DETERMINATION OF MINIMUM SAMPLE-SIZE TO ESTIMATE DIET DIVERSITY IN ANURAN SPECIES

Rarefaction analysis was applied to determine the minimum sample size required for any desired degree of accuracy of diet diversity of six a nuran species in a particular habitat. This method is suggested for th e design of sampling strategies in long-term amphibian studies. In the present study the minimum sample sizes were 28, 36, 32, 13, 24 and 8 for Rana esculenta, R. arvalis, Hyla arborea, Bombina bombina, Pelobat es fuscus and Bufo bufo, respectively. The greater the diet diversity of a species, the larger the minimum sample size required, and the sma ller the similarity between individuals within species.