Kukuh Indra Kusuma Kelompok Studi Herpetologi fakultas Biologi Universitas Gadjah Mada.

FROGS DIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN SLOPES OF MOUNT MERAPI AFTER ERUPTION 2010

Kukuh Indra Kusuma

Final Report for The Explorers Club Youth Activity Fund

Mount Merapi is the second most active volcano in Indonesia after Krakatau. In late decade

this volcano has erupted three times in 2000, 2006, and 2010. Eruption of this volcano caused huge

damage of the environment around. As this eruption happened in 2010, assessment of the

environment is required to learn the effect of eruption to environment. Our concern is to observe

amphibians, frogs in particular, because frogs are unique animal whose have play important role as

bio-indicator. This project is aimed to invent diversity of frogs in southern slope of mount Merapi

after eruption 2010.

Visual Encountered Survey (VES) along with Time Search method were used. In rocky stream

such those as in Kali Kuning using VES combined with transect line along its stream. Survey at

breeding site used to collect tadpoles. Tadpoles were captured using fish net then replaced in glass

box for taking picture. Those methods were used based on Kusrini (2009) and Heyer et al. (1974).

Table 1. List of frogs encountered in southern slopes of Mount Merapi.

(‘√’: presence; ‘*’: Endemic to Java)

No Species Location

Telaga Putri

Telaga Muncar

Turgo Telaga Nirmala

Kali Kuning

Plawangan PetakPitu

Adult

1 Limnonectes kuhlii √ √ √

2 Limnonectes microdiscus √ √

3 Limnonectes macrodon √

4 Hydrophylax chalconotus √ √ √ √

5 Odorrana hosii √

6 Leptobrachium hasseltii √ √

7 Polypedates leucomystax √

8 Rhacophorus margaritifer* √

9 Philautus aurifasciatus √ √ √ √

10 Duttaphrynus melanostictus √ √

Total 8 1 3 2 1 2 4

Tadpole

1 Limnonectes microdiscus √

2 Limnonectes kuhlii √

3 Rana chalconota √

4 Megophrys Montana* √ √

5 Rhacophorus margaritifer* √ √

6 Rhacophorus reinwardtii √

Total 3 0 4 0 0 1 0

Kukuh Indra Kusuma Kelompok Studi Herpetologi fakultas Biologi Universitas Gadjah Mada.

This research result shown that we have found 12 species of frogs in southern slopes. We

found 6 species in tadpole state and 10 species in adult state. Species which we cannot find as

tadpole were Odorrana hosii, Leptobrachium hasseltii, Polypedates leucomystax, and Philautus

aurifasciatus. Based on Iskandar (1998), Philautus aurifasciatus doesn’t have tadpole state because

the embryo develop into froglet inside the eggs and doesn’t form a tadpole as any other frogs.

Leptobrachium hasseltii is frog we most concern because our survey shown that breeding season for

this species is in late dry season. Until this research end we haven’t found tadpole for this species.

We assumed that this species lost its breeding site. Based on Eprilurahman (personal

communication), this species tadpole was found in small stream and pond at Petak pitu. Recent

condition at Petak pitu shown that small stream and ponds are vanished due to volcanic material

buried them.

Before eruption, there are two species endemic to Java whose are Megophrys montana and

Rhacophorus margaritifer. In this research we still able to encounter them after eruption,

Megophrys montana in froglet and tadpole state, while Rhacophorus margaritifer in tadpole and

adult state.

Based on Eprilurahman and Kusuma (2011), there are 13 species of anurans on the southern

slopes of Mount Merapi. Species loss is Philautus sp. (Rhacophoridae) and Phrynoidis aspera

(Bufonidae). Phrynoidis aspera is commonly found in rocky streams. In this study, Kali Kuning is the

rocky streams where this species commonly found. Unfortunately, this river is the channel of

volcanic material and suffered heavy damage after the eruption, causing loss of habitats and species.

Additional species recorded is Limnonectes macrodon. This frog is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN

red list. This species presence has more value to preserve the area because this area was severely

damaged. In total this study showed 12 species were found.

The main problem experienced by frogs after the eruption are drought on water resources

and droughts in rivers and ponds. The drought has sparked local residents to build a water plant to

get water from the last available place in the hills like Plawangan and Turgo hill. Presence of water

installation caused the decreased availability of water sources as breeding sites. This condition will

cause serious problems on declining amphibian populations in the area because they aren’t able to

breed and produce offspring.

Literature Cited

Iskandar, D.T. 1998. Amfibi Jawa dan Bali. Puslitbang Biologi-LIPI. Bogor. hal.1-7; 19-21. Heyer, W.R., M.A. Donnelly, R.W. McDiarmid, L.C. Hayek and M.S. Foster. 1994. Measuring and

Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for Amphibians. Smithsonian Institution Press, United States of America, pp. 130-135.

Kusrini, M.D. 2009. Pedoman Penelitian dan Survei Amfibi di Alam. Pustaka Media Konservasi-Fakultas Kehtanan IPB. Bogor, pp. 73-74.

Rury Eprilurahman dan Kukuh Indra Kusuma. 2011.Amfibi dan Reptil di Lereng Selatan Gunung Merapi : Data terakhir sebelum erupsi 2010. Proceeding seminar nasional Perhimpunan Herpetologi Indonesia. Januari 2011. Fakultas MIPA Universitas Indonesia. Depok.

Kukuh Indra Kusuma Kelompok Studi Herpetologi fakultas Biologi Universitas Gadjah Mada.

ATTACHMENT

Picture 1. View of location from Telaga Nirmala(A) and Plawangan (B).

Picture 2. Part of team member in Kali Kuning (C) and team member searching for tadpole (D).

Picture 3. Kukuh collecting tadpole in Plawangan (E), tadpole of Rhacophoridae from Plawangan (F).

A B

C D

E F

Kukuh Indra Kusuma Kelompok Studi Herpetologi fakultas Biologi Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Picture 4. Tadpole of Ranidae from Turgo (G) and Limnonecte kuhlii from Telaga Putri (H).

Picture 5. Rhacophorus margaritifer from Telaga muncar (I), building of water installation in Turgo (J).

Picture 6. Water installation in Turgo (K) and drought of stream in Turgo (L).

G H

I J

K L

Kukuh Indra Kusuma Kelompok Studi Herpetologi fakultas Biologi Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Picture 7. Drought of stream in Plawangan (M) and Kali Kuning (N).

Picture 8. Team member trying capture frogs in Turgo (O).

M N

O