Major
Biology
Research Abstract
In the midst of the current sixth mass extinction event which is currently underway, it appears that amphibians are one of the most impacted vertebrates. Over 7,500 amphibian species are listed on the IUCN Red List (an assessment tool which provides species’ conservation status, perceived threats, and distribution range). While it is well-known that populations under multiple stressors are more likely to undergo significant declines, there are little to no resources available for visualizating how these threats may work synergistically and interact within a species’ range. This is especially the case for Southeast Asian amphibians, of which much less attention has been paid compared to other parts of the globe. Additionally, the IUCN Red List provides a description of threats affecting species and categorizes species into Red List Categories (Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered). However, this data is not easily accessible for wide-scale analyses. The aims of this project were as follows: (1) utilize bioinformatics to increase accessibility to IUCN Red List data, (2) analyze the IUCN data repository to identify trends in Southeast Asian amphibians, and (3) plot IUCN threat data.
Faculty Mentor/Advisor
Dr. Jennifer Dever
Included in
Seeing Red: Analyzing IUCN Red List Data
In the midst of the current sixth mass extinction event which is currently underway, it appears that amphibians are one of the most impacted vertebrates. Over 7,500 amphibian species are listed on the IUCN Red List (an assessment tool which provides species’ conservation status, perceived threats, and distribution range). While it is well-known that populations under multiple stressors are more likely to undergo significant declines, there are little to no resources available for visualizating how these threats may work synergistically and interact within a species’ range. This is especially the case for Southeast Asian amphibians, of which much less attention has been paid compared to other parts of the globe. Additionally, the IUCN Red List provides a description of threats affecting species and categorizes species into Red List Categories (Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered). However, this data is not easily accessible for wide-scale analyses. The aims of this project were as follows: (1) utilize bioinformatics to increase accessibility to IUCN Red List data, (2) analyze the IUCN data repository to identify trends in Southeast Asian amphibians, and (3) plot IUCN threat data.
