Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Amphibians in the Huangshan Mountain Region: The Roles of Climate and Human Activities
Global climate change and human activities are significant threats to biodiversity, contributing to the endangerment of approximately 41% of amphibian species worldwide. In this study, we applied field survey methods, the MaxEnt model, and integrated climate and human activity data to predict potent...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| author | Fei Hong Dapeng Pang Xiaojia Lin Weixin Huang Jie Fang Wenbo Li |
| author_facet | Fei Hong Dapeng Pang Xiaojia Lin Weixin Huang Jie Fang Wenbo Li |
| author_sort | Fei Hong |
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| description | Global climate change and human activities are significant threats to biodiversity, contributing to the endangerment of approximately 41% of amphibian species worldwide. In this study, we applied field survey methods, the MaxEnt model, and integrated climate and human activity data to predict potential changes in the diversity and distribution of amphibian species in Huangshan Mountain, China. In this study, we have found 23 amphibian species, belonging to two orders, eight families, and 18 genera. The MaxEnt models showed that the distance from farmland (contributing 26.2%), shrubs (15.6%), and waterbodies (10.6%), as well as the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) (10.1%), significantly influence species distribution and diversity, suggesting that amphibian species prefer habitats with lower levels of human disturbance. Our models also showed that Bio3 (isothermal) (8.9%) and Bio8 (mean temperature of wettest quarter) (8.6%) have a significant impact on the species distribution and diversity, suggesting that amphibians are influenced by temperature and humidity. Our field survey showed that seasonal variation in amphibian diversity revealed significant correlations between climatic factors. Specifically, amphibian species diversity was positively correlated with wind speed, soil moisture, and rainfall (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while amphibian abundance was significantly linked to soil temperature, soil moisture, and rainfall (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings underscore the critical role of both climatic conditions and habitat structure in shaping amphibian populations and their distribution in Huangshan Mountain. Therefore, local management authorities should continue to monitor the marginal areas of the region, taking into account key human disturbances and climatic factors that favor the formation of amphibian diversity hotspots. Protective buffer zones should be established to provide effective refuges for amphibians. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj-art-6cbb758ece3941c28192e33fb740c3b32025-08-20T02:09:10ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-03-0115793810.3390/ani15070938Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Amphibians in the Huangshan Mountain Region: The Roles of Climate and Human ActivitiesFei Hong0Dapeng Pang1Xiaojia Lin2Weixin Huang3Jie Fang4Wenbo Li5School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, No. 111, Jiulong Road, Hefei 230601, ChinaSchool of Life Sciences, Anhui University, No. 111, Jiulong Road, Hefei 230601, ChinaTechnology Center of Hangzhou Customs District, Hangzhou 310016, ChinaSchool of Life Sciences, Anhui University, No. 111, Jiulong Road, Hefei 230601, ChinaSchool of Life Sciences, Anhui University, No. 111, Jiulong Road, Hefei 230601, ChinaInternational Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, No. 111, Jiulong Road, Hefei 230601, ChinaGlobal climate change and human activities are significant threats to biodiversity, contributing to the endangerment of approximately 41% of amphibian species worldwide. In this study, we applied field survey methods, the MaxEnt model, and integrated climate and human activity data to predict potential changes in the diversity and distribution of amphibian species in Huangshan Mountain, China. In this study, we have found 23 amphibian species, belonging to two orders, eight families, and 18 genera. The MaxEnt models showed that the distance from farmland (contributing 26.2%), shrubs (15.6%), and waterbodies (10.6%), as well as the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) (10.1%), significantly influence species distribution and diversity, suggesting that amphibian species prefer habitats with lower levels of human disturbance. Our models also showed that Bio3 (isothermal) (8.9%) and Bio8 (mean temperature of wettest quarter) (8.6%) have a significant impact on the species distribution and diversity, suggesting that amphibians are influenced by temperature and humidity. Our field survey showed that seasonal variation in amphibian diversity revealed significant correlations between climatic factors. Specifically, amphibian species diversity was positively correlated with wind speed, soil moisture, and rainfall (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while amphibian abundance was significantly linked to soil temperature, soil moisture, and rainfall (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings underscore the critical role of both climatic conditions and habitat structure in shaping amphibian populations and their distribution in Huangshan Mountain. Therefore, local management authorities should continue to monitor the marginal areas of the region, taking into account key human disturbances and climatic factors that favor the formation of amphibian diversity hotspots. Protective buffer zones should be established to provide effective refuges for amphibians.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/7/938climate changehuman activitiesamphibiansspecies richnessbiodiversity |
| spellingShingle | Fei Hong Dapeng Pang Xiaojia Lin Weixin Huang Jie Fang Wenbo Li Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Amphibians in the Huangshan Mountain Region: The Roles of Climate and Human Activities Animals climate change human activities amphibians species richness biodiversity |
| title | Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Amphibians in the Huangshan Mountain Region: The Roles of Climate and Human Activities |
| title_full | Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Amphibians in the Huangshan Mountain Region: The Roles of Climate and Human Activities |
| title_fullStr | Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Amphibians in the Huangshan Mountain Region: The Roles of Climate and Human Activities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Amphibians in the Huangshan Mountain Region: The Roles of Climate and Human Activities |
| title_short | Diversity and Distribution Patterns of Amphibians in the Huangshan Mountain Region: The Roles of Climate and Human Activities |
| title_sort | diversity and distribution patterns of amphibians in the huangshan mountain region the roles of climate and human activities |
| topic | climate change human activities amphibians species richness biodiversity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/7/938 |
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