Conserving amphibian diversity: a species inventory and gene flow studies in fragmented montane forest, Mambilla Plateau, Nigeria
| dc.contributor.author | Arroyo Lambaer, Denise | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-09-11T00:54:19Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2015 | en |
| dc.description.abstract | Nigeria is the most densely populated country in Africa and one of the most advanced economically in terms of both industry and soil and landscape utilization. This country is projected to have one of the largest urban growth rates by 2050. Thus, the demands of the rapidly increasing human population and its material consumption represent a severe threat to biodiversity. Nigeria has the highest deforestation rate of natural forest in the world, its original vegetation has largely been replaced by farming activities, urban development and other products of human activities. The principal causes of the decline and loss of biodiversity in Nigeria include human exploitation of natural resources, fragmentation of habitats and populations, conversion of wild areas to agriculture and other intensive human use and alterations in the structure and function of ecosystems. Amphibians are the vertebrate group with the highest number of species threatened with extinction and habitat loss and fragmentation are considered to be among the leading causes of their declines and extinctions. It has been recognized that one of the most severe problems in conservation biology is the scarcity of baseline data. Such lack prevents evaluation of the effect of the expanding anthropogenic impact and determination of potential population declines. The mountains of eastern Nigeria, within Taraba State, are regionally important in terms of biodiversity and endemism, however, its herpetofaunal diversity has received little attention. Moreover, no studies have investigated how habitat loss and fragmentation may affect dispersal and gene flow among small and isolated amphibian populations, and in the absence of such studies attempts at amphibian conservation are compromised. The aims of this project were threefold. Firstly, a comprehensive inventory of the amphibians and reptiles of Ngel Nyaki and Kurmin Danko Reserve on the Mambilla Plateau was compiled. The outcome, an annotated list of 21 amphibians and 11 reptiles, represent the most thorough inventory to date of the herpetofauna on the Mambilla Plateau. Based on this inventory four key anuran species were selected to conduct a population genetics study. Secondly, molecular tools specifically AFLP markers were developed and used to analyze the genetic population structures of the four frog species Cardioglossa schioetzi, Leptodactylodon bicolor, Astylosternus sp. 1 and Astylosternus sp. 2. differing in geographic distribution and life history traits within the study area. Thirdly, these species were assessed to understand dispersal and connectivity among fragmented and continuous populations on the Ngel Nyaki and Kurmin Danko Reserve. Genetic differentiation among the forest and the riparian fragment populations was observed for three of the target species, however, no significant genetic differentiation was detected among the populations located in continuous forest for any of the four frog species. In addition, geographic and genetic distances were not correlated significantly for any of the four target species, suggesting no isolation by distance at this fine geographic scale. Results from both the inventory and the genetic population structure study revealed that the riparian forest fragments are of utmost importance for the persistence and migration of Cardioglossa schioetzi, and potentially for many other amphibian species. The new scientific findings are now part of the valuable baseline data on the diversity and genetic population structure of amphibian species in Ngel Nyaki and Kurmin Danko Forest Reserve. These results will better inform conservation managers who need to make decisions around management of montane habitat for amphibian species. | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10092/10867 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://dx.doi.org/10.26021/7460 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of Canterbury. School of Biological Sciences | en |
| dc.relation.isreferencedby | NZCU | en |
| dc.rights | Copyright Denise Arroyo Lambaer | en |
| dc.rights.uri | https://canterbury.libguides.com/rights/theses | en |
| dc.subject | Amphibians | en |
| dc.subject | inventory | en |
| dc.subject | conservation | en |
| dc.subject | gene flow | en |
| dc.subject | habitat fragmentation | en |
| dc.subject | montane forest | en |
| dc.subject | Nigeria | en |
| dc.title | Conserving amphibian diversity: a species inventory and gene flow studies in fragmented montane forest, Mambilla Plateau, Nigeria | en |
| dc.type | Theses / Dissertations | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Ecology | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Canterbury | en |
| thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | en |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy | en |
| uc.bibnumber | 2124058 | |
| uc.college | Faculty of Science | en |
| uc.embargo | 24 | en |