Variation of herpetofauna in different land cover types in PT ASMR oil palm plantation, Central Kalimantan Province

Abstract

The oil palm industry is an important contributor to the world vegetable oil market and Indonesia is one of the major exporters globally. Changes in land use to become more monocultural cause concerns among the world community for the preservation of wildlife, including herpetofauna. The objectives of this research were to identify the species number, richness, evenness and also the species composition differences of herpetofauna in each land cover. Herpetofauna species were observed using visual encounter survey (VES) modified with a line transect method over various types of land cover; youngest and oldest oil palm, shrubs and high conservation value forest (HCVF) areas. Observation started at 7 p.m. lasted until 9 p.m. The observation was repeated three times simultaneously. Types of data recorded at the time of observation consisted of herpetofauna species and number of individuals. The data obtained were analyzed using Margalef’s index and Sorensen’s similarity index. The total number of herpetofauna species found in all land cover types amounted to 14 species (seven amphibians and seven reptiles). The HCVF area had the highest species number (9), species diversity index (2.65) and evenness index (0.88). While the shrubs area had the lowest species number (4) and diversity index (0.99). The results showed there is a correlation between land cover and diversity of herpetofauna.