Data and code from: Drivers of species richness in Amazonian amphibians and reptiles: Testing diversity hypotheses across taxonomic groups

Investigating the ecological drivers of species richness in the Amazon
Basin enhances our understanding of the eco-evolutionary processes shaping
biodiversity across taxonomic groups. Our study investigates the roles of
energy availability, water balance, and habitat heterogeneity in shaping
the distribution of amphibians and reptiles by testing five ecological
hypotheses: energy-environment, energy-water dynamics, productivity,
metabolic theory, and habitat heterogeneity. We found distinct patterns
across taxa. The energy-environment hypothesis received the strongest
support overall, with temperature exerting a positive effect on species
richness in all groups, while potential evapotranspiration negatively
impacted Gymnophiona and snakes. The energy-water dynamics hypothesis
showed moderate, taxon-specific support, performing best for Anura,
snakes, Crocodylia, and Testudines. Precipitation had a positive effect
across groups, whereas actual evapotranspiration had mixed impacts, with
positive impacts on Anura, lizards, and snakes but negatively impacting
Crocodylia and Testudines. The productivity hypothesis received weak
overall support; net primary productivity positively influenced Anura and
snakes but negatively affected lizards. The metabolic theory was
moderately supported, with the inverse of absolute temperature (1/kT)
consistently showing a negative effect across groups. The habitat
heterogeneity hypothesis was generally poorly supported, except for
Gymnophiona; landscape heterogeneity negatively influenced Anura, Caudata,
and snakes but positive influences on the remaining taxa. Our findings
highlight that, although the energy-environment hypothesis has emerged as
the most robust across taxa, species richness patterns in amphibians and
reptiles are best understood when considering the joint influence of
energy, environment, and water availability (i.e.
energy+environment+water). This integrated understanding underscores the
need for conservation strategies that account for the unique ecological
requirements of different taxonomic groups. Our findings highlight that
sustaining biodiversity in the Amazon Basin depends primarily on the
balance of energy and water dynamics, while the role of landscape
heterogeneity appears to be taxon-specific and context-dependent.