The effect of local environmental variables on the helminth parasite communities of the pointedbelly frog Leptodactylus podicipinus from ponds in the Pantanal wetlands.

Understanding the patterns of species distribution and abundance has been at the core of ecology. In general, these patterns are determined by species dispersion as well as by abiotic and biotic environmental conditions. Similarly, host-parasite relations and the structure of parasite assemblages are also shaped by environmental conditions and landscape composition.