Several mechanisms mediate the richness, diversity, abundance and distribution of tadpoles in the ponds. The purpose of this study was to characterize the composition of tadpoles of an area of Caatinga in the State of Sergipe and evaluate it with respect to use temporal (time of occurrence) and spatial (within the preferred local water bodies) in the dams. Looking for understand the influence of some environmental parameters and predators on the abundance of tadpoles. The study was conducted at the Natural Monument Grota Angico in the period September 2011 to August 2012. The sample of tadpoles and predators were doing in nine dams of the locality. The biotic and abiotic factors were collected monthly in the dams that had water. 2117 tadpoles and 710 predators were collected. The alpha diversity was similar between the dams and the beta diversity was considered relatively low. Most tadpoles had high spatial niche breadth showing a general use of space. The spatial and temporal overlaps showed segregation between species in the use of micro-habitats and seasons. None of the species showed association between their abundances and the physical-chemical and structural of the dams. The richness and abundance were correlated to rainfall. Tadpoles and predators differed on the use of micro-habitat and only three species showed a positive correlation with the predators. The results were in some ways similar to other studies in the Caatinga biome and in dry areas of the country. Studies in the Caatinga are still a challenge to researchers, especially about the frogs of the Biome, and studies should be encouraged, so that you can know more about the biology of these species and so you can get better conservation strategies for the group. / Diversos mecanismos mediam a diversidade, riqueza, abundância e distribuição dos girinos nos corpos d água. O objetivo do estudo foi caracterizar a composição de girinos de uma área de Caatinga no Estado de Sergipe e avaliá-la em relação ao uso temporal (períodos de ocorrência) e espacial (locais preferenciais dentro dos corpos d água) nos açudes. Buscando ainda, compreender a influência de alguns parâmetros ambientais e de predadores, em potencial, sobre a abundância dos girinos. O estudo foi realizado no Monumento Natural Grota do Angico, no período de Setembro de 2011 a Agosto de 2012. A coleta dos girinos e predadores foi realizada em forma de parcela em nove açudes da localidade. Os fatores bióticos e abióticos foram coletados mensalmente nos açudes que possuíam água. Foram coletados 2117 girinos e 710 predadores. A diversidade alfa foi semelhante entre as lagoas e a beta foi considerada relativamente baixa. A maioria dos girinos teve amplitude de nicho espacial elevada mostrando um uso generalista do espaço e, as sobreposições espacial e temporal demonstraram uma segregação entre as espécies no uso de micro-habitat e dos períodos de ocorrência. Nenhuma das espécies apresentou relação entre suas abundâncias e os fatores físico-químicos e estruturais dos açudes. A riqueza e abundância estiveram relacionadas a pluviosidade. Girinos e predadores diferiram quanto ao uso do micro-habitat e apenas três espécies apresentaram correlação positiva com os predadores. Os resultados obtidos foram em alguns aspectos semelhantes a outros estudos realizados no bioma Caatinga e em áreas secas do país. Evidenciou-se a importância dos açudes na manutenção das populações locais e a necessidade de preservação dos mesmos. Estudos na Caatinga ainda perfazem um desafio aos pesquisadores, principalmente a cerca da anurofauna do Bioma, e estudos devem ser incentivados, tanto para que se possa conhecer mais sobre a biologia larval dessas espécies quanto para que se possa obter melhores estratégias de conservação para o grupo.

Many polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are toxic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic. As a result, their effects on aquatic biota and ecosystems are of great concern. Research on PACs in aquatic biota often overlooks the role of amphibians, alkylated PACs, and sediment as an uptake route. In order to study the accumulation and toxicokinetics of PACs following sediment and aqueous exposure, and to compare the bioaccumulation potentials of parent and alkyl PACs, two accumulation-elimination experiments using wood frog tadpoles (Lithobates sylvaticus) of Gosner stage 28-32 were conducted (one evaluating exposure to contaminated sediment and water, and the other to contaminated water alone). A complementary field study was then conducted near Fort McMurray, Alberta to assess PAC body burdens in field-collected amphibian larvae, and to determine whether PAC body burdens are related to exposure to sediment and/or water in the field. The results of our studies showed that PAC concentrations and uptake rates in wood frog tadpoles were highest when they were exposed to PAC-contaminated sediment. Consequently, we determined that the dominant route of exposure of wood frog tadpoles to PACs is sediment rather than water. This finding supports other studies that have shown dietary uptake to be an important route of PAC exposure in other aquatic organisms. In both the laboratory and field study, alkyl PAC concentrations exceeded those of parent PACs in wood frog tadpoles, which also demonstrated petrogenic PAC profiles. Interestingly, parent PACs seemed to have greater bioaccumulation potential than alkyl PACs in the laboratory-exposed wood frog tadpoles (in relation to sediment), possibly due to greater bioavailability or lower metabolism of parent PACs or alternatively, due to a saturation in uptake of alkyl PACs. Nevertheless, only a few compounds, including anthracene, fluoranthene, retene, and C1-benzofluoranthenes/benzopyrenes, were found to have higher bioaccumulation potentials. Lithobates sylvaticus tadpoles seemed to be efficient at eliminating and metabolizing both parent and alkyl PACs. However, the elimination of some compounds, such as C4-naphthalenes, was not as efficient. Furthermore, C3-fluorenes and C2-dibenzothiophenes were isolated as potential markers of amphibian larvae exposure to PAC-contaminated sediment due to their positive correlation with the wetland sediment concentrations. Additional field collections in the Athabasca oil sands are warranted to verify the utility of these markers in the natural environment. Evidently, this thesis highlights the importance of including sediment exposure and alkylated PACs in toxicological and field studies of benthic and epibenthic organisms. The results of this study are the largest, most comprehensive set of toxicokinetic and bioaccumulation information of PACs (52 analytes) in the amphibian larvae Lithobates sylvaticus obtained to date.