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<p>Wetland ecosystems in the Albertine Rift are among the most biologically diverse in Africa, yet face increasing pressure from land-use change, particularly from oil and gas exploration. This study provides a detailed assessment of amphibian and reptile assemblages across 11 sites within the Tilenga oil and gas development footprint in northwestern Uganda, a region embedded within this critical biodiversity hotspot. Species accumulation curves indicated sufficient sampling, though some sites may yield more records of present species. Most species were of Least Concern, except the globally Vulnerable Nile softshell turtle (<i>Trionyx triunguis</i>). Over a ten-month period, 27 amphibian and 36 reptile species were recorded across a range of wetland and riparian habitats, including swamp forests, papyrus marshes, seasonal rivers, and degraded agricultural landscapes. Number of records and the metrics of species richness and diversity (dominance, evenness) varied over time, for both amphibians and reptiles. Diversity metrics varied significantly among sites for both amphibians and reptiles. Amphibian assemblages exhibited a significantly higher spatial coefficient of variation than reptiles for the number of records, whereas reptiles showed higher variation for species richness, dominance, and Shannon–Wiener diversity. Cross-correlations between monthly rainfall and number of records showed variable time lags among-sites, with different patterns for amphibians (typically a positive correlation) than for reptiles (more often a negative correlation). The patterns of diversity, distribution, and seasonality revealed by this study challenge assumptions about the uniform vulnerability of tropical herpetofaunal assemblages to infrastructural disturbance, pointing instead to a nuanced interplay between habitat heterogeneity, species-specific resilience, and temporal environmental dynamics.</p>

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Spatio-temporal patterns of herpetofaunal diversity and their relationship with rainfall in wetlands under oil and gas development in the Northern Albertine Rift, East Africa

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月16日

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  • Sadic Waswa Babyesiza,
  • Mathias Behangana,
  • Holly Oliver Akello,
  • Michael Opige,
  • Richard Ssemmanda,
  • Fabio Petrozzi,
  • Luca Luiselli

摘要

Wetland ecosystems in the Albertine Rift are among the most biologically diverse in Africa, yet face increasing pressure from land-use change, particularly from oil and gas exploration. This study provides a detailed assessment of amphibian and reptile assemblages across 11 sites within the Tilenga oil and gas development footprint in northwestern Uganda, a region embedded within this critical biodiversity hotspot. Species accumulation curves indicated sufficient sampling, though some sites may yield more records of present species. Most species were of Least Concern, except the globally Vulnerable Nile softshell turtle (Trionyx triunguis). Over a ten-month period, 27 amphibian and 36 reptile species were recorded across a range of wetland and riparian habitats, including swamp forests, papyrus marshes, seasonal rivers, and degraded agricultural landscapes. Number of records and the metrics of species richness and diversity (dominance, evenness) varied over time, for both amphibians and reptiles. Diversity metrics varied significantly among sites for both amphibians and reptiles. Amphibian assemblages exhibited a significantly higher spatial coefficient of variation than reptiles for the number of records, whereas reptiles showed higher variation for species richness, dominance, and Shannon–Wiener diversity. Cross-correlations between monthly rainfall and number of records showed variable time lags among-sites, with different patterns for amphibians (typically a positive correlation) than for reptiles (more often a negative correlation). The patterns of diversity, distribution, and seasonality revealed by this study challenge assumptions about the uniform vulnerability of tropical herpetofaunal assemblages to infrastructural disturbance, pointing instead to a nuanced interplay between habitat heterogeneity, species-specific resilience, and temporal environmental dynamics.