scholarly journals Amphibians of the equatorial seasonally dry forests of Ecuador and Peru

ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1063 ◽  
pp. 23-48
Author(s):  
Diego Armijos-Ojeda ◽  
Diana Székely ◽  
Paul Székely ◽  
Dan Cogălniceanu ◽  
Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Reproductive Mode ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Scientific Papers ◽  
Taxonomic Methods

Seasonally dry forests (SDFs) are one of the most challenging ecosystems for amphibians, fueling the diversity of this group of vertebrates. An updated inventory of native amphibians present in the Equatorial SDF is provided, which extends along the Pacific coast of Ecuador and northwestern Peru. The study is based on an extensive field sampling (two thirds of the total records) carried out throughout the Equatorial SDF, along with a compilation of the available information on distribution of amphibians in the region from published scientific papers, museum collections and on-line databases. The final dataset included 2,032 occurrence records for 30 amphibian species, belonging to eight anuran families. Additionally, data regarding conservation status, habitat use, spawn deposition site, reproductive mode, and body size, along with an identification key for all encountered species are provided. The results indicate a strong sampling bias with a deficit in the Peruvian part of the study area, and a need for urgent inventories targeted at under-sampled areas, using modern taxonomic methods. The study emphasizes the conservation priorities in the Equatorial SDF, based on the distribution, conservation status and life-history data. This information should be useful for the local authorities and institutions involved in the management and conservation of biodiversity in SDF.

Dry forests of the Galápagos: a comparative assessment of a World Heritage Site

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Thomas W. Gillespie ◽  
Gunnar Keppel ◽  
Chelsea M. Robinson ◽  
Gonzalo Rivas-Torres
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
World Heritage Site ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Forest Region ◽  
The Pacific

Despite worldwide knowledge of the importance of the Galápagos archipelago, there is little comparative plot data from the forests in the dry regions. We examined patterns of woody plant (≥2.5cm diameter at breast height (DBH)) species richness and structure using Gentry’s transect method (0.1ha) on the three largest islands in the Galápagos. We identified the conservation status of woody plants within the dry forest region, assessed forest cover and change in the region, and compared field results to other tropical dry forests in the Pacific. Of the 22 species encountered (11 native, 11 endemic), there were no non-native species and only one threatened species. Isabela, Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal have similar overall levels of species, genera, family and liana richness per site, but significantly different tree species richness, density and tree height per transect. Geospatial databases identified 51 species (native 40%, endemic 60%) of woody plants (≥2.5cm DBH) within the dry forest region of the Galápagos and 13 species (10 from the genus Scalesia) on the IUCN Red List. There is an estimated 551.97km2 of dry forest in the Galápagos and there has been little change (<0.01%) in forest cover from 2000 to 2015. Dry forests of the Galápagos have similar levels of species richness to Hawaii and the Marquesas but contain lower densities, basal areas and tree heights than other dry forests in the Pacific. These dry forests appear to be the best preserved and protected tropical dry forest in the Pacific.

Potential distributional changes and conservation priorities of endemic amphibians in western Mexico as a result of climate change

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDRÉS GARCÍA ◽  
MIGUEL A. ORTEGA-HUERTA ◽  
ENRIQUE MARTÍNEZ-MEYER
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Conservation Areas ◽  
Niche Modelling ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Natural Protected Areas ◽  
Western Mexico ◽  
Composite Models

SUMMARYThere is a growing concern regarding the conservation status of amphibian species worldwide; they are more threatened and declining more rapidly than mammals or birds, and Mexico is considered one of the richest countries on Earth in terms of reptile and amphibian species. Composite models of the current distribution patterns of endemic amphibians in western Mexico were used to predict their potential distributional changes as a consequence of expected climatic changes. The models identified the most significant conservation areas within the region (hotspots), considering existing natural protected areas (NPAs) and previously recognized terrestrial priority regions for conservation (TPRCs). Three niche modelling algorithms (Bioclim, GARP and MaxEnt) used 2412 locality records for 29 species to model their climate envelopes under current and future conditions for the years 2020, 2050 and 2080. The models indicated that overall species persistence was 60% for the years 2020 and 2050, but dropped to < 20% by the year 2080. The current network of NPAs included only 8% of the areas that currently possess the greatest predicted potential richness (16–21 species), and, by 2050, the models indicate they will encompass only 3% of these areas. Six TPRCs included 44% of currently predicted areas with the highest potential species richness, but, by 2050, models predicted only 3% of such areas would persist within one TPRC. Higher uncertainty levels and variability among species surrounded the 2080 projections generated by the three algorithms. Recognition of the potential effects of climate change and consideration of the conservation value of the six TPRCs identified in this study may counteract the potential consequences of climate change on biodiversity in Mexico.

scholarly journals Conservation Status of Marine Biodiversity in Oceania: An Analysis of Marine Species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth A. Polidoro ◽  
Cristiane T. Elfes ◽  
Jonnell C. Sanciangco ◽  
Helen Pippard ◽  
Kent E. Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Red List ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Conservation Action

Given the economic and cultural dependence on the marine environment in Oceania and a rapidly expanding human population, many marine species populations are in decline and may be vulnerable to extinction from a number of local and regional threats. IUCN Red List assessments, a widely used system for quantifying threats to species and assessing species extinction risk, have been completed for 1190 marine species in Oceania to date, including all known species of corals, mangroves, seagrasses, sea snakes, marine mammals, sea birds, sea turtles, sharks, and rays present in Oceania, plus all species in five important perciform fish groups. Many of the species in these groups are threatened by the modification or destruction of coastal habitats, overfishing from direct or indirect exploitation, pollution, and other ecological or environmental changes associated with climate change. Spatial analyses of threatened species highlight priority areas for both site- and species-specific conservation action. Although increased knowledge and use of newly available IUCN Red List assessments for marine species can greatly improve conservation priorities for marine species in Oceania, many important fish groups are still in urgent need of assessment.

scholarly journals A statistical assessment of population trends for data deficient Mexican amphibians

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Quintero ◽  
Anne E. Thessen ◽  
Paulina Arias-Caballero ◽  
Bárbara Ayala-Orozco
Keyword(s):  
Random Forests ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Population Trend ◽  
Population Trends ◽  
Conservation Priorities ◽  
Risk Category ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
Data Deficient

Background: Mexico is the fourth richest country in amphibians and the second country with the highest quantity of threatened amphibian species, and this number could be higher as many species are too poorly known to be accurately assigned to a risk category. The absence of a risk status or an unknown population trend can slow or halt conservation action, so it is vital to develop tools that in the absence of specific demographic data can assess a species’ risk of extinction, population trend, and to better understand which variables increase their vulnerability. Recent studies have demonstrated that the risk of species decline depends on extrinsic and intrinsic trait, thus including both of them for assessing extinction might render more accurate assessment of threat. Methods: In this study harvested data from the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) and the published literature for Mexican amphibians and used these data to assess the population trend of some of the Mexican species that have been assigned to the Data Deficient category of the IUCN using Random Forests, a Machine Learning method that gives a prediction of complex processes and identifies the most important variables that account for the predictions. Results: Our results show that most data deficient Mexican amphibians have decreasing population trends. We found that Random Forests is a solid and accurate way to identify species with decreasing population trends when no demographic data is available. Moreover, we point the most important variables that make species more vulnerable for extinction. This exercise is a very valuable first step in assigning conservation priorities for poorly known species.

scholarly journals Herpetofaunal diversity in a tropical dry forest on the Central Coast of Oaxaca, Mexico

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Jesús García Grajales ◽  
Yolanda López-López ◽  
Alejandra Buenrostro Silva
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Tropical Dry Forest ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Central Coast ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Baseline Information ◽  
Threatened Habitats ◽  
High Diversity ◽  
Pueblo Viejo

The dry forest is an ecosystem with a relatively high diversity of species. It is also one of the most threatened habitats. This research was carried out between January and November 2010 aiming to describe species richness, composition, and conservation status of the herpetofauna in the Yerbasanta micro-basin in the Central Coast of Oaxaca. Standard visual encounter surveys were used to observe herpetofaunal community in four locations of the micro-basin. Five amphibian species and 37 reptiles species were found. The Shannon-Wienner index showed that Pueblo Viejo had the highest value of diversity, followed by Unión, and the remainder localities had lower values. The similarity index was moderate between locations. Among the registered species, 12 can be classified under some conservation status. These results also suggest that this region can maintain a significant number of herpetofauna species. Additionally, this research represents baseline information that contributes to other studies.

Recent Progress in Taxonomic Studies, Biogeographic Analysis, and Revised Checklist of Amphibians in Indochina

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (3A) ◽  
pp. 1-110
Author(s):  
Nikolay A. Poyarkov ◽  
Tan Van Nguyen ◽  
Evgeniy S. Popov ◽  
Peter Geissler ◽  
Parinya Pawangkhanant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Status ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
Type Specimens ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Biogeographic Patterns ◽  
South Vietnam ◽  
Data Deficient ◽  
Iucn Red List Criteria ◽  
Annotated Checklist

The Indochinese Peninsula is recognized as one of the key global biodiversity hotspots. The amphibian fauna of Indochina (including Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand) is one of the richest in the world. About 60% of the known species were described within the last 20 years. We review the literature and our data to assess all recent discoveries and taxonomic changes and compile the first annotated checklist of the amphibian fauna of Indochina since the middle of the 20th century, including updated faunal lists for Vietnam and Thailand. Amphibian checklists for Laos and Cambodia are published for the first time. For each species we provide the following information: scientific name; recommended common name in English; information on type specimens; type locality; data on its distribution within Indochina and beyond; IUCN conservation status; taxonomic comment and the most important references. We review the distribution of each species across the 23 biogeographic subregions of Indochina, estimate the similarity among the regional faunas and evaluate their species richness and endemism. In total we record 423 amphibian species belonging to three orders, 11 families and 71 genera; 199 species (47%) are endemic to Indochina. Comprising 270 known species, the amphibian fauna of Vietnam is the richest (98 endemics, 36.3%), followed by Thailand with 194 species (29 endemics, 14.9%), Laos with 121 species (13 endemics, 10.7%), and Cambodia with 72 species (6 endemics, 8.3%). A cluster analysis of faunal similarity between the subregions shows two major assemblages, divided by the Isthmus of Kra. Within the northern mainland portion of Indochina three clusters can be distinguished: (1) northeastern and northwestern uplands of Vietnam and northern Laos; (2) Northern, Central, and Southern Annamites, the Bolaven Plateau, and central-south Vietnam lowlands; (3) western Indochinese subregions. We identify the Northeast and Northwest Uplands of Vietnam, the Northern, Central and Southern Annamites, the Cardamom Mountains, the mountains of Northeast Thailand, Northern Tenasserim and southern Peninsular Thailand as nine major centers of diversity and endemism of Indochinese amphibians. The analysis of amphibian distribution patterns across Indochina suggests the presence of 14 chorotypes grouped in five major range types. Our results underline the role of Indochina as a key area for amphibian diversity and conservation. Among 423 species of Indochinese amphibians, 152 species (35.9%) were considered as data deficient (DD) or were not evaluated (NE) according to the IUCN Red List criteria; while 76 species (18.0%) were considered vulnerable (VU), endangered (EN) or critically endangered (CR), 20 species (4.7%) were considered to be near threatened (NT), and 175 species (41.4%) to be of the least concern (LC). Our study thus has implications for further conservation efforts on regional and global levels, as well as for understanding the biogeographic patterns of amphibian richness and endemism in Asia.

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