biodiversity-congress-2017-scientifictracks-abstracts

11 / 17

Page 31
Notes:
conferenceseries.com
Volume 7, Issue 1 (Suppl) J Ecosyst Ecogr
ISSN: 2157-7625 JEE, an open access journal Biodiversity Congress 2017
April 27-28, 2017
April 27-28, 2017 Dubai, UAE
6th International Conference on
Biodiversity and Conservation
Amphibian decimation, reduce biodiversity in Panama
Batista Abel
Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Germany
Statement of the Problem: Panama, a small country between the major continents of North and South America, is recognized for
its mega-biodiversity. In particular, Eastern Panama (EP) is an important biodiversity hot-spot that is little studied. The isolation and
speciation of several species is reflected in the endemism of some species. The restricted distribution for those endemic species has
contributed to increase the numbers of endangered species in the region. Nowadays several endangered and undescribed species
have been affected by Chytridiomycosis, some of them have disappeared even before they can be described. We have experienced a
declination event in EP, with dramatic disminution of several species.
Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: From 2011 to present, we have repeatedly visited the main mountain ranges in EP,
collecting ecological information to assess the status of the herpetofauna in the area. We have fixed eight transects that have been
visited two to three times per year.
Findings: Based on our results, in EP there are 29 endemic species; some of them are exclusive of EP. Currently there are 14
amphibians, in the endangered categories of the IUCN, although there are several species that have not been evaluated by the IUCN
specialists. According to the Environmental Vulnerability Score (EVS), another way to evaluate the conservation status of the species
used specifically for amphibian and reptiles, in EP there are 50 species with a high vulnerability, 35 with medium and 12 with low EVS.
We found fluctuation in several species; some fluctuations are seasonal, related to the climatic conditions. But also we found death
animals Bd positive and low densities for some species in highlands (Fig. 1).
Conclusion & Significance: We identified the main threats affecting the status of conservation of the herpetofauna in EP, among
them: Chytridiomycosis, habitat fragmentation and contamination. Direct impacts on the herpetofauna and that recently have
affected the populations is chytridiomycosis. Now there is evidence for amphibian decline in EP. The deforestation is an alarming
issue in the region, and can affect amphibians, every dry season for example protected areas are deforested by loggers and, in the
buffer areas people make fires to open areas for cultivation. Therefore, urgent monitoring projects are needed to determine the status
and to suggest feasible conservation strategies that can guarantee the long term survival of species.
Biography
Batista Abel is a Biologist by profession and nature lover. With 15 years of field experience in Panama, Costa Rica and Colombia, he has conducted several
studies of wildlife rescue, monitoring and research. He completed his Undergraduate studies at the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriqui, Panama, Graduate studies
at the University of Bogota, Colombia Andes and PhD at the Senckenberg Institute (in association with the Goethe University), Frankfurt, Germany, all focused on
the study of amphibians and reptiles. His main interest is bioacoustics, interaction between anuran communities, biogeography and taxonomy of amphibians and
reptiles of Panama.
Batista Abel, J Ecosyst Ecogr 2017, 7:1(Suppl)