AmphiBIO, a global database for amphibian ecological traits

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Herpetology

Background:

• Trait-based approaches are increasingly favored over species-based ones in ecology and evolution for linking organisms to ecosystem functions.
• Trait data availability is uneven across taxa, with amphibians having limited comprehensive databases.
• Amphibians are ecologically significant and face global declines, making trait data crucial for understanding community shifts and ecosystem impacts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce AmphiBIO, a novel, comprehensive database of amphibian natural history traits.
• To provide a resource for large-scale analyses in amphibian ecology, evolution, and conservation.

Main Methods:

• Compiled data on 17 ecological, morphological, and reproductive traits for amphibians.
• Extracted information from over 1,500 literature sources.
• Included data for more than 6,500 species across all amphibian orders (Anura, Caudata, Gymnophiona).

Main Results:

• AmphiBIO contains trait data for 6,500+ amphibian species, covering 17 key traits.
• The database encompasses all amphibian orders, 61 families, and 531 genera.
• Data was sourced from an extensive literature review of over 1,500 publications.

Conclusions:

• AmphiBIO provides an unprecedented resource for large-scale ecological and evolutionary studies of amphibians.
• The database is vital for understanding the impact of amphibian declines on communities and ecosystems.
• Facilitates future research in amphibian conservation and trait-based ecology.