other endemic and endangered amphibians. 1) It is urgent to protect this species due to the fragility of its populations and rapid decline; 2) It is necessary to propose conservation strategies that are adapted to the localities studied and 3) This will help to prioritize the protection of microendemic species in local environments.

https://doi.org/10.15517/rev.biol.trop..v72i1.59832

References

Arribas, R., Díaz‐Paniagua, C., & Gómez-Mestre, I. (2014). Ecological consequences of amphibian larvae and their native and alien predators on the community structure of temporary ponds. Freshwater Biology, 59(9), 1996–2008. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.12402

Bello, A. D., Hashim, N., & Haniffah, M. M. (2017). Predicting impact of climate change on water temperature and dissolved oxygen in tropical rivers. Climate, 5(3), 58. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli5030058

Blaustein, A. R., Romansic, J. M., Kiesecker, J. M., & Hatch, A. A. C. (2003). Ultraviolet radiation, toxic chemicals and amphibian population declines. Diversity and Distributions, 9(2), 123–140. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1472-4642.2003.00015.x

Blaustein, A. R., Urbina, J., Snyder, P. W., Reynolds, E., Dang, T. D., Hoverman, J. T., Han, B. A., Olson, D. H., Searle, C., & Hambalek, N. M. (2018). Effects of emerging infectious diseases on amphibians: A review of experimental studies. Diversity (Basel. Online), 10(3), 81. https://doi.org/10.3390/d10030081

Camacho, Z. A. V., Smith, G. R., Ayala, R. M., & Lemos‐Espinal, J. A. (2020). Distribution and Population Structure of Ambystoma altamirani from the Llano de Lobos, State of México, Mexico. Western North American Naturalist, 80(2), 228. https://doi.org/10.3398/064.080.0210

Chaparro-Herrera, D. de J., Nandini, S., & Sarma, S. (2013). Effect of water quality on the feeding ecology of axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum. Journal of Limnology, 72(3), 555–565. https://doi.org/10.4081/jlimnol.2013.e46

Chaparro-Herrera, D. de J., Nandini, S., & Sarma, S. S. S. (2020). Turbidity effects on feeding by larvae of the endemic Ambystoma mexicanum and the introduced Oreochromis niloticus in Lake Xochimilco, Mexico. Ecohydrology and Hydrobiology, 20(1), 91–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecohyd.2019.07.002

Chávez-Veintemilla, C. A., Pezo-Díaz, R., & Vásquez, E. (2021). Diversidad planctónica de los cuerpos de agua en la Reserva Nacional Allpahuayo Mishana, Loreto–Perú. Folia Amazónica, 29(2), 353–370. https://doi.org/10.24841/fa.v29i2.536

Cosentino, B. J., Schooley, R. L., & Phillips, C. A. (2011). Spatial connectivity moderates the effect of predatory fish on salamander metapopulation dynamics. Ecosphere, 2(8), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1890/es11-00111.1

D’Cruze, N., & Kumar, S. (2011). Effects of anthropogenic activities on lizard communities in northern Madagascar. Animal Conservation, 14(5), 542–552. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2011.00459.x

Demetrio, W. G., & Martínez, D. V. (2020). Procesos locales de transformación que detonan el cambio de uso de suelo y vegetación en un área natural protegida de la Región Centro de México. Acta Universitaria, 30, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.15174/au.2020.2864

Diario Oficial. (2010). Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, Protección ambiental-Especies nativas de México de flora y fauna silvestres-Categorías de riesgo y especificaciones para su inclusión, exclusión o cambio-Lista de especies en riesgo. México: Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. https://dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle_popup.php?codigo=5173091

Diario Oficial. (2015). Norma Oficial Mexicana NMX-AA-042-SCFI-2015, Water Analysis - Enumeration Of Total Coliform Organisms, Thermotolerant Fecal Coliform Organisms And Escherichia Coli- Multiple Tube (Most Probable Number) Method. México: Secretaría de Economía. https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5645374&fecha=11/03/2022#gsc.tab=0

Diario Oficial. (2022). Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-001-SEMARNAT-2021, que establece los límites permisibles de contaminantes en las descargas de aguas residuales en cuerpos receptores propiedad de la nación. México: Diario Oficial. Secretaría del Trabajo y Previsión Social. https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5645374&fecha=11/03/2022#

Franco, W. G., Smith, G. R., & Lemos‐Espinal, J. A. (2022). The effects of livestock, proximity to trees, and aquatic characteristics on the abundance of Ambystoma altamirani within a stream. Journal of Herpetology, 56(1), 56–59. https://doi.org/10.1670/20-118

Frías-Álvarez, P., Zúñiga‐Vega, J. J., & Flores‐Villela, O. (2010). A general assessment of the conservation status and decline trends of Mexican amphibians. Biodiversity and Conservation, 19(13), 3699–3742. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-010-9923-9

García-Palomo, A., Zamorano, J. J., López-Miguel, C., Galván-García, A., Carlos-Valerio, V., Ortega, R., & Macías, J. L. (2008). El arreglo morfoestructural de la Sierra de Las Cruces, México central. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas, 25(1). https://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?pid=S1026-87742008000100010&script=sci_arttext

González-Martínez T., Ávila-Akerberg, V., & Galicia-Valdés, A. (2014). Conservación del Ajolote de Montaña (Ambystoma altamirani) en Bosques Templados con Alta Presión Antrópica. Caso: Establecimiento de un Centro de Educación y Reproducción en Cautiverio en México [Memorias del Simposio Internacional Biodiversidad]. Ibarra, Ecuador. https://repositorio.utn.edu.ec/handle/123456789/3728

Grant, E. H. C., Muths, E., Schmidt, B. R., & Petrovan, S. O. (2019). Amphibian conservation in the Anthropocene. Biological Conservation, 236, 543–547. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.03.003

Guerly, Á. P., Dueñas-Ramírez, P. R., Sánchez-García, R., & Miguel, V. F. (2022). Manual de zooplancton. hdl:20.500.12010/25810. https://expeditiorepositorio.utadeo.edu.co/handle/20.500.12010/25810

Guerrero de la Paz, J. G., Mercado‐Silva, N., Alcalá, R. E., & Zambrano, L. (2020). Signals of decline of flagship species Ambystoma altamirani Dugès, 1895 (Caudata, Ambystomatidae) in a Mexican natural protected area. Herpetozoa, 33, 177–183. https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.33.e56588

Heredia-Bobadilla, R. L., & Sunny, A. (2021). Análisis de la categoría de riesgo de los ajolotes de arroyos de alta montaña (Caudata: Ambystoma). Acta Zoológica Mexicana, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.21829/azm.2021.3712315

Heredia-Bobadilla, R., Monroy‐Vilchis, O., Zarco‐González, M. M., Martínez-Gómez, D., Mendoza-Martínez, G. D., & Sunny, A. (2017). Genetic variability and structure of an isolated population of Ambystoma altamirani, a mole salamander that lives in the mountains of one of the largest urban areas in the world. Journal of Genetics, 96(6), 873–883. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12041-017-0823-6

Hernández, V. V., Smith, G. R., Ayala, R. M., & Lemos-Espinal, J. A. (2020a). Abundance, distribution, population structure, and substrate use of Ambystoma altamirani along the arroyo los axolotes, State of Mexico, Mexico. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 15(1), 188–197.

Hernández, V. V., Lemos‐Espinal, J. A., Smith, G. R., & Montoya-Ayala, R. (2020b). Natural history observations of Ambystoma altamirani and Dryophytes plicatus at sierra de las cruces, State of Mexico, Mexico. The Southwestern Naturalist, 64(2), 35–137. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-64-2-135

Hernández-Ramírez, N., & Rosas-Roa, J. (2010). Ecoturismo e infraestructura vial como detonante de la economía local, caso de estudio: Villa del Carbón, 2009. Quivera Revista de Estudios Territoriales, 12(2), 37–57. https://quivera.uaemex.mx/article/view/10188

Hoffmann, M., Hilton‐Taylor, C., Angulo, A., Böhm, M., Brooks, T. M., Butchart, S. H. M., Carpenter, K. E., Chanson, J., Collen, B., Cox, N. A., Darwall, W., Dulvy, N. K., Harrison, L. R., Katariya, V., Pollock, C. M., Quader, S., Richman, N. I., Rodrigues, A. S. L., Tognelli, M. F., Vié, J.C., ... & Stuart, S. N. (2010). The impact of conservation on the status of the world’s vertebrates. Science, 330(6010), 1503–1509. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1194442

Kern, P., Cramp, R. L., Seebacher, F., Kazerouni, E. G., & Franklin, C. E. (2015). Plasticity of protective mechanisms only partially explains interactive effects of temperature and UVR on upper thermal limits. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, 190, 75–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2015.09.007

Kostov, B. A. (2008). Aportación del análisis canónico de correspondencias al análisis textual [Tesis de bachiller]. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, España. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/es/

Lemos-Espinal, J. A., Smith, G. R., & Woolrich-Pina, G. A. (2015). Diet of Larval Ambystoma altamiranoi from Llano de los Axolotes, Mexico. Current Herpetology, 34(1), 75–79. doi:10.5358/hsj.34.75

Lemos‐Espinal, J. A., Smith, G. R., Ruíz, Á. H., & Ayala, R. M. (2016). Stream use and population characteristics of the endangered salamander, Ambystoma altamirani, from the Arroyo Los Axolotes, State of Mexico, Mexico. Southwestern Naturalist, 61(1), 28–32. https://doi.org/10.1894/0038-4909-61.1.28

Liu, S., He, G., Fang, H., Xu, S., & Bai, S. (2022). Effects of dissolved oxygen on the decomposers and decomposition of plant litter in lake ecosystem. Journal of Cleaner Production, 372, 133837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133837

Martínez-Ugalde, E., Ávila-Akerberg, V., Martínez, T. M. G., Trejo, M. V., Hernández, D. Z., Anaya-Morales, S. L., & Rebollar, E. A. (2022). The skin microbiota of the axolotl Ambystoma altamirani is highly influenced by metamorphosis and seasonality but not by pathogen infection. Animal Microbiome, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-022-00215-7

Mejía, H. B. (2012). Deterioro socioambiental en la Sierra de las Cruces. Diseño y Sociedad, (32), 40–49.

Monroy-Vilchis, O. (2015). Análisis de algunos parámetros ecológicos de 2 vertebrados indicadores de conservación en el monte Tláloc. http://ri.uaemex.mx/handle/20.500.11799/49687

Odum, R. A., & Zippel, K. C. (2008). Amphibian water quality: approaches to an essential environmental parameter. International Zoo Yearbook, 42(1), 40–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-1090.2008.00053.x

Oropeza-Sánchez, M. T., Suazo‐Ortuño, I., Benítez‐Malvido, J., Monroy-Hernández, E., & Munguía‐Steyer, R. (2022). Amphibian richness along modified riparian areas of central Mexico: conservation priorities. Ecological Processes, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-022-00408-7

Pahkala, M., Laurila, A., & Merilä, J. (2002). Effects of ultraviolet-B radiation on common frog Rana temporaria embryos from along a latitudinal gradient. Oecologia, 133(4), 458–465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-002-1058-6

Parra‐Olea, G., Flores‐Villela, O., & Mendoza-Almeralla, C. (2014). Biodiversidad de anfibios en México. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 85, 460–466. https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.32027

Parra‐Olea, G., Zamudio, K. R., Recuero, E., Aguilar-Miguel, X., Huacuz, D., & Zambrano, L. (2011). Conservation genetics of threatened Mexican axolotls (Ambystoma). Animal Conservation, 15(1), 61–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1795.2011.00488.x

Pineda, E., & Rodríguez-Mendoza, C. A. (2010). Distribución y abundancia de Craugastor vulcani: Una especie de rana en riesgo de Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, México. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad, 81(1), 133–141. https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2010.81.1.1431

Piñon-Flores, M. A., Suazo‐Ortuño, I., Ramírez-Herrejón, J. P., Moncayo‐Estrada, R., & del‐Val, E. (2021). Habitat, water quality or geomorphological degradation in the streams: Which is most important for conserving an endemic amphibian of Central Mexico? Journal for Nature Conservation, 64, 126063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2021.126063

Prasad, B. S. R. V., Srinivasu, P. D. N., Varma, P. S., Raman, A. V., & Ray, S. (2014). Dynamics of dissolved oxygen in relation to saturation and health of an aquatic body: a case for Chilka Lagoon, India. Journal of Ecosystems, 2014, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/526245

Rohman, F., Permana, H., Akhsani, F., Wangkulangkul, S., & Priambodo, B. (2020). The amphibians diversity as bioindicator of aquatic ecosystem at Sumber Taman, Malang, East Java. AIP Conference Proceedings, 2231(1). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0002503

Rohr, J. R., & Palmer, B. D. (2013). Climate change, multiple stressors, and the decline of ectotherms. Conservation Biology, 27(4), 741–751. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12086

Rubio-Licona, L. E., Romero-Rangel, S., & Rojas-Zenteno, E. C. (2011). Structure and floristic composition of two oak (Fagaceae) communities in the State of Mexico. Revista Chapingo Serie Ciencias Forestales y del Ambiente, 17(1), 77–90. https://doi.org/10.5154/r.rchscfa.2010.03.014

Sánchez-Sánchez, R., Méndez-Méndez, O., Smith, G. R., Ayala, R. M., Woolrich-Piña, G. A., & Lemos‐Espinal, J. A. (2022). Field observations of Ambystoma altamirani at near-freezing conditions in the Sierra de las Cruces, Mexico. Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology, 21(1), 67–69. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v21i1p67-69

Shaffer, H. B., Parra-Olea, G., Wake, D., & Flores-Villela, O. (2008). Ambystoma altamirani. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T59049A11875320. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T59049A11875320.en

Venâncio, C., Gabriel, A., Oliveira, M. E. D. E. S., & Lopes, I. (2022). Feeding exposure and feeding behaviour as relevant approaches in the assessment of the effects of micro(nano)plastics to early life stages of amphibians. Environmental Research, 212, 113476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.113476

Comments

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright (c) 2024 Revista de Biología Tropical

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.