Amphibian Monitoring and Population Dynamics in Douba, Kangxian From 2014 to 2018

Currently, the survival situation of amphibians has already attracted more and more attention by ecologists and conservation biologists. Kangxian as experimental site in this study is located in the southeast of Longnan mountain area, which is just on the boundary of climate between north and south of China and the boundary between Indomalaya Ecozone and Palearctic Ecozone of the world animal geography division. This County is the key area of natural geography and animal geography division of China. From 2014 to 2018, the dynamic information of amphibian population in six representative sample sites in this County (Lijiagou, Douba, River of Luojiadi, Yingou, Mountain of Luojiadi and Yuanfeng) had been continuously monitored by using the method of line sampling and fence trap. Five species of amphibians, Feirana kangxianensis, Rana chensinensis, Bufo gargarizans, Hyla tsinlingensis, and Batrachuperus tibetanus were observed. Among them, only Batrachuperus tibetanus is a vulnerable species (VU), just four individuals were recorded in Lijiagou during 2015 to 2016, so no statistics were carried out for this species. The results show that the population of Feirana kangxianensis was increased, the population of Bufo chinensis remained stable, but the population of Rana chinensis and Hyla tsinlingensis were decreased. The population density of all species in each sample site was fluctuant in different trends, but bottom out at the lowest point in 2017. Except for 2014 and 2017, the density of amphibians in all sample plots was the highest in April, followed by a decrease in both June and August. The number of amphibians in the Yingou sampling transects was the largest, which was significantly largger than that in the Lijiagou and Mountian of Luojiadi sampling transects (P < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the other sampling transects (P>0.05). The main human interference for the decline of amphibian population and population density are quarrying activities and water pollution. Therefore, habitat protection should be strengthened.