Disassembly and functional diversity change in amphibian communities in degraded habitats in Indonesia (Sumatra)

为了了解生物多样性格局的决定因素，必须确定动物群落的时空分布以及群落聚集的驱动过程。今天的挑战是确定描述物种在受干扰的栖息地中分解的规则和过程，即，物种对干扰的敏感性以及整个群落的反应。本项目研究人类活动对印度尼西亚（苏门答腊）生境的干扰（选择性伐木、农业利用）对物种丰富的两栖动物群落的影响。该方法整合了物种，功能和社区水平的多样性分析。本研究探讨了当地的多样性格局，阐明了导致这些模式的过程，并对两栖动物多样性变化后的干扰作出预测。这些目标将通过应用一系列生态实地方法来实现，重点是确定功能性生物多样性组成部分。现场工作将与最先进的实验室方法（DNA条形码，稳定同位素分析）相结合。仅仅研究分类单位（即，物种）和简单的物种丰富度将不足以发展预测。相反，物种的生态特征及其多样性（即，功能多样性）适合于揭示生物多样性模式，并最终推断维持多样性或造成多样性丧失的生态过程。该项目正在与两个关于生境干扰对热带两栖动物群落影响的合作项目（马达加斯加森林破碎化;圭亚那有选择的伐木）建立联系，以便可能得出一般性结论。

In order to understand the determinants of biodiversity patterns, it is essential to identify the spatial and temporal distribution of animal communities and the driving processes involved in the assembly of communities. Today’s challenge is to determine rules and processes that describe the disassembly of species in disturbed habitats, i.e., the sensitivity of species to disturbances as well as the reaction of entire communities. This project addresses the effects of anthropogenic habitat disturbance (selective logging, agric. use) on speciesrich amphibian communities in Indonesia (Sumatra). The approach integrates the analysis of diversity at the level of species, function, and communities. This study examines local patterns of diversity, elucidates processes that lead to these patterns, and makes predictions about amphibian diversity change after disturbance. These goals will be achieved by applying a range of ecological field methods with emphasis on identifying functional biodiversity components. Field work will be combined with state-of-the-art lab methods (DNA barcoding, stable isotope analyses). Merely studying taxonomic units (i.e., species) and simple species richness will be insufficient to develop predictions. Rather, the ecological traits of species and their diversity (i.e., functional diversity) are suited to reveal biodiversity patterns and ultimately infer the ecological processes that maintain diversity or are responsible for its loss, respectively. The project is networking with two collaborative projects on the effects of habitat disturbances on amphibian communities in the tropics (forest fragmentation, Madagascar; selective logging, Guyana) in order to potentially draw generalized conclusions.