Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, but faces severe pressures and threats to its natural ecosystems. Numerous species have declined and require to be objectively evaluated and quantified, as a step towards the development of conservation strategies. Herein, we present an updated National Red List Assessment for amphibian species of Ecuador, with one of the most detailed and complete coverages for any Ecuadorian taxonomic group to date. Based on standardized methodologies that integrate taxonomic work, spatial analyses, and ecological niche modeling, we assessed the extinction risk and identified the main threats for all Ecuadorian native amphibians (635 species), using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Our evaluation reveals that 57% (363 species) are categorized as Threatened, 12% (78 species) as Near Threatened, 4% (26 species) as Data Deficient, and 27% (168 species) as Least Concern. Our assessment almost doubles the number of threatened species in comparison with previous evaluations. In addition to habitat loss, the expansion of the agricultural/cattle raising frontier and other anthropogenic threats (roads, human settlements, and mining/oil activities) amplify the incidence of other pressures as relevant predictors of ecological integrity. Potential synergic effects with climate change and emergent diseases (apparently responsible for the sudden declines), had particular importance amongst the threats sustained by Ecuadorian amphibians. Most threatened species are distributed in montane forests and paramo habitats of the Andes, with nearly 10% of them occurring outside the National System of Protected Areas of the Ecuadorian government. Based on our results, we recommend the following actions: (i) An increase of the National System of Protected Areas to include threatened species. (ii) Supporting the ex/in-situ conservation programs to protect species considered like Critically Endangered and Endangered. (iii) Focalizing research efforts towards the description of new species, as well as species currently categorized as Data Deficient (DD) that may turn out to be threatened. The implementation of the described actions is challenging, but urgent, given the current conservation crisis faced by amphibians.

中文翻译：

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厄瓜多尔两栖动物物种红色名录评估：一种多维度的保护方法。

厄瓜多尔是世界上生物多样性最丰富的国家之一，但面临着巨大的压力和对其自然生态系统的威胁。许多物种已经下降，需要客观地评估和量化，以作为制定保护战略的一步。在此，我们为厄瓜多尔的两栖动物提供了最新的《国家红色名录》评估，这是迄今为止任何厄瓜多尔分类学类别中最详尽和完整的报道之一。基于将分类学工作，空间分析和生态位建模相结合的标准化方法，我们使用IUCN红色名录类别和标准，评估了灭绝风险并确定了所有厄瓜多尔本地两栖动物（635种）的主要威胁。我们的评估表明，有57％（363种）被归类为“受威胁”，12％（78种）为“濒临灭绝”，4％（26种）为“数据不足”，27％（168种）为“最低关注”。与以前的评估相比，我们的评估使受威胁物种的数量几乎翻了一番。除了栖息地的丧失之外，农业/牛群的发展以及其他人为威胁（道路，人类住区以及采矿/石油活动）的扩大，也加剧了其他压力的发生，这些压力是生态完整性的相关预测因子。在厄瓜多尔两栖动物所承受的威胁中，与气候变化和突发疾病的潜在协同作用（显然是造成突然下降的原因）尤其重要。受威胁最严重的物种分布在安第斯山脉的山地森林和paramo生境中，其中有近10％发生在厄瓜多尔政府国家保护区系统之外。根据我们的结果，我们建议采取以下行动：（i）扩大国家保护区系统，将受威胁物种包括在内。（ii）支持异地/就地保护计划，以保护被认为极度濒危和濒临灭绝的物种。（iii）集中研究工作来描述新物种，以及目前归类为数据不足（DD）的物种，这些物种可能会受到威胁。考虑到当前两栖动物面临的保护危机，上述行动的实施具有挑战性，但迫在眉睫。（ii）支持异地/就地保护计划，以保护被认为极度濒危和濒临灭绝的物种。（iii）集中研究工作来描述新物种，以及目前归类为数据不足（DD）的物种，这些物种可能会受到威胁。考虑到当前两栖动物面临的保护危机，上述行动的实施具有挑战性，但迫在眉睫。（ii）支持异地/就地保护计划，以保护被认为极度濒危和濒临灭绝的物种。（iii）集中研究工作来描述新物种，以及目前归类为数据不足（DD）的物种，这些物种可能会受到威胁。考虑到当前两栖动物面临的保护危机，上述行动的实施具有挑战性，但迫在眉睫。