Diversification of Pulchrana baramica, Boettger, 1900 (Amphibia: Ranidae) Lineages as Ecosystem Health Indicators

NUR HIDAYAH, ZULKEFLI (2024) Diversification of Pulchrana baramica, Boettger, 1900 (Amphibia: Ranidae) Lineages as Ecosystem Health Indicators. Masters thesis, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

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Abstract

Amphibian threats and extinctions are well documented on a global level, with approximately 32% of their species currently facing extinction. Borneo has more than 180 species of anurans, and 70% of the species are endemics in Borneo. The divergence of mitochondrial DNA indicates greater evolutionary independence among tropical anuran groups, and frog populations from forests or topographically diverse regions are experiencing evolution. Amphibians are more vulnerable to external environmental changes because of the modification of lands caused by the conversion of forests to agricultural land, which causes the loss of the original habitats for frogs. Moreover, frogs are good indicators, as they can live in arboreal and terrestrial conditions. Pulchrana baramica (Boettger, 1900) was chosen as a study model because this species is widely distributed in lowland areas of Sarawak. This study focuses on inland and coastal peat swamp forests, any disturbed area, as well as its adjacent areas of mixed-dipterocarp forests (MDF), to assess the P. baramica microhabitat utilisation data, environmental stressor parameters such as heavy metal properties, and genetic diversity through Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I and Cytochrome B molecular markers. Several locations in western Sarawak were chosen as potentially suitable habitats for P. baramica. The selected localities contain a variety of habitats, including both protected and unprotected areas, namely, Tanjung Datu National Park, Libiki Bamboo Resort, Maludam National Park, Mount Singai, Bako National Park, Kota Samarahan (UNIMAS), and Kanowit. Based on the analysis of microhabitat utilisations through a non-metric multidimensional scaling approach, the ecological guild of P. baramica were clustered into a few significant guilds: i) kerangas forest, ii) peat swamp, iii) plantation, iv) riverine forest, v) agriculture, vi) disturbed area, and vii) edge MDF. Meanwhile, environmental stressors included six water quality parameters, and six heavy metal elements such as cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) were sampled from soil and water samples from each sampling site. The average mean concentration of heavy metals in soil and water generally followed the decreasing order: i) soil: Fe > Pb > Mn > Cu > Cd > Ni, and ii) water: Fe > Mn > Pb > Cu > Cd > Ni. The phylogenetic relationships among 11 populations of P. baramica through phylogenetic tree construction were clearly described into two major categories of P. baramica populations, which were inland peat swamps and coastal peat swamps. Based on population genetic analyses, 26 meaningful haplotypes were defined, and high and low genetic diversity were determined in all populations. Overall, since this study only focused on the Sarawak region, more intensive and prolonged effort is needed to maintain the environment for the sustainability of P. baramica populations because more forest lands were converted into commercial areas.

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