Addressing the Wallacean Shortfall for small vertebrates in the Western Ghats

across space

S.P.VijayakumarCentre for Ecological Sciences,Indian Institute of Science (IISc),Bangalore

Why this project?

• PROBLEM: Wallacean Shortfall

For majority of the known taxa there is inadequate data on their geographical distribution (global, regional and local) and is plagued with huge gaps.

Data crucial for Conservation assessment (IUCN)Reserve design

“to create a comprehensive distributional database for amphibians (frogs) and reptiles (lizards and snakes) through primary field surveys and distribution modeling”

(Small mammals, nocturnal birds, invertebrates)

Strategic Direction from Ecosystem Profile

• Strategic direction No 2:

Improve the conservation of globally threatened species through systematic conservation planning and action.

PROFILE DOC:

52 species of frogs globally threatened

Lizards and snakes: Status uncertain(Assessed recently. Results awaited!)

Why frogs, lizards and snakes of the Western Ghats?

- Many species known from single locality that are based on historic records.

- Presence of many potential new species.

Why frogs, lizards and snakes of the Western Ghats?

• Highest percentage of endemism among vertebrates :

– >80% of known species (known ~140 sp: frogs)

– (~ 85 lizards, ~100 snakes) 55 – 65% endemic

– 100% endemism (many local endemics) among many genera.

How are we addressing the problem? “Wallacean Shortfall”

Project design

PHASE I

(2010 – 2011 MAR)

PHASE II

(2011 -2012 JUN)

PHASE III a & b

(2012 – SEP 2012) +

(OCT 2012 - MAR 2013)

FIELD FIELD + DATABASE FIELD + DATABASE

1. ATLAS (Frogs, Lizards and Snakes)

Distribution modeling

2. IFA, ILA and ISA

3. Online database

4. Field manuals

OUTPUT

Our sampling strategy

• Large scale Survey – GRID BASED

– Dry Forest, Wet Evergreen Forests and Montane Shola Forests and Grasslands in each hill range

– Within and Outside PA’s

– Day and night-time sampling (call recordings -during monsoon)

– Lab work for spatial analyses.

RISKS AND PROBLEMS: Data collection at times is dictated by other factors such as elephants and logistics! Surveying remote areas effort and time intensive.

WET EVERGREEN

DRY FORESTS

MONTANE SHOLA –GRASSLAND

TYPES OF DATA

- Geographic coordinates (point data)

Crossed thousand (>1000 Phase 1)

- Locating populations (Agamids, Gekkonids, Microhylids, Bufonids, Rhacophorids, Vine snakes, Pit Vipers etc. )

- Species Images

- - Species calls (Most for the first time)

- Habitat and relative abundance (VES based, mainly for lizards)

- Museum and online database

An equally important problem!

PROBLEM 2:

Linnean shortfall

Refers to the presence of a large number of new species in the tropics and also the poor knowledge of taxonomy of many of the known species

Sister problem! “Linnean shortfall”

1. GENES ????

2. CALLS

Expected outputs• Species distribution maps – survey

based and model based (Atlas)

• Maps of important frogs, lizards and snake areas

• Voucher specimens archived in the CES museum. Importanct source for future researchers.

• Visual and Audio based field manuals

for stake holders

• Dynamic online species distribution

database – with an option for regular updates with stake holder participation.

Project teamPROJECT Director:Dr. Kartik Shanker (IISc)

PROJECT researchers: Saunak Pal (Lizards and Snakes)Mrugank Prabhu (Frogs)Ashok Kumar Mallick (Snakes)Varun Torsekar (Frogs)Anirudh D. Roy (Lizards – Skinks)Ishan Agarwal (Lizards – Geckoes)S.P. Vijayakumar (Tree Frogs)Mayavan (Field Assistance)

PROJECT consultants and collaborators:

Sanjay Molur (ZOO/WILD) Dr. SD Biju (Univ. of Delhi)

Romulus Whittaker (Snakes)Ashok Captain (Snakes)Varad Giri (Northern WG &Lizards)Dr. Aaron Bauer (Lizards)Dr. Indraneil Das (Reptiles)Xavier (Canopy climbing)

POTENTIAL contributors:CENTRAL WESTERN GHATS :Gowri Shanker (Snakes) , Gururaja KV (Frogs) , SOUTHERN WESTERN GHATS:K Dinesh (Nyctibatrcahus – ZSI), Albert Rajendran (Uropletids and Reptiles), Bhupathy (Reptiles Nilgiris, HighWavies), NM Ishwar (Reptiles), Anil Zachriah (Vet) (Frogs Kerala), Nixon (Montane reptiles), Srinivas (High Wavies)

PROJECT SUPPORT

• CEPF

• INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE (IISc)

• ATREE

• Kerala Forest Department

• Karnataka Forest Department

• Tamil Nadu Forest Department

• Maharashtra Forest Department

• FIELD AND EXPEDITION Members

Thank you