Exploring the Driving Forces behind the Distribution and Abundance of Tibetan Frogs in the Hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Understanding the effect of environmental factors on population characteristics of amphibians is crucial for their conservation and management. This is especially pertinent in regions vulnerable to climate change, such as the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Here, we investigated the underlying environmental factors affecting the occurrence and abundance of Tibetan frogs (Nanorana pleskei) in the Three-River-Source region (TRSR) on the QTP. We found that N. pleskei is predominantly located in the headwater region of the Lancang River, with an increasing population size from northwest to southeast across the TRSR. Temperature oscillation acts as an ecological filter to determine the occurrence pattern, whereas the abundance is jointly influenced by maximum monthly temperature and precipitation and precipitation variability. Our study presents up-to-date information on the distribution and population status of N. pleskei in the hinterland of the QTP, which can assist conservation practitioners in developing effective management plans. Furthermore, our findings can contribute to the understanding of the distribution and abundance of amphibians within challenging high-elevation and plateau environments, offering insights that are valuable for the conservation and management of other amphibian species inhabiting similar high-elevation regions.