Biodiversity of Amphibians along the elevational gradient of Mount Leigong: checklist, distribution, and conservation

Understanding the species composition within a specific area, inventorying the threatened and conservation status of species, is the foundation of conservation biology. Mount Leigong is the watershed of the Yangtze River and the Pearl River water systems, with extremely rich water resources and with a high diversity of amphibians. However, previous studies have mostly focused on sporadic reports of new species and records, lacking research on species composition, distribution, and threatened status along elevational gradients. We assume that the elevation pattern of amphibian richness in Mount Leigong is similar to most mountain systems, exhibiting a unimodal pattern, and verify this hypothesis. We have recorded 42 species of amphibians in Mount Leigong, belonging to 9 families and 23 genera, based on sufficient field surveys. The results indicate that one-third of these species are threatened. The total species richness and threatened species richness both follow a hump-shaped pattern, reaching their peak at mid elevation. In addition, we discussed the changes in species composition and taxonomic status of Mount Leigong. We have provided a detailed list of amphibians in the area based on the survey results and emphasized the threatened status of amphibians along the elevational gradient. Our results provide new insights into the species diversity of amphibians in Mount Leigong and scientific basis for the management and protection of threatened species.