From tropical forest to agroecosystems: changes in functional and species diversity of lizards in Mexican Caribbean

Abstract

The transformation of tropical forests to agricultural systems modifies the diversity of species. Species respond differentially to disturbance depending on how they interact with their environment; therefore, the diversity of species that results following the transformation of a tropical forest could depend on the type of agricultural system that is established and the traits and functions of the species that make up the native communities. In this study, the effect of establishing two agricultural systems on an assemblage of tropical forest lizards was evaluated. To do so, the functional diversity and species diversity of lizards in tropical forest, a lime crop, and a coconut crop in southeastern Mexico were analyzed. The results showed that both the functional diversity and the diversity of species decreased when the tropical forest was transformed into either of these agricultural systems. However, this decrease differs in magnitude depending on the type of crop, since in the lime crop (less heterogeneous) there was a greater reduction in species richness, of functional groups, and of the members of the functional groups than in the coconut crop (more heterogeneous). The agricultural systems studied are not capable of maintaining the diversity of native species or the functional diversity of tropical forest lizards. Therefore, in landscapes modified by humans, it is essential to maintain fragments of native forest between agricultural plots to conserve those species highly susceptible to tropical forest transformation, as well as assemblages of species with a wide variety of functional traits.