Habitat Relationships of the Herpetofauna of Remnant Buloke Woodlands of the Wimmera Plains, Victoria.

1996 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 363 ◽  
Author(s):  
SA Hadden ◽  
ME Westbrooke
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Site Characteristics ◽  
Reptile Species

Twelve remnants of woodland dominated by buloke (Allocasuarina leuhmannii [A. luehmannii]) in the Wimmera Plains of Victoria, Australia, were investigated to evaluate the habitat relationships of the herpetofauna. Reptiles and amphibians were assessed by pitfall trapping, systematic searching and recording of frog vocalisations. Site characteristics that are likely to affect the species richness of herpetofauna in buloke remnants were determined. Nine reptile and 4 amphibian species were recorded from 6048 trap-nights and 216 h of systematic searching. A significant relationship was found between the herpetofaunal and reptile species richness and the level of past grazing pressure and vegetation understorey structure. No correlation was found between herpetofaunal species richness and the area of the remnant. Species richness of amphibians was best predicted by soil type. Habitat features associated with each species are presented. Implications for the management of remnant buloke woodlands and their herpetofauna are discussed and recommendations made.

scholarly journals Amphibians and reptiles from the Parque Nacional da Tijuca, Brazil, one of the world’s largest urban forests

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thiago Arnt Dorigo ◽  
Carla Costa Siqueira ◽  
Jane C. F. Oliveira ◽  
Luciana Ardenghi Fusinatto ◽  
Manuela Santos-Pereira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Reptile Species ◽  
Janeiro State

Abstract: The Parque Nacional da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is considered to be one of the world’s largest urban forests, however no systematic inventory of its herpetofauna is available. In the present study, we surveyed the amphibians and reptiles of this park to assess its species composition (including secondary data) and obtain estimates of species richness and abundance. We conducted active searches (460 hours) between January 2013 and December 2015. We identified the taxa endemic to either the Atlantic Forest or Rio de Janeiro state, and verified the conservation status of each species in the international, Brazilian, and state red lists. We also estimated the species richness and sampling sufficiency by rarefaction curves and Bootstrap richness estimator, and analyzed the distribution of the species abundance in Whittaker plots. We recorded 3,288 individuals over 36 months, representing 24 species of amphibians and 25 reptiles. The cumulative species curves, rarefaction, and the richness estimated indicated that sampling effort was adequate. Species abundance adjusted to the log-series model in both amphibians and reptiles. The four most abundant amphibians represented 70% of the individuals recorded in this group, while the two most abundant reptiles represented 60% of the total individuals. The inclusion of the secondary data raised the number of amphibian species to 38, and the number of reptiles to 36. Approximately 80% of the amphibian species and 28% of the reptile species recorded are endemic to the Atlantic Forest, and six of the amphibian species are endemic to Rio de Janeiro state. Six amphibian species and one reptile species are classified under some threat of extinction, and two reptile species were exotic. The considerable diversity of the herpetofauna of the Parque Nacional da Tijuca, which includes endemic and threatened species, reflects the effectiveness of the reforestation of this protected area and emphasizes the importance of its conservation.

scholarly journals Short-term response to season of burn by amphibians and reptiles in a Florida longleaf pine – wiregrass sandhill

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 1580-1589
Author(s):  
Cathryn H. Greenberg ◽  
Stanley J. Zarnoch ◽  
James D. Austin
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Longleaf Pine ◽  
Pinus Palustris ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Reptile Species ◽  
Dormant Season ◽  
Season Of Burn ◽  
Scincella Lateralis ◽  
Term Response

We investigated how herpetofauna respond to burning and burn season in longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) sandhills by contrasting preburn species richness, diversity, and evenness and captures of six reptile and six amphibian species to the first (Y+1) or second (Y+2) year after burn or between dormant-season burns (DSB) and growing-season burns (GSB). Responses to burning overall or burn season were inconsistent among species; several showed no response, whereas others responded positively or negatively. Most responses were evident only in Y+1. Reptile species richness, diversity, and evenness responses were not detected. Amphibian richness increased after burning overall; diversity and evenness decreased more in GSB than in DSB in Y+1. Southern toad (Anaxyrus terrestris (Bonnaterre, 1789)) captures increased and Florida crowned snake (Tantilla relicta Telford, 1966) captures decreased following burns overall in Y+1. Ground skink (Scincella lateralis (Say in James, 1823)) captures increased more in DSB than GSB in Y+1. Florida gopher frog (Lithobates capito (LeConte, 1855)) and southeastern five-lined skink (Plestiodon inexpectatus; Taylor, 1932) captures increased, and oak toad (Anaxyrus quercicus (Holbrook, 1840)) decreased more in GSB than DSB in Y+2. Responses were likely due to changes in aboveground activity affecting captures or (for amphibians especially) annual variability in captures unrelated to burns. Our results indicated that reptiles and amphibians of sandhills are resilient to short-term effects of burning overall and burn season.

scholarly journals Herpetofaunal diversity and community structure in the Murchison Falls - Albert Delta Ramsar site, Uganda

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Luiselli ◽  
Mathias Behangana ◽  
Raymond Katumba ◽  
David Ochanda ◽  
Stephen Kigoolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Nile Delta ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Ramsar Site ◽  
Pitfall Trapping ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Species Of Conservation Concern ◽  
Reptile Species ◽  
Conservation Concern

1. The area of the Murchison Falls-Albert Delta is among the most important for conservation in East Africa dueto the high species richness, and the presence of several endemic species of conservation concern.2. Here, we report a study on the diversity patterns and community structure of the herpetofauna of this area.3. Field studies were conducted in the Albert Nile Delta Ramsar site between 1st October 2017 and 9th September2018. The data collection relied on Visual Encounter Surveys (VES), pitfall trapping, and dip netting. Descriptive statistics, i.e. species numbers in each transect were used as a measure of the present biodiversity, whereasChao1 and Chao species estimator algorithms were used to predict the potential number of species found ineach site/habitat.4. A total of 898 individuals representing 25 reptile species belonging to four orders, 15 families, and 20 generawere recorded during the 12 months of surveys.5. The data shows some non-random spatial and temporal patterns whereby there is a cyclic reptilian diversitypeaking during the December-March and again towards June-August-September which are peaks of the dryseason.6. The most frequently encountered species were Varanus niloticus, Crocodylus niloticus, Agama agama, Trachylepis maculilabris, and Lygodactylus guttularis, which accounted for almost 90% of all recorded individuals.7. A total of 27 amphibian species, belonging to nine families and 10 genera were recorded during the periodof the survey. The diversity and abundance graphs would indicate amphibians having bimodal peaks (September-December, and March-May). The diversity seemed to dip during the dry season months – which is theopposite case for reptiles.

Relationships among Isolated Wetland Size, Hydroperiod, and Amphibian Species Richness: Implications for Wetland Regulations

2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 414-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel W. Snodgrass ◽  
Mark J. Komoroski ◽  
A. Lawrence Bryan ◽  
Joanna Burger
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Isolated Wetland

Amphibian species richness and endemism in tropical montane cloud forests across the Neotropics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Tobar-Suárez ◽  
Nicolás Urbina-Cardona ◽  
Fabricio Villalobos ◽  
Eduardo Pineda
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Cloud Forests ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Tropical Montane Cloud Forests

Environmental determinants of amphibian and reptile species richness in China

Ecography ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 471-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Qian ◽  
Xihua Wang ◽  
Silong Wang ◽  
Yuanliang Li
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Determinants ◽  
Reptile Species

scholarly journals Habitat, food, and small mammal community structure in Namaqualand

Koedoe ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Van Deventer ◽  
J.A.J. Nel
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Shrub Cover ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Habitat Differences ◽  
Elephant Shrew ◽  
Density And Biomass

The effect of habitat differences and food availability on small mammal (rodent and elephant shrew) species richness, diversity, density and biomass was investigated in Namaqualand, South Africa. Species richness in the three habitats sampled, namely Upland Succulent Karoo, Dry Riverine Shrub and North-western Mountain Renosterveld was low, with only 2–4 species per habitat. Rodents trapped were predominantly Gerbillurus paeba and Aethomys namaquensis, with fewer Mus minutoides and Petromyscus sp. The only non-rodent was the elephant shrew Elephantulus edwardii. Ten habitat features, the percentage of total plant cover, tree cover, shrub cover, grass cover, plant litter, total basal cover, sand, gravel or rock cover, and the dominant plant height were recorded at 30 randomly chosen points on five sampling grids in each habitat. Small mammal density and biomass was significantly correlated with food availability (green foliage cover, seeds, and relative density and biomass of insects). Species richness and diversity of small mammals were significantly correlated with shrub cover. Numbers and biomass of specific species correlated significantly with different habitat features in each case.

Adjacent land-use affects amphibian community composition and species richness in managed forests in New Brunswick, Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (8) ◽  
pp. 1687-1697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Jacobs ◽  
Jeff E. Houlahan
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
New Brunswick ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Road Density ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Precommercial Thinning ◽  
Amphibian Community ◽  
Land Use Effects

Here, we examine the effects of adjacent land use in a managed forest on pond-breeding amphibian species richness and community composition at 34 New Brunswick, Canada, ponds. Amphibian species richness was negatively correlated with the proportion of roads, precommercial thinning, and hardwood forest and positively correlated with the proportion of wetlands in adjacent lands. These land-use effects peak at 180 m from the ponds. Road density was negatively correlated with Lithobates catesbeiana and Lithobates septentrionalis presence. Precommercial thinning was negatively correlated with Ambystoma spp. presence and positively correlated with Anaxyrus americanus presence. Wetlands were positively correlated with L. septentrionalis and Notopthalamus viridescens presence. Correlations were also found between water table height and A. americanus, Lithobates palustris , and Ambystoma spp. presence. In addition, L. catesbeiana and N. viridescens presence–absence was positively correlated with the proportion of mature and overmature forest on the landscape (at scales of 500 and 1000 m, respectively). Lastly, the proportion of regenerating and sapling forest on the landscape was negatively correlated with L. palustris presence–absence but, by contrast, was positively correlated with A. americanus. These results suggest that the effects of adjacent land use may significantly impact amphibian populations in managed eastern Canadian forests.

scholarly journals Effects of reindeer grazing and recovery after cessation of grazing on the ground-dwelling spider assemblage in Finnish Lapland

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7330
Author(s):  
Teemu Saikkonen ◽  
Varpu Vahtera ◽  
Seppo Koponen ◽  
Otso Suominen
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Total Abundance ◽  
Finnish Lapland ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Impact

The effect of reindeer Rangifer tarandus L. grazing on the ground-dwelling spider assemblage in Northern Finland was studied. Changes in species richness, abundance and evenness of spider assemblages were analyzed in relation to changes in vegetation and environmental factors in long term grazed and ungrazed sites as well as sites that had recently switched from grazed to ungrazed and vice versa. Grazing was found to have a significant impact on height and biomass of lichens and other ground vegetation. However, it seemed not to have an impact on the total abundance of spiders. This is likely caused by opposing family and species level responses of spiders to the grazing regime. Lycosid numbers were highest in grazed and linyphiid numbers in ungrazed areas. Lycosidae species richness was highest in ungrazed areas whereas Linyphiidae richness showed no response to grazing. Four Linyphiidae, one Thomisidae and one Lycosidae species showed strong preference for specific treatments. Sites that had recovered from grazing for nine years and the sites that were grazed for the last nine years but were previously ungrazed resembled the long term grazed sites. The results emphasize the importance of reindeer as a modifier of boreal forest ecosystems but the impact of reindeer grazing on spiders seems to be family and species specific. The sites with reversed grazing treatment demonstrate that recovery from strong grazing pressure at these high latitudes is a slow process whereas reindeer can rapidly change the conditions in previously ungrazed sites similar to long term heavily grazed conditions.

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