Weather data
A large number of automatic weather stations has been implemented in the frame of the BIOTA AFRICA project by the Namibian National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and the Group "Biodiversity, Evolution and Ecology" (BEE) of the University of Hamburg. The website offers hourly updates of data and graphs of a large number of weather parameters.


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Subproject W08

Dr. Mark Oliver Rödel1,2, Joachim Kosuch1, Prof. Dr K. Eduard Linsenmair2 & PD Dr Michael Veith1,
1Global Amphibian Declines Analysis Group (GADAG), Institut de Zoologie; Département d'Ecologie, Université de Mainz, Saarstrasse 21, D-55099 Mainz, Allemagne,
2Biocentre of the University, Département d'Ecologie Animale et de Biologie Tropicale, Zoology III,Am Hubland, D-97074 Würzburg, Allemagne

Measuring and monitoring Amphibian diversity in West Africa: separating global from regional and local causes

Introduction
Since more than a decade a world wide amphibian decline seems to affect even populations in pristine habitats. Whether amphibian decline is really a global phenomenon is subject of an ongoing debate. Several causes seem to be responsible for amphibian decline in pristine habitats: climatic change, increased UV-B radiation, or infectious fungi. However, a standardised global monitoring of comparable species in similar habitats is still lacking. Data on amphibian decline in Africa are totally lacking.

In the course of this project we will measure and monitor the diversity of amphibian communities in different regions and habitats in the Ivory Coast, West Africa. It is implemented in the monitoring program of the Global Amphibian Diversity Analysis Group (GADAG) that measures and monitors the diversity of equatorial tropical amphibian communities in W-Africa, E-Africa, SE-Asia, S-America, and Madagascar). Only this circum-equatorial long-term monitoring scheme will allow for the separation of global, regional, and local effects on diversity change. Our standardised monitoring scheme includes demographic as well as genetic population parameters.

BIOTA-W08 aims to measure the diversity of current amphibian communities in different parts of the Ivory Coast (Fig. 1) as the baseline for a further monitoring. It covers the


•  inventory of local amphibian communities (random samples and standardized long-term transect data);
•  measuring of climatic parameters (in co-operation with W02);
•  detection of cryptic variation;
•  ecological characterisation of species;
•  selection of suitable species and populations for a long-term monitoring;
•  measuring and monitoring amphibian diversity along climatic gradients and gradients of land use (geographical transects; analysis of the interference of local and anthropogenic factors).

W08 is implemented in BIOTA-West. This results in an optimal selection of methodological standards. Synergies will emerge through the establishment and use of communally biodiversity observatories and comparative data analysis, allowing insight in functional aspects of community ecology.

All data on amphibian diversity are made available for conservation purpose (e.g. planning conservation acts and managing national parks). In this context W08 will contribute to the preservation of wildlife resources in the Republic of Ivory Coast.


Actual projects and the research team:
Actual amphibian research projects in West Africa comprise:

•  Monitoring amphibian diversity in the Taï National Park (M.-O. Rödel & R. Ernst)
•  Monitoring amphibian diversity in the Comoé National Park (M.-O. Rödel)
•  Herpetological surveys in Ivorian National Parks (M.-O. Rödel, with the support of the Centre de Recherche en Ecologie, Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund for Nature, BirdLife International, Tropenbos, Centre Suisse de Recherche Scientifiques, Cooperation Francaice)
•  Leaf litter anuran communities in West African forests (R. Ernst & M.-O. Rödel)
•  Systematics and Taxonomy of West African Amphibians (M.-O. Rödel, J. Kosuch & R. Ernst)
•  Ecology of a tree-hole-breeding frog, Phrynobatrachus guineensis (V. Rudolff, K.E. Linsenmair & M.-O. Rödel)
•  Larval ecology of Kassina lamottei (P.J. Adeba & M.-O. Rödel)
•  Biology and Ecology of Phrynobatrachus alticola (N.G. Kouame & M.-O. Rödel)
•  Isolated anuran communities on inselbergs in Tai National Park (M. Wegmann, K.E. Linsenmair & M.-O. Rödel)
•  Herpetological survey in the Ghana-Togo Highlands (M.-O. Rödel, funded by Conservation International and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund CEPF)

External partners of cooperation: Our counterpart in Ivory Coast is the Centre de Recherche en Ecologie, Abidjan (Dr. J. Tondoh).