Katalina Gutiérrez Hernández
The Páramo is a high-mountain ecosystem typical of the Neotropics. Around 60% of the world's Páramos are found in Colombia. This unique ecosystem, part of the Tropical Andes, has a disjunct distribution, which means that each Páramo harbours its own endemisms, and many of its species are classified under IUCN threat categories.
Páramo lagoon. © Fundación TropiCall.
The recent highway between Murillo (Tolima, Colombia) and Manizales (Caldas, Colombia) borders the Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Los Nevados (https://www.parquesnacionales.gov.co/nuestros-parques/pnn-los-nevados/). This high-mountain highway (3,000–4,200 masl) has increased tourism and traffic in the area, raising concerns about its impact on local biodiversity, particularly on endemic and threatened amphibians. The influx of visitors has caused pollution, habitat disturbance and an increase in noise, air and water pollution along the highway, particularly around PNN Los Nevados (https://www.infobae.com/colombia/2024/10/07/tolima-propuso-implementar-pico-y-placa-y-un-peaje-ambiental-en-el-parque-nacional-los-nevados-para-regular-turismo/).
Our research uses passive acoustic monitoring, landscape analysis and microenvironmental data collection to assess the effects of the highway on high-altitude anuran assemblages. Specifically, we aim to measure changes in water quality, microclimate (e.g. temperature, humidity) and the vocal activity of frogs along the highway and compare them with more remote locations. By examining changes in amphibian call patterns, our research seeks to understand how the noise and environmental alterations due to the highway may disrupt communication and behaviour in these sensitive species. We hypothesise that proximity to the highway results in lower species richness and altered calling patterns, leading to a homogenised soundscape and a decrease in vocal activity.
The main objectives of our research include: (1) identifying the temporal and spectral traits of the endemic and threatened frog call assemblage; (2) conducting six months of soundscape monitoring; (3) collecting and analysing microenvironmental variables; (4) evaluating landscape metrics for habitat changes; (5) assessing the highway's impact on vocal patterns through data associations; and (6) sharing the results with local stakeholders and decision-makers. Additionally, we plan to publish our findings to inform mitigation and conservation strategies and share a final report with the regional environmental agency (https://cortolima.gov.co/), National Natural Parks (https://www.parquesnacionales.gov.co/) and the local governments (Alcaldía de Murillo and Alcaldía de Herveo). This study will help guide environmental management practices for the highway corridor and the buffer zone of the PNN Los Nevados, providing valuable baseline data on Páramo amphibian ecology and soundscape dynamics.
Through this research, we aim to contribute to the conservation of endemic amphibians in Colombia's Páramo regions and establish a foundation for ongoing environmental monitoring and management efforts in high-altitude ecosystems.
Header image: Niceforonia adenobrachia. © Fundación TropiCall.