Species turnover: the case of stream amphibians of rainforests in the Western Ghats, southern India |
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Authors: | Karthikeyan Vasudevan Ajith Kumar Ravi Chellam |
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Institution: | (1) Wildlife Institute of India, P.O. Box 18, Dehra Dun, 248-001, India;(2) Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, Anaikatti, Coimbatore, 641-108, India;(3) Present address: Wildlife Conservation Society - India Program, Centre for Wildlife Studies, # 823,13th Cross, Block VII, Bangalore, 560 082, India |
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Abstract: | We examined species turnover in stream amphibians in rainforest in two hill ranges (Ashambu and Anamalai Hills) in the Western
Ghats in south India. In each hill range, six stream segments (100 m in length) belonging to three drainage or rivers were
surveyed three to four times in three seasons over 1 year. Species turnover (using 1-Sorenson's index) was estimated between
all possible pairs of sites at three spatial scales – within drainage, between drainage and between hill ranges. Similar matrices
were also developed for altitudinal difference and geographic distance between sites. A total of 30 species in four families
were recorded from 3681 individuals. The hill ranges differed significantly in the composition of the stream community at
both the species and family levels. Within the hill range, species turnover was correlated with altitudinal difference and
not with geographic distance. Anamalai Hills had a greater species turnover than Ashambu Hills, both within and between drainage.
There was also a high turnover between these two hill ranges, with only two shared species. This turnover explains the fact
that only 30–40 species have been reported from different hill ranges, although regional diversity is high with about 130
species. The turnover also predicts that several undetected species should occur in hill ranges and drainage that have not
been surveyed. The conservation model for mammals and birds, consisting of a few large protected areas, may not adequately
address the conservation requirements of amphibians. Protection of rainforest frogs may require many protected areas in different
drainages. |
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Keywords: | Abundance Anurans Beta diversity Conservation Species richness |
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