This dataset contains the components of and resultant Rarity and Climate Sensitivity (RCS) values for 90 species of frogs and toads native to the conterminous United States. The RCS metric uses point occurrences to describe area of occurrence, quantifies the variation of climate conditions within that area, and combines and scales the two for a multispecies assessment of intrinsic sensitivity to climate change. The RCS metric was calculated at two geographic extents, the conterminous US and the North American continent. We also used two spatial grains: 1 km buffered occurrence points and small watersheds (Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) 12 watershed boundaries within and HydroBASIN level 12 watershed boundaries outside the conterminous US). Point occurrences from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and HerpMapper were used to calculate area of occurrence at each spatial extent and grain size. Climate specificity was calculated by extracting five bioclimatic variables (annual mean temperature, maximum temperature of the warmest month, minimum temperature of the minimum month, annual precipitation, and precipitation seasonality) from the area of occurrence and calculating the area-weighted standard deviation of each climate variable for each species. Rarity, as described by area of occurrence, and climate sensitivity is scaled and combined to form the RCS index. Because we evaluated the relationships among intrinsic sensitivity, taxonomy, and conservation status, species taxonomic family, genera, International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List status, Endangered Species Act status, and Species of Greatest Conservation Need status is included in this dataset. Each row contains the calculated RCS index and its components for two spatial grain sizes for a unique species and spatial extent combination (90 species x 2 spatial extents = 180 rows). First posted - June 27, 2022 (available from author) Revised - October 20, 2022 (version 2.0)

This dataset is a partial literature review of life history traits and habitat characteristics which may be important to climate change vulnerability in amphibians. We describe through empirical studies and texts of life history theory, which traits and characteristics we used to construct a climate change vulnerability assessment, and the justification for using those traits in our analysis. We do not claim this review includes all relevant literature germain to the topic of climate change vulnerability.

Climate change is a primary threat to biodiversity, but for most species, we still lack information required to assess their potential vulnerability to changes. Climate change vulnerability assessment (CCVA) is a widely-used technique to rank relative vulnerability to climate change based on species distributions, habitat associations, environmental tolerances, and life-history traits. For species that we expect are vulnerable to climate change yet are data deficient, like many amphibians, we often lack information required to construct traditional CCVAs. We extended the CCVA framework by constructing models based on life history theory, using empirical evidence of traits and distributions that reflected sensitivity of data-deficient species to environmental perturbation. These csv data files were assembled to perform climate change vulnerability assessments of the 31 amphibian species, both across the north central region and within individual US states. We incorporated information from species' life history traits and other characteristics along with climate projections of evapotranspiration deficit change, to score relative vulnerability of the 31 amphibians. Associated R code is for scoring relative vulnerability, where overall score is a product of exposure to climate change times sensitivity to that change, minus adaptive capacity of each species. All species are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in at least one of 7 states in the North Central United States: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.

Climate change is a primary threat to biodiversity, but for most species, we still lack information required to assess their potential vulnerability to changes. Climate change vulnerability assessment (CCVA) is a widely-used technique to rank relative vulnerability to climate change based on species distributions, habitat associations, environmental tolerances, and life-history traits. For species that we expect are vulnerable to climate change yet are data deficient, like many amphibians, we often lack information required to construct traditional CCVAs. We extended the CCVA framework by constructing models based on life history theory, using empirical evidence of traits and distributions that reflected sensitivity of data-deficient species to environmental perturbation. These csv data files were assembled to perform climate change vulnerability assessments of the 31 amphibian species, both across the north central region and within individual US states. We incorporated information from species' life history traits and other characteristics along with climate projections of evapotranspiration deficit change, to score relative vulnerability of the 31 amphibians. Associated R code is for scoring relative vulnerability, where overall score is a product of exposure to climate change times sensitivity to that change, minus adaptive capacity of each species. All species are listed as Species of Greatest Conservation Need in at least one of 7 states in the North Central United States: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.

This dataset details individual species and natural habitat vulnerability rankings, including contextual study-specific information. This data was collected from original publications found through a literature search. Information is cumulative to include climate change vulnerability assessment (CCVA) results summarized in Staudinger et al. (2015) and published as of December 2023.

This dataset details individual species and natural habitat vulnerability rankings, including contextual study-specific information. This data was collected from original publications found through a literature search. Information is cumulative to include climate change vulnerability assessment (CCVA) results summarized in Staudinger et al. (2015) and published as of December 2023.

The attached spreadsheets are ranked climate change vulnerability estimates of amphibians in the north central United States. All species are listed as species of greatest conservation need in at least one of the 7 states in the north central region (Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas). Vulnerability scores are developed from exposure data from evapotranspiration deficit projections across 2 climate change scenarios, along with sensitivity and adaptive capacity traits from literature values and range maps. We used readily-available data from climate projections, range maps, and life history traits to score vulnerability in these data-deficient species, where more detailed life history information may not be available.

The attached spreadsheets are ranked climate change vulnerability estimates of amphibians in the north central United States. All species are listed as species of greatest conservation need in at least one of the 7 states in the north central region (Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas). Vulnerability scores are developed from exposure data from evapotranspiration deficit projections across 2 climate change scenarios, along with sensitivity and adaptive capacity traits from literature values and range maps. We used readily-available data from climate projections, range maps, and life history traits to score vulnerability in these data-deficient species, where more detailed life history information may not be available.

Amphibian decline is a problem of global importance, with over 40% of species considered at risk. This phenomenon is not limited to the tropics or to other countries. Amphibian species in the U.S. are also declining, contributing to the larger, global phenomenon. For example, in the State of Wyoming, the Wyoming toad has been extirpated in the wild and the boreal toad is a species of special concern. Understanding biotic and abiotic factors that influence amphibian persistence is critical for amphibian conservation. This work in northern Wyoming has focused on demography, habitat alteration and creation, and disease in the context of multiple amphibian populations. One of the foci has been to identify the capacity for mitigation wetlands (those created to offset losses due to, for example, road construction) to serve as habitat for amphibians. Four species of amphibians native to Wyoming, including the boreal toad, reside in this region. Our previous research indicates that the toad population at Blackrock is declining at 5-6% per year and that disease due to the amphibian chytrid fungus is contributing to this decline. Our demographic work at this site began in 2003, focusing solely on the boreal toad. Additional funding in 2012 allowed us to increase the scope of the project and assess chorus frog, salamander and Columbia spotted frog populations, invertebrate assemblages, work to quantify the use of mitigation sites by amphibians, and to expand efforts to include sites on Togwotee Pass a short distance away from Blackrock. Because most previous studies of amphibian use of created wetlands have taken place in the eastern United States, this project, incorporating demographic and disease dynamics as well as community composition and mitigation effects of created wetlands, is unique and provides a case study in the Intermountain West. By 2015, all four native amphibian species were observed at one of the created wetlands, and all of them, including the boreal toad, were breeding (evidenced by breeding behavior, eggs or tadpoles).

Amphibians are among the most sensitive taxa to climate change, and species inhabiting arid and semiarid landscapes at the extremes of their range are especially vulnerable to periods of drought. The Jack Creek, Oregon, USA population of Oregon spotted frogs (Rana pretiosa) faces unique challenges occupying the highest elevation site in the species’ extant range and one that has been hydrologically transformed by loss of American beaver (Castor canadensis). We evaluated the effect of drought mitigation (addition of excavated ponds) on relationships between local water availability, legacy beaver dams, and R. pretiosa population dynamics in the Jack Creek system. We conducted capture-mark-recapture sampling at a treatment reach with excavated ponds and 3 reference reaches over 13 years; surveys spanned a period before and after pond excavation at the treatment and one reference reach. This dataset contains capture data and covariates used in the robust design capture-mark-recapture analysis to characterize population dynamics, described in Rowe et al. 2023.