Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta frog locality data

Climate change and habitat loss or fragmentation are two major threats to
biodiversity. Montane amphibians are particularly sensitive to these
threats. Colombia, a megadiverse country, is home to the world’s second
largest number of amphibians. The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM), an
isolated mountain range, houses 48 amphibian species of which 17 are
endemic. We aimed to address climate vulnerability of the amphibian
community in the SNSM and prioritize amphibian species at risk and
conservation actions. We conducted three visual encounter surveys from,
800 – 3,600 m, during September 2017 – July 2018. In order to assess
species vulnerability, we completed two independent spatial analyses.
First, we calculated the Area of Habitat of each species, defined as
habitat available to a species. Area of Habitat was refined (from the
original IUCN EOO maps) for the majority of amphibian species, averaging a
reduction in available suitable habitat by 71%. We then examined the
breadth of climatic space occupied by 16 species and how this space is
predicted to shift under predicted climate scenarios (RCP scenarios 4.5
and 8.5) for 2050. Our analysis reveals a large reduction in climatic
space under both 2050 RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. We combined these two
analyses with trait data related to adaptive capacity, obtained from
previous research, to create a combined (correlative-trait) climate change
vulnerability assessment (CCVA) for 19 focal species (16 endemic). Our
vulnerability assessment identified eight high priority species, including
all three Atelopus spp and five within the Pristimantis complex. Given its
isolation, the SNSM and endemic species are particularly susceptible to
changing climates. The information provided from the CCVA offers a
platform to develop regional strategies for climate change adaptation and
conservation.