ECOLOGICAL GUILDS OF ANURAN SPECIES FROM DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEM TYPES IN MALAYSIA, BORNEO (SARAWAK)

Abstract

An ecological guild (ecological species concept) refers to species with similar ecological requirements adapted to a particular set of resources, called a niche, in the environment. Deforestation by severe clear cutting that leads to fragmentation of frogs’ distribution, as well as overhunting for local usage, are the greatest threats to the animals, especially in Borneo. Comprehensive studies on frogs’ ecological requirements are very much needed for a sustainable future. Hence, this study aims to document frog species compositions and determine the ecological guilds of frog species via nonmetric multidimensional scaling. A total of 44 species from the families of Ranidae, Dicroglossidae, Rhacophoridae, Bufonidae, Megophryidae and Microhylidae were obtained. The ecological guilds of anuran species were clustered into a few significant groups, consisting of (i) ground-dwelling frogs of disturbed areas, (ii) arboreal frogs of disturbed areas, (iii) semi-arboreal (seedlings) frogs of disturbed areas, (iv) grounddwelling frogs of forest areas, (v) arboreal frogs of forest areas and (vi) semi-arboreal (rock dwellers) frogs of forest areas. The findings suggest that diversity and distribution of frog species were influenced by the environment and selection of microhabitats. Frogs that share the same ecological requirements tend to co-exist. This study can provide insights into frog species documentation in a specific ecosystem, which is crucial for sustainability and conservation purposes