Abstract:
The spatial distribution of species diversity and the driving factors have been hot topics in conservation biology in recent years. Amphibians, as the most threatened vertebrate group, urgently need effective protection and continuous monitoring. Wawu Mountain National Forest Park, located in the transition zone between the Hengduan Mountains and the Sichuan Basin, with diverse habitat types and rich biodiversity, plays a unique role in the conservation of biodiversity in the Southwestern Mountains of China. To promptly update the amphibian species list in the area, and explore the elevational patterns of species diversity and their driving factors, this study conducted 62 transects in four representative areas of the park (Mount Wawu, Mount Yuping, Zhangcun, Tongchangba) in 2023 and 2024 to survey amphibians. By integrating field survey and historical data, the study revealed rich diversity and high endemism of amphibian in Wawu Mountain National Forest Park. There were 36 species belonging to two orders, nine families, and 19 genera. Among which, 14 species were endemic to China, accounting for 38.89% of the total number of species, eight species (22.22%) were endemic to Sichuan Province, and three species (8.33%) were endemic to Hongya County. The overall
G-F index of amphibians in the park is 0.326. In terms of habitat types, natural forests exhibited the highest
G-F index (0.102), and planted forests and farmlands displayed relatively lower indices (−0.260; −0.591). At the geographical region level, the species were mainly from the Oriental realm and Southwest realm; at the ecological types level, terrestrial-stream species were the majority. The recorded amphibians were primarily distributed at elevations of 400–2,704 m, with 25% of species vertically distributing less than 200 m. The elevational pattern of amphibian species diversity in Wawu Mountain National Forest Park showed a unimodal distribution pattern, with total species richness peaking at an elevation of 1,200 m and threatened species richness peaking at 1,600 m. The annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, and normalized difference vegetation index collectively drove the elevational pattern of amphibian diversity in Wawu Mountain National Forest Park, and the annual mean temperature is significantly positively correlated with amphibian diversity along the elevational gradient. This study illuminated the elevational pattern of amphibian diversity in Wawu Mountain National Forest Park, as well as the underlying factors driving this distribution. The findings provided essential data to inform future research in conservation biology.