Defining Herpetofauna Diversity, Through The Influence Of Habitat Characteristics, Between A Riparian Forest And A Xeric Savanna.

Herpetofauna diversity encompasses a range of environmental habitats from fossorial to
aquatic to arboreal, linking the richness and abundance of herpetofauna community
assemblages to characteristics in vegetation and habitat structure. Many herpetofauna
species rely upon restricted (i.e. micro-habitat) components within their environment.
The aims of this study are: 1) to determine if there are differences in herpetofauna
diversity between riparian forest and xeric savanna habitat types; 2) to determine which
habitat characteristics define the species assemblages and; 3) to assess the accuracy of the
118
herpetofauna sampling methodology. Fieldwork was conducted within Mapungubwe
National Park (MNP) located in the Limpopo Province. The structure of the habitat types
were assessed along 50m transects for the following characteristics; vegetation height
(cm), soil penetration (pressure per cm^2), proximity to rock outcrop (m), woody debris,
live trees, burrows, and rocks. Species richness (S), abundance (N) and diversity (H’)
within each habitat type were analyzed as well as habitat structure and put into specific
species guilds. Overall our results showed that herpetofauna species richness was
significantly different when comparing between riparian forest and xeric savanna habitat
types.