Shedding light on a threatened midwife toad: fine-scale niche modelling of the Moroccan endemic Alytes maurus (Pasteur and Bons 1962)

Abstract

Alytes maurus is one of the lesser-known amphibians of northwestern Africa. This small toad appears in several fragmented subpopulations in the mountainous systems of northern Morocco and it is threatened by deforestation and the pollution of streams. In this study, we evaluate, for the first time, the environmental factors (habitat and climate) that may influence its presence, by comparing the characteristics of the study sites with baseline conditions. The results indicate that the vegetation cover is positively related to the presence of this amphibian, which is possibly mediated by the environmental buffering effect of the plant cover. To ensure the adequate protection of riparian forests and streams is possibly the most efficient strategy for the conservation of this endangered amphibian.