Using the Behavior of Amphibian for the Ecological Engineering Design of Aquatic Banks
Date Issued
2009
Date
2009
Author(s)
Chang, Yuan-Hsiou
Abstract
The concreting process on water banks caused by inappropriate human development became a serious problem in Taiwan; however, most ecosystems of amphibian animals took place on lake banks, yet there was no related design solutions offered in Taiwan. This research selected eight species of amphibians in Taiwan. To discuss their habitats and behavioral characteristics in order to manage the problem of water banks. With measuring of each amphibian’s body length, weight, toe pad area, climbing ability, high jump ability, and long jump ability, this experiment was designed to compare concrete with four substrates which found most suitable in the experiment. Matching them with five appropriate bank angles to test amphibian’s motility, and furthermore, to identify the relation between amphibian’s abilities and surface substrates of water banks as humidity and temperature differ in four seasons. The result showed that if comparing per weight’s climbing ability of Chirixalus idiootocus and Buergeria japonicus, those two in the same family and of similar size, on the 15° bank slope, Buergeria japonicus’ climbing ability was only 17% of Chirixalus idiootocus’s on pebble substrate, but when the experiment was conducted on wood substrate, Buergeria japonicus’ climbing ability would down to 16% of Chirixalus idiootocus’s. If we took the example of Rana swinhoana and Rana adenopleura of Rana family to discuss their body sizes and behavioral ability’s differences, in the first female group, the weight of Rana swinhoana’s was 63% heavier than Rana adenopleura, as body length 30% longer than Rana adenopleura, and toe pad area 44% larger than Rana adenopleura. In the aspect of behavioral ability, Rana swinhoana performs 15% better in the field of high jump ability and 29% better with long jump. What was found in the results was that even in the same family, each amphibian may differ significantly in body size and behavioral ability. In the aspect of climbing ability , the body-size variable was an crucial factor, and if amphibians were ranked by size, the order was – Bufo bankorensis, Burgeria roubstus, Rana latouchii, and Buergeria japonicus – generally most amphibians adapted better on bank slope under 30°. Bufo bankorensis almost showed no climbing ability at the 30° slope, wooden bank, while Buergeria japonicus’ climbing ability was 59% stronger than that of Burgeria roubstus, and Burgeria roubstus’ climbing ability was 67% stronger than Rana latouchii’s. This research adopted multiple combinations of lake banks’ substrates and angles could serve as a reference for technicians’ in future ecological engineering on lake banks in Taiwan.
Subjects
Ecological Engineering
Bank Substrate
Climbing Ability
Amphibian
Frog
Type
thesis
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