Authors: Molly C. Womack, Emma Steigerwald, David Blackburn, David C. Cannatella, Alessandro Catenazzi, Jing Che, Michelle S. Koo, Jimmy A. McGuire, Santiago Ron, Carol Spencer, Vance T. Vredenburg, and Rebecca D. Tarvin
Abstract: Amphibians are a clade of over 8,400 species that provide unique research opportunities and challenges. With amphibians undergoing severe global declines, taking stock of our current understanding of amphibians is imperative. Focusing on 2016–2020, we assessed trends in amphibian publishing, conservation research, systematics, and community resources. We show that while research and data availability are increasing rapidly, information is not evenly distributed across research fields, clades, or geographic regions, leading to substantial knowledge gaps. A complete review of amphibian NCBI resources indicates that genomic data are poised for rapid expansion, but amphibian genomes pose significant challenges. A review of recent conservation literature and cataloged threats on 1,261 species highlight the need to address land use change and disease using adaptive management strategies. We underscore the importance of database integration for advancing amphibian research and conservation and suggest other understudied or imperiled clades would benefit from similar assessments.
Ichthyology & Herpetology 110, No. 4, 2022, 638–661
Shareable Publication: DOI 10.1643/h2022005
Figures with their generating scripts and data are available here.