ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS OF ANURAN DIVERSITY IN AN URBAN LAKE
Keywords:
Amphibian ecology, Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA),, Physicochemical parameters, Urban freshwater ecosystems, Wetland conservationAbstract
Urban freshwater ecosystems are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic activities that alter habitat quality and environmental conditions, with important implications for amphibian communities. This study assessed the influence of habitat characteristics and physicochemical variables on the diversity and distribution of anurans at Jabi Lake, Abuja, Nigeria. A total of 257 anurans were investigated, and findings revealed four anuran families: Bufonidae, Pipidae, Dicroglossidae, and Ranidae, comprising five species across four genera namely: Sclerophrys regularis, Xenopus fischbergi, Xenopus tropicalis, Hoplobatrachus occipitalis, and Amnirana galamensis. Anuran species richness and evenness were notably higher during the wet season, with biodiversity indices peaking in the rainy months. Simpson’s index showed the least probability in August (0.2049) with an exponential increase of 0.5062 and 0.5556 in January and February. It was observed that Shannon-H of 0 in March and May (Dry season) indicate no evenness among the species during those months. However, this increased subsequently in the rainy season with the highest (1.597) observed in August. The CCA revealed that dissolved oxygen, water temperature, pH, and turbidity were the principal environmental variables influencing anuran distribution. Xenopus fischbergi and Amnirana galamensis were strongly associated with habitats characterized by elevated dissolved oxygen, lower pH, and cooler water, indicating relatively narrow ecological requirements. In contrast, Sclerophrys regularis exhibited greater tolerance to elevated temperature, higher pH, and moderate turbidity, reflecting considerable ecological plasticity and persistence under dry-season conditions. Hoplobatrachus occipitalis and Xenopus tropicalis showed comparatively weak associations with the measured physicochemical variables, suggesting broader ecological tolerances and responses to multiple interacting habitat factors.
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