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Amphibian abundance and diversity in Meru National Park, Kenya
Author(s) -
Victor Wasonga D.,
Bekele Afework,
Lötters Stefan,
Balakrishnan Mundanthra
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
african journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.499
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1365-2028
pISSN - 0141-6707
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2006.00677.x
Subject(s) - ecology , abundance (ecology) , national park , species evenness , grassland , diversity index , biology , habitat , acacia , species diversity , transect , geography , forestry , species richness
The diversity and abundance of amphibians were investigated in Meru National Park, Kenya, using transect sampling, drift‐fence and pitfall trapping and opportunistic collecting. A total of 430 individuals under seven genera ( Amietophrynus , Hemisus , Hyperolius , Phrynobatrachus , Phrynomantis , Ptychadena , Xenopus ) comprising eleven species were sampled in three different habitats (apart from this, two additional species are known from Meru National Park): Acacia ‐wooded grassland; Combretum ‐wooded grassland; Acacia – Commiphora bushland. The sex ratio for almost all species was balanced (chi‐square, χ 2 ; P > 0.5) and was not affected by habitat type (ANOVA: F = 8.3026, P = 0.6914). Shannon–Weaver Index (2.227) and Simpson's Index (8.244) were relatively high, and most of the eleven species sampled appeared to have a relatively even distribution (Shannon's Evenness Index, E = 0.927). However, Hemisus marmoratus and Phrynomantis bifasciatus were exclusively recorded in Acacia ‐wooded grassland and in low abundances. There was a positive linear relationship of body weight against snout–vent length for two randomly selected anurans ( Hyperolius glandicolor , Phrynobatrachus natalensis ) among all three vegetation communities.