Regional threat assessments for amphibians of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a critical region for amphibian biodiversity, hosting 252 anurans and three described caecilian species. Southern DRC, particularly the Katanga region, is a hotspot of amphibian biodiversity with 154 documented species, including 30 endemics inhabiting Miombo woodlands, wetlands, savannas and gallery forests. However, this rich biodiversity faces major anthropogenic threats. Mining, logging, agriculture and water management drive habitat destruction and degradation, while climate change exacerbates the seasonal drying of key breeding sites, making species with restricted ranges or specialised ecological requirements particularly vulnerable. Although 69% (106 species) of assessed amphibian species are listed as Least Concern, 22% (34) are Data Deficient, highlighting major knowledge gaps, and 9% (14) are threatened or Near Threatened, signalling urgent conservation needs. Here, we reviewed the scientific and grey literature to identify threats and estimate their probability of affecting each Katanga amphibian species across five threat categories. Mining and urbanisation showed high geographic prevalence (63.0% and 61.7% of species exposed, respectively) but relatively low mean severity scores (2.66 ± 0.96 and 2.63 ± 1.08 on a 0-4 scale), reflecting spatially concentrated impacts that mainly affect ecologically generalist taxa. In contrast, logging and non-timber crops showed lower prevalence (27.3% and 31.2%) but higher severity (2.47 ± 1.33 and 2.58 ± 1.32, respectively), with 28.4% and 33.3% of affected species classified as Likely threatened, reflecting direct and permanent destruction of specialised habitats supporting endemic species. Distinguishing prevalence from severity provides a robust framework for conservation prioritisation in Katanga.