Diversity of Amphibians and Reptiles in Conserved Forests and Disturbed Areas: A Comparison in Southern Mexico

Increasingly, conserved forests have become disturbed areas due to activities such as agriculture and livestock grazing. Landscape transformation leads to changes in biodiversity. Therefore, in this study, we compared the diversity of amphibians and reptiles in conserved areas (pine forest, oak-pine forest, and pine-oak forest) and disturbed areas in the Mixteca Oaxaqueña, southern Mexico. Fieldwork was conducted between July 2016 and June 2017, covering both the rainy and dry seasons. A total of eight amphibian species included in 5 families and 6 genera and 28 reptile species were recorded, distributed across 11 families and 21 genera. The pine-oak forest and the disturbed area exhibited the highest species richness of herpetofaunal, with 22 species each (4 amphibians and 18 reptiles), and were the most similar to each other with 14 species in common. Twelve amphibian and reptile species are classified in some risk category according to national and international standards. Twelve amphibian and reptile species are classified in some risk category according to national and international standards. The minimal difference in diversity observed in disturbed areas compared to that in pine forest and pine-oak forest suggests that the impact of changes in vegetation cover on amphibian and reptile diversity is relatively minor and not severe. However, the presence of 22 species in the disturbed areas (nine species considered in the risk category by Mexican environmental legislation) highlights the importance of implementing restoration strategies and monitoring the species that persist in disturbed areas. This study represents a significant contribution to the knowledge of amphibians and reptiles in both conserved and disturbed areas in the Mixteca Oaxaqueña, a region with limited available information on this biological group.