Structure and composition of rainforest floor amphibian communities in Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve

Forest floor amphibian communities in the contiguous rainforest of Kalakad- Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve were sampled using quadrats, in order to enumera te factors that govern their distribution. A sampling protocol using adapti ve cluster sampling provided data far superior to that from conventional ra ndom placement of quadrats, Distance from water along with other habitat pa rameters determined the local distribution of forest floor amphibians. Mult i-species clusters of amphibians were identified along the edge of the hill streams. There were variations in the number of primary plots with amphibi ans, cluster size, and species richness in a cluster among the three sites sampled (Sengaltheri, Kannikatti and Kakachi) and to a lesser extent betwee n the two seasons (dry and south-west monsoon), Scngaltheri and Kannikatti had a community dominated try Rana temporalis, in contrast Kakachi was Micr ixalus dominated, Only 32 species mere recorded during the study, suggestin g low richness in any locality along the Western Ghats.