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Context: Environmental filtering and limiting similarity have both been hypothesized to influence patterns of species co-occurrence, but in contrasting ways. While environmental filtering results in a greater similarity of functional traits among co-occurring species, limiting similarity predicts that only species with different functional traits can co-occur. Objectives: We evaluated the roles of environmental filtering versus competition in shaping patterns of species co-occurrence in terrestrial versus arboreal species of pond-breeding anurans, and also the influence of local and landscape environmental factors on those patterns, in the Brazilian Cerrado. Methods: We surveyed anurans within 85 ponds and adopted trait-based approaches to investigate patterns of co-occurrence within terrestrial and arboreal species groups. Results: Local-scale environmental filters related to hydroperiod were more important than landscape factors. Habitat split was an important landscape filter, as was the amount of forest relative to pasture cover for arboreal species and the number of water bodies for terrestrial species. Habitat filtering was trait-mediated for arboreal species within ponds of similar size, hydroperiod, and degree of habitat split. Competition was weaker than environmental filters and led to a checkerboard distribution in arboreal species, whereas terrestrial species exhibited limiting similarity within small ponds. Conclusions: The processes that shape species co-occurrence patterns are dependent on spatial scale, degree of habitat degradation, and relative habitat use of species (terrestrial vs. arboreal), such that environmental changes as a result of land-use intensification have the potential to profoundly alter the structure and dynamics of pond-breeding anuran communities in the Cerrado. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphibians and reptiles are diversified in the Cerrado biome but have been threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as lack of understanding of their distribution. Therefore, collection and organization of information about species in natural environments are essential for conservation, especially in Protected areas (PAs) and their adjacent zones. We present information about the composition and structure of the herpetofauna from Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas (PESCAN) and its representativeness in comparison to other PAs in the Cerrado. Fieldwork was conducted in 12 sampling sites from February 2009 to February 2010, using active search and pitfall traps. We recorded 41 species of amphibians, with greatest richness in sites with open vegetation and water bodies. Reptiles were represented by 32 species, with the greatest species richness in cerrado open environments. Both amphibian and reptile communities were more similar to those from geographically closer PAs and located in the central region of the Cerrado (State of Goiás and Distrito Federal). The PESCAN holds 24.85% and 17.98% of amphibians and reptiles species occurring in Cerrado PAs, respectivelly. This large representativeness and the high number of endemisms (18 amphibians and 7 reptiles) emphasize the importance of the PESCAN, together with other PAs, for the maintenance of regional biodiversity. In addition, we also encourage researches evaluating amphibian and reptile communities outside PAs, such as legal reserves, and we suggest new approaches to study the biodiversity of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]