Impacts of Habitat Conversion on the Leaf Litter Anuran Community of Varagaliar, Western Ghats

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dc.contributor.authorSaravanakumar, S.U.
dc.contributor.authorChellam, Ravi
dc.date.accessioned2025-01-14T11:15:40Z
dc.date.issued1995
dc.description.sponsorshipEvergreen forests and teak plantations were sampled to determine the richness and abundance of anurans in the Anamalai hills of the Western Ghats. Anurans were sampled by plots laid along water sources and at fixed intervals of distance away from water sources. All relevant enviro nutrient variables were measured for each plot. A total of 17 species of amphibians were recorded in the study area, 6 species were recorded only in evergreen forests and 3 species were recorded only in teak plantations. Of the 8 species found in both vegetation types, only Philautus variabilis and Rana beddomii were seen in all areas of the teak plantations. Rana keralensis and Rana temporalis were restricted in distribution to the mosaics of natural vegetation found along the streams and the Varagaliar river in teak plantations. The other 4 species were poorly represented in the samples to draw conclusions. Most amphibians were found at a distance of 0 - 5 m from the water sources. Evergreen forests were found to have a higher canopy cover and shrub cover. Air temperature, soil temperature and relative humidity were similar in both vegetation types in winter but temperatures were higher and humidity lower in teak plantations in summer. Seventy percent and more of the floor of evergreen forests was covered by leaf litter whereas the floor of teak plantations was dominated by leaf litter and grass. Canonical Correspondence analysis showed that canopy cover, soil moisture and soil temperature were the most important factors determining the distribution of amphibians. The species separated out into high canopy cover selecting and low canopy cover selecting groups. The high canopy cover selecting species were specialists of evergreen forests and generalist species found in evergreen forests and only in the mosaic of remnant natural vegetation in teak plantations. The low canopy cover selecting species were specialists of teak and a generalist that was predominantly found in teak.
dc.identifier.urihttp://192.168.202.180:4000/handle/123456789/111
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
dc.subjectAmphibians
dc.subjectHabitat conversion
dc.subjectImpact
dc.subjectLeaf litter
dc.subjectAnuran community
dc.subjectVaragaliar
dc.subjectWestern Ghats
dc.titleImpacts of Habitat Conversion on the Leaf Litter Anuran Community of Varagaliar, Western Ghats
dc.typeThesis

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