POPULATION ESTIMATION AND HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS Rhacophorus reinwardtii IN THE SECONDARY FOREST RANCA UPAS CIWIDEY Hernawati, Tina Safaria Nilawati, Kemas Muhammad Abiyyu Ilham Malik
Departement of Biology Education
Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia
Bandung
Abstract
Amphibians can be used as environmental bioindicators or health measures of an environment because they are sensitive to changes in environmental factors. Some of the main habitat of amphibians are primary and secondary forests, swamps, rivers, lakes and ponds. One of the endangered amphibians were Rhacophorus reinwardtii. The secondary forest in Ranca Upas Ciwidey was one of the habitat where Rhacophorus reinwardtii can be found. There are many significant changes to this region due to the expansion of the campground and tourist areas, thus affecting the population of Rhacophorus reinwardtii. This study aims to describe the habitat characteristics and population estimation of Rhacophorus reinwardtii in the secondary forest Ranca Upas. Habitat characteristics were analyzed descriptively. Habitat and population data are collected in two locations near rivers and stagnant water. The research area has measured 522m2 and width of 528m2. Capture-Mark-Release-Recapture Method was used in each region to collect population data. Population abundance were calculated using the Schnabel formula, population distribution were estimated using the Morista index. The caught frogs were marked using a modified shoelace. Habitat Rhacophorus reinwardtii was of river and stagnant water with an altitude of 1630-1680m asl, pH of water neutral and acidic, average velocity of the river was 0m/s and 0.04m/s, the water substrates were sand and mud, with average temperature air 16.7ºC and 17ºC, average water temperature of 14.7ºC, average humidity of air 94%. The type of plant that is often the habitat of Rhacophorus reinwardtii was Brugmansia sp. and Cyathea sp. The population estimation of the two observation areas were 45 individuals and 30 individuals with a density of 9 individuals/100m2 and 6 individuals/100m2. It can be concluded that the population distribution of Rhacophorus reinwardtii in both habitats clustered.
