Potential Distribution of Amphibians with Different Habitat Characteristics in Response to Climate Change in South Korea

Amphibian species are highly vulnerable to climate change with significant species decline and extinction predicted worldwide. However, there are very limited studies on amphibians in South Korea. Here, we assessed the potential impacts of climate change on different habitat groups (wetland amphibia...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hyun Woo Kim, Pradeep Adhikari, Min Ho Chang, Changwan Seo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-07-01
Series:Animals
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/8/2185
Description
Summary:Amphibian species are highly vulnerable to climate change with significant species decline and extinction predicted worldwide. However, there are very limited studies on amphibians in South Korea. Here, we assessed the potential impacts of climate change on different habitat groups (wetland amphibians, Group 1; migrating amphibians, Group 2; and forest-dwelling amphibians, Group 3) under future climate change and land cover change in South Korea using a maximum entropy modelling approach. Our study revealed that all amphibians would suffer substantial loss of suitable habitats in the future, except <i>Lithobates catesbeianus</i>, <i>Kaloula borealis</i>, and <i>Karsenia koreana</i>. Similarly, species richness for Groups 2 and 3 will decline by 2030, 2050, and 2080. Currently, amphibian species are widely distributed across the country; however, in future, suitable habitats for amphibians would be concentrated along the Baekdudaegan Mountain Range and the southeastern region. Among the three groups, Group 3 amphibians are predicted to be the most vulnerable to climate change; therefore, immediate conservation action is needed to protect them. We expect this study could provide crucial baseline information required for the government to design climate change mitigation strategies for indigenous amphibians.
ISSN:2076-2615