Honors Thesis Archive
| Author | Claire Muia |
|---|---|
| Title | Analysis of Herpetofauna Diversity and Trends in Upland Northern Mississippi Hardwood Forest and Retired Farmland |
| Department | Biology |
| Advisor | Richard Phillips |
| Year | 2023 |
| Honors | University Honors |
| Full Text | View Thesis (764 KB) |
| Abstract | Species diversity has become of more importance to ecological community surveys and conservation efforts globally. Use of such methods of assessing species in target groups of particular concern, such as herpetofauna, have increased in frequency in recent decades, incorporating mathematical indices and measures in an attempt to analyze community composition as a trend over time. The goal of this study was to report herpetofauna species found in the region, their diversity, dominance and rarity, richness, and other measures throughout the four separate survey trips, showing trends over the periods of time in order to better inform the timing and methods of the survey in future years. Ex-situ data analysis of the detections over four years thus far have found 86 herpetofauna individuals across 26 distinct species. Reptilian species make up the larger portion of detections than amphibian, with a ratio of detections and relative abundance of 1.39:1, respectively. Dominant species across trip years included the southern two-lined salamander, the southern cricket frog, and the little brown skink. Dominant species across seasons included the Mississippi slimy salamander, southern cricket frog, and little brown skink. Highest herpetofauna abundance was found in 2018 and in the fall season, while highest species richness was detected in 2018 and in the spring season. Species evenness was maximized in 2019 and in the fall season. Shannon-Weiner and Simpson’s Diversity were both maximized in the 2018 and spring trips and lowest in the 2021 and fall trips overall. Diversity of amphibians in particular was maximized in 2022 and in fall, while diversity of reptiles in particular was maximized in 2018 and in spring season. Reptiles were detected at higher average substrate temperatures and similar air temperatures to amphibians. The highest and lowest temperatures at detection for amphibians were lower than those for reptiles when adjusting for the summer season anomaly found. Deviations from expectations formed from knowledge on herpetological distribution, ecology, and life history were found in herpetofauna abundance and diversity in particular seasons, while other measures of richness, abundance, and evenness met predictions. This survey thus far gave insight into the state of the herpetofauna community in the study region, creating a baseline for comparison in continuation of the study. The value of this extended study thus far will prove critical in moving forward in herpetofauna conservation, particularly with attention to bias and improvements to methods found in the past four years. |
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