Comparison of amphibian diversity in areas under intensive versus subsistence agriculture in Uganda-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Comparison of amphibian diversity in areas under intensive versus subsistence agriculture in Uganda

Published:2023-08-25 Issue:3 Volume:73 Page:305-323
ISSN:1570-7555
Container-title:Animal Biology
language:
Short-container-title:Animal Biol.

Author:

Akoth Sisiria¹,Kityo Robert¹,Akite Perpetra¹,Behangana Mathias¹,Insingoma Joseph¹,Babyesiza Sadic Waswa¹,Sande Eric¹,Luiselli Luca²³⁴^ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062, Kampala, Uganda

2. Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, via G. Tomasi di Lampedusa 33, 00144 Rome, Italy

3. Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, P.M.B. 5080, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

4. Laboratoire d’Ecologie et d’Ecotoxicologie, Faculté des Sciences, https://dx.doi.org/108048Université de Lomé, Lomé, 00198, Togo

Abstract

Abstract Agricultural intensification has increasingly destroyed natural habitats, resulting in species declines. Insights into the effects of landscape structure on species’ diversity and distribution are needed to effectively conserve biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. The influence of land use practices on amphibian species diversity was investigated in areas of intensive and subsistence agriculture in Namulonge (Uganda, East Africa) using visual encounter surveys while environmental parameters were also recorded. A total of 19 amphibian species were recorded. Species richness varied minimally between intensive and subsistence agriculture plots. However, there was a significant variation in species’ abundance between the two land use areas and the species diversity was reduced in the intensive-agriculture area. The relationship between habitat characteristics and species distribution was statistically significant: in areas with relatively intact natural vegetation cover more species occurred. Such pockets of vegetation provide microhabitat conditions suitable for foraging, breeding and cover. Therefore, the abovementioned observation suggests that there is value at the landscape level to preserve natural/seminatural pockets of vegetation to enhance biodiversity in any agricultural environment.

Publisher

Brill

Subject

Animal Science and Zoology,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Link

https://brill.com/downloadpdf/journals/ab/73/3/article-p305_5.xml

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