The BIOTA W08 project investigates amphibian diversity patterns along natural habitat and anthropogenic disturbance gradients, thus providing data of a group of organisms, known to be of especially high environmental sensitivity. These data will be used for direct comparisons of diversity changes in other organisms (BIOTA West) and in amphibians of other regions (BIOTA East) thus aiming to separate local from, regional and continental/global factors that cause diversity changes and erosion. In the BIOTA pre-phase we a) compiled data of local and regional amphibian community composition in West Africa, b) resolved taxonomic problems and analyzed cryptic species diversity, c) characterized West African frog species ecologically, d) selected suitable species and populations for a long term monitoring program, e) established a suitable monitoring routine, f) documented the current state of the demographic and genetic situation of selected species and g) started a long term monitoring program.

In the main phase we continue and intensify to compare amphibian communities in altered and pristine habitats (savannah and forest regions). The comparisons of these results with those obtained by other BIOTA West projects (i.e. W02, W04, W07, W09, W11); will allow to develop concepts for the conservation of organism diversity in general, including the establishment of habitat and dispersal models for critical endangered species. We will provide local conservationists with results and concepts that are directly applicable, e.g. for the control and evaluation of forest protection and management projects. On the basis of species-specific and habitat-specific assemblage models, we will be able to model and predict changes in amphibian diversity due to ongoing land use like logging and fragmentation as well as to long term climate changes. With the input of W01, W02, W04 and W09 our results will be applicable for forest management and the control of agricultural techniques in the savanna harea, i.e. use of insecticides, pesticides etc.