Abstract:

Aims: Mountain ecosystems, characterized by their distinctive environmental features and high biodiversity, provide an ideal model system for investigating biodiversity patterns and community assembly mechanisms. However, the Dabie Mountains, a climatically transitional zone between subtropical and warm temperate regions, remain understudied, particularly in terms of the spatial distribution and environmental drivers of amphibian diversity. To address this knowledge gap, this study aims to quantify the Alpha and Beta diversity patterns of anurans and identify the key environmental factors shaping their assembly along elevational gradients in this critical transitional region. 

Method: This study employed the transect method to investigate the diversity and formation mechanisms of amphibians and reptiles within the Dabie Mountains of western Anhui Province, China. 

Results: The results revealed that a total of 18 anuran species, belonging to 12 genera and 6 families, were recorded in the region. Species richness showed a significant negative correlation with elevation, whereas the Pielou index exhibited an opposite pattern along the elevational gradient. Moreover, the Shannon-Wiener, Simpson, and Pielou indices all varied significantly across habitat types, with higher values observed in farmland habitats than in others. The Shannon-Wiener index also displayed significant seasonal variation, being higher in summer than in spring. Annual precipitation was identified as the primary factor influencing species richness, Shannon-Wiener, and Simpson diversity indices. Beta diversity analysis based on both Bray-Curtis and Sørensen indices showed that the turnover component was greater than the nestedness component. Annual mean temperature was found to be the main factor affecting overall Beta diversity and its turnover component. 

Conclusion: This study clarified the distribution pattern of amphibian diversity in the Dabie Mountains of western Anhui Province in the climate transition zone, revealed its influencing factors, and provided a theoretical basis and data support for biodiversity conservation in this region.

Key words: Alpha diversity, anurans, Beta diversity, biodiversity, Dabie Mountains