Nested and Island Models for Determining the Species-Area Relationship of Southern Appalachian Amphibians

Abstract

Amphibians are widespread vertebrates in the temperate and tropical regions of the world that are facing global existential threats. The southern Appalachian region of eastern North America is an important stronghold for temperate amphibians, representing the global biodiversity hotspot for salamander genera and includes high rates of endemism. Despite a rich history of sampling in the region, a species-area relationship (SAR) for amphibians has not been attempted. We used nested and island site data from the southern Appalachian ecoregion to create linear regressions of two SAR models for predicting amphibian species richness. Our results indicate that land area is an accurate predictor of amphibian species richness within the study area. This model offers a rapid assessment of amphibian diversity and should be useful in conservation and land management initiatives. Identifying baseline biodiversity trends is vital for understanding species distributions into an uncertain future.