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Micro-habitat distribution drives patch quality for sub-tropical rocky plateau amphibians in the northern Western Ghats, India

Thorpe, Christopher J.; Lewis, Todd R.; Kulkarni, Siddharth; Watve, Aparna; Gaitonde, Nikhil; Pryce, David; Davies, Lewis; Bilton, David T.; Knight, Mairi E.

Micro-habitat distribution drives patch quality for sub-tropical rocky plateau amphibians in the northern Western Ghats, India Thumbnail


Authors

Christopher J. Thorpe

Todd Lewis Todd.Lewis@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Lecturer in Ecology and Environmental Technology

Siddharth Kulkarni

Aparna Watve

Nikhil Gaitonde

David Pryce

Lewis Davies

David T. Bilton

Mairi E. Knight



Contributors

Judi Hewitt
Editor

Abstract

The importance of patch quality for amphibians is frequently overlooked in distribution models. Here we demonstrate that it is highly important for the persistence of endemic and endangered amphibians found in the threatened and fragile ecosystems that are the rocky plateaus in Western Maharashtra, India. These plateaus are ferricretes of laterite and characterise the northern section of the Western Ghats/Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot, the eighth most important global hotspot and one of the three most threatened by population growth. We present statistically supported habitat associations for endangered and data-deficient Indian amphibians, demonstrating significant relationships between individual species and their microhabitats. Data were collected during early monsoon across two seasons. Twenty-one amphibian taxa were identified from 14 lateritic plateaus between 67 and 1179m above sea level. Twelve of the study taxa had significant associations with microhabitats using a stepwise analysis of the AICc subroutine (distLM, Primer-e, v7). Generalist taxa were associated with increased numbers of microhabitat types. Non-significant associations are reported for the remaining 9 taxa. Microhabitat distribution was spatially structured and driven by climate and human activity. Woody plants were associated with 44% of high-elevation taxa. Of the 8 low-elevation taxa 63% related to water bodies and 60% of those were associated with pools. Rock size and abundance were important for 33% of high elevation specialists. Three of the 4 caecilians were associated with rocks in addition to soil and stream presence. We conclude the plateaus are individualistic patches whose habitat quality is defined by their microhabitats within climatic zones.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Mar 9, 2018
Online Publication Date Mar 26, 2018
Publication Date Mar 26, 2018
Deposit Date Jul 26, 2021
Publicly Available Date Aug 5, 2021
Journal PLoS ONE
Electronic ISSN 1932-6203
Publisher Public Library of Science
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 13
Issue 3
Article Number e0194810
DOI https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194810
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/7581363
Publisher URL https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0194810

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