Non-random structure of a guild of geckos in a fragmented, human-altered, African rainforest
2007
Luiselli, Luca | Eniang, Edem A. | Akani, Godfrey C.
We examined the guild structure of geckos at a farmbush–rainforest mosaic area in southern Nigeria, during three independent survey periods (i.e. dry season of 1997, 2001, and 2005). We used several simulation descriptors (C value, V ratio, number of checkerboard species pairs, number of species combinations), generated by Monte Carlo methods, to contrast the actual data matrix with the randomly generated data matrix. We calculated the relative availability and use by species of habitat types and microhabitat types at each of these survey periods and also studied temporal niche aspects. We found that our gecko guild was composed of six species, including native forest specialists as well as native habitat generalists and exotic species linked to human-made habitats. Monte Carlo simulations revealed the occurrence of a structure in the guild under study with regard to habitat type but not with regard to (a) two types of microhabitat uses (i.e. perch height and size of trees) and (b) daily time. The use of simulation analyses also demonstrated that the various species that were similar in terms of habitat use partitioned their microhabitat niche, reducing potential interspecific competition. On the other hand, those species that were clearly separated with regard to habitat type readily frequented the same microhabitats within different habitat types.
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