Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37319174›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

Niche suitability and spatial distribution patterns of anurans in a unique Ecoregion mosaic of Northern Pakistan.

Muhammad Rais, Muhammad Ali Nawaz, Russell J Gray, Waqas Qadir, Syeda Maria Ali, Muhammad Saeed, Ayesha Akram, Waseem Ahmed, Anum Sajjad, Lionel Leston

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.

Muhammad RaisDepartment of Zoology, Herpetology Lab, Wildlife and Fisheries, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0003-1089-2076
Muhammad Ali NawazDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Science Program, College of Arts and Sciences, Doha, Qatar.ORCID 0000-0001-5632-9014
Russell J GrayScience Advisor, Save Vietnam's Wildlife, Ninh Bình, Vietnam.
Waqas QadirAssistant Education Officer, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Syeda Maria AliDepartment of Environmental Sciences, International Islamic University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan.ORCID 0000-0002-9301-2064
Muhammad SaeedResearch & Planning Wildlife, Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB), Ministry of Climate Change, Islamabad, Islamabad.
Ayesha AkramDepartment of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Waseem AhmedDepartment of Zoology, Wildlife and Fisheries, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Anum SajjadOccupational Health Safety and Environment, North West General Hospital and Research Centre, Hayatabad, Peshawar.
Lionel LestonDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-7964-8421
Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University · PKCat Tien National Park · VNInternational Islamic University, Islamabad · PKNorthwest General Hospital and Research Center · PKRawalpindi Medical University · PKUniversity of Alberta · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The lack of information regarding biodiversity status hampers designing and implementing conservation strategies and achieving future targets. Northern Pakistan consists of a unique ecoregion mosaic which supports a myriad of environmental niches for anuran diversity in comparison to the deserts and xeric shrublands throughout the rest of the country. In order to study the niche suitability, species overlap and distribution patterns in Pakistan, we collected observational data for nine anuran species across several distinct ecoregions by surveying 87 randomly selected locations from 2016 to 2018 in Rawalpindi District and Islamabad Capital Territory. Our model showed that the precipitation of the warmest and coldest quarter, distance to rivers and vegetation were the greatest drivers of anuran distribution, expectedly indicating that the presence of humid forests and proximity to waterways greatly influences the habitable range of anurans in Pakistan. Sympatric overlap between species occurred at significantly higher density in tropical and subtropical coniferous forests than in other ecoregion types. We found species such as Minervarya spp., Hoplobatrachus tigerinus and Euphlyctis spp. preferred the lowlands in proximal, central and southern parts of the study area proximal to urban settlements, with little vegetation and higher average temperatures. Duttaphrynus bengalensis and D. stomaticus had scattered distributions throughout the study area with no clear preference for elevation. Sphaerotheca pashchima was patchily distributed in the midwestern extent of the study area as well as the foothills to the north. Microhyla nilphamariensis was widely distributed throughout the study area with a preference for both lowlands and montane terrain. Endemic frogs (Nanorana vicina and Allopaa hazarensis) were observed only in locations with higher elevations, higher density of streams and lower average temperatures as compared to the other seven species sampled. It is recommended to provide legal protection to amphibians of Pakistan, especially endemic species, through revision in the existing wildlife laws. We suggest studying the effectiveness of existing amphibian tunnels and corridors or designing new ones tailored to the needs of our species to prevent their local extinction due to ongoing or proposed urban development which might affect their dispersal and colonization.

Indexed as

AnuraBiodiversityAnimalsBufonidaeEcosystemForestsPakistan

Identifiers

PMID37319174
PMCPMC10270595
OpenAlexW4380853919

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.