BACKGROUND: A crucial step in conserving biodiversity is to identify the distributions of threatened species and the factors associated with species threat status. In the biodiversity hotspot of the Himalaya, very little is known about which locations harbour the highest diversity of threatened species and whether diversity of such species is related to area, mid-domain effects (MDE), range size, or human density. In this study, we assessed the drivers of variation in richness of threatened birds, mammals, reptiles, actinopterygii, and amphibians along an elevational gradient in Nepal Himalaya. RESULTS: Although geometric constraints (MDE), species range size, and human population density were significantly related to threatened species richness, the interaction between range size and human population density was of greater importance. Threatened species richness was positively associated with human population density and negatively associated with range size. CONCLUSIONS: In areas with high richness of threatened species, species ranges tend to be small. The preponderance of species at risk of extinction at low elevations in the subtropical biodiversity hotspot could be due to the double impact of smaller range sizes and higher human density.

Center for Conservation Biology Kathmandu Institute of Applied Sciences PO Box 23002 Kathmandu Nepal

Department of Vegetation Ecology Institute of Botany The Czech Academy of Sciences Brno Czech Republic

Department of Zoology Fisheries Hydrobiology and Apiculture Mendel University in Brno Brno Czech Republic

Division of Biological Sciences and Wildlife Biology Program University of Montana Missoula MT USA

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