Linking ecological traits to extinction risk: Analysis of a Neotropical anuran database

Abstract

With increasing threats to biodiversity, understanding how ecological characteristics of species influence extinction risks and population declines can be extremely important for the development of public policies for animal conservation, and for better targeting plans for at-risk species. Amphibians represent one of the most threatened vertebrate clades and the Neotropical region has the greatest diversity of anurans in the world. This high species diversity also reflects an exceptional range of anuran ecological, and life-history characteristics, making the Neotropics an optimal place to investigate how intrinsic traits can shape patterns of species decline and extinction. Using a database containing 3182 Neotropical anuran species, we employed comparative phylogenetic methods to investigate the roles of evolutionary history and ecological traits (reproductive mode and habitat) in determining extinction risk and population trends. We found that habitat preference and reproductive mode are strongly related to extinction risk and population decline, and that populations of terrestrial breeders have a greater propensity for the latter. Moreover, although the studied traits are phylogenetically structured, the degree of threat of the studied species appears to be independent of their evolutionary histories. We also highlighted a large number of data deficient species. These data are extremely important as they provide a new perspective regarding traits related to extinction risk. They also provide insights into groups of threatened species and those that may become threatened in the future, and thus assist in decision-making regarding plans and projects for the conservation of Neotropical anurans.