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Rosindell J, Manson K, Gumbs R, Pearse WD, Steel M. Phylogenetic Biodiversity Metrics Should Account for Both Accumulation and Attrition of Evolutionary Heritage. Syst Biol 2023:syad072. [PMID: 38102727 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syad072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic metrics are essential tools used in the study of ecology, evolution and conservation. Phylogenetic diversity (PD) in particular is one of the most prominent measures of biodiversity, and is based on the idea that biological features accumulate along the edges of phylogenetic trees that are summed. We argue that PD and many other phylogenetic biodiversity metrics fail to capture an essential process that we term attrition. Attrition is the gradual loss of features through causes other than extinction. Here we introduce 'EvoHeritage', a generalisation of PD that is founded on the joint processes of accumulation and attrition of features. We argue that whilst PD measures evolutionary history, EvoHeritage is required to capture a more pertinent subset of evolutionary history including only components that have survived attrition. We show that EvoHeritage is not the same as PD on a tree with scaled edges; instead, accumulation and attrition interact in a more complex non-monophyletic way that cannot be captured by edge lengths alone. This leads us to speculate that the one dimensional edge lengths of classic trees may be insufficiently flexible to capture the nuances of evolutionary processes. We derive a measure of EvoHeritage and show that it elegantly reproduces species richness and PD at opposite ends of a continuum based on the intensity of attrition. We demonstrate the utility of EvoHeritage in ecology as a predictor of community productivity compared with species richness and PD. We also show how EvoHeritage can quantify living fossils and resolve their associated controversy. We suggest how the existing calculus of PD-based metrics and other phylogenetic biodiversity metrics can and should be recast in terms of EvoHeritage accumulation and attrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Rosindell
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
- Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Kerry Manson
- Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Rikki Gumbs
- EDGE of Existence Programme, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - William D Pearse
- Department of Life Sciences, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, United Kingdom
| | - Mike Steel
- Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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McClure CJW, Berkunsky I, Buechley ER, Dunn L, Johnson J, McCabe J, Oppel S, Rolek BW, Sutton LJ, Gumbs R. Conserving the evolutionary history of birds. Conserv Biol 2023; 37:e14141. [PMID: 37424371 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
In the midst of the sixth mass extinction, limited resources are forcing conservationists to prioritize which species and places will receive conservation action. Evolutionary distinctiveness measures the isolation of a species on its phylogenetic tree. Combining a species' evolutionary distinctiveness with its globally endangered status creates an EDGE score. We use EDGE scores to prioritize the places and species that should be managed to conserve bird evolutionary history. We analyzed all birds in all countries and important bird areas. We examined parrots, raptors, and seabirds in depth because these groups are especially threatened and relatively speciose. The three focal groups had greater median threatened evolutionary history than other taxa, making them important for conserving bird evolutionary history. Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar, New Zealand, and the Philippines were especially critical countries for bird conservation because they had the most threatened evolutionary history for endemic birds and are important for parrots, raptors, and seabirds. Increased enforcement of international agreements for the conservation of parrots, raptors, and seabirds is needed because these agreements protect hundreds of millions of years of threatened bird evolutionary history. Decisive action is required to conserve the evolutionary history of birds into the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Igor Berkunsky
- Instituto Multidisciplinario sobre Ecosistemas y Desarrollo Sustentable-CICPBA, Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil, Argentina
| | | | - Leah Dunn
- The Peregrine Fund, Boise, Idaho, USA
| | - Jeff Johnson
- Wolf Creek Operating Foundation, Wolf, Wyoming, USA
| | | | - Steffen Oppel
- RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Rikki Gumbs
- EDGE of Existence Programme, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Berkshire, UK
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Zhu Y, Xu X, Xi Z, Liu J. Conservation priorities for endangered trees facing multiple threats around the world. Conserv Biol 2023; 37:e14142. [PMID: 37424365 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Trees are vital to the survival of numerous species and to forest ecosystem functioning. However, the current distribution, vulnerability to extinction, and conservation priorities of globally endangered trees are not well known. We mapped the global distribution of 1686 tree species listed as endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List and identified conservation priority for them based on species richness, life-history traits, evolutionary distinctiveness, future climate change, and intensity of human activities. We also evaluated the impacts of various threats to these endangered tree species and evaluated the effectiveness of their protection based on the percentage of the species' range inside protected areas. The worldwide distribution of endangered trees, from the tropics through temperate zones, was uneven. Most endangered tree species were not protected in their native ranges, and only 153 species were fully protected. Hotspots of tree diversity occurred primarily in the tropics, and 79.06% of these were highly vulnerable to threats. We identified 253 areas of high priority for the conservation of endangered trees that are highly threatened and insufficiently protected. In particular, 43.42% of unprotected tree species in priority areas lacked recommended conservation measures or had no associated conservation plan. The priority conservation areas and unprotected trees we identified serve as a guideline for future management underpinning the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Zhu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences & State Key Lab of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoting Xu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences & State Key Lab of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Zhenxiang Xi
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences & State Key Lab of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China
| | - Jianquan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences & State Key Lab of Hydraulics & Mountain River Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China
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Cortés-Díaz D, Buitrago-Torres DL, Restrepo-Cardona JS, Estellés-Domingo I, López-López P. Bridging Evolutionary History and Conservation of New World Vultures. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3175. [PMID: 37893899 PMCID: PMC10603630 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The New World Vultures (Cathartidae) include seven species of obligate scavengers that, despite their ecological relevance, present critical information gaps around their evolutionary history and conservation. Insights into their phylogenetic relationships in recent years has enabled the addressing of such information gaps through approaches based on phylogeny. We reconstructed the ancestral area in America of the current species using two regionalization schemes and methods: Biogeography with Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis (BioGeoBears) and Bayesian Binary Model-Monte Carlo Markov Chains (BBM-MCMC). Then, we identified the priority species and areas for conservation by means of the Evolutionary Distinctiveness index (ED), as a proxy of the uniqueness of species according to phylogeny, and the Global Endangerment index (GE), mapping phylogenetic diversity. We found that the ancestral area of New World Vultures in America corresponds to South America, with dispersal processes that led to a recolonization of North America by Coragyps atratus, Gymnogyps californianus and Cathartes aura. We identified the Black Vulture, G. californianus and Vultur gryphus as priority species based on ED and "Evolutionary Distinct Globally Endangered" (EDGE) indexes, and the lowlands of Amazon River basin and the Orinoco basin and some tributaries areas of the Guiana Shield were identified as the priority areas when mapping the phylogenetic diversity. This study highlights the importance of filling knowledge gaps of species of conservation concern through the integration of evolutionary and ecological information and tools and, thus, developing adequate strategies to enhance the preservation of these species in the face of the current loss of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Cortés-Díaz
- Semillero de Investigación en Ecología y Conservación, Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá 110151, Colombia;
| | | | - Juan Sebastián Restrepo-Cardona
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
- Fundación Cóndor Andino—Ecuador, Quito 170143, Ecuador
| | - Irene Estellés-Domingo
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain;
| | - Pascual López-López
- Movement Ecology Laboratory, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, C/Catedrático José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain;
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Carta A, Peruzzi L, Ramírez‐Barahona S. A global phylogenetic regionalization of vascular plants reveals a deep split between Gondwanan and Laurasian biotas. New Phytol 2022; 233:1494-1504. [PMID: 34758121 PMCID: PMC9298788 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Existing global regionalization schemes for plants consider the compositional affinities among biotas, but these have not explicitly considered phylogenetic information. Here, we present for the first time, a phytogeographical delineation of the global vascular flora based on species-level evolutionary relationships. We analysed 8737 820 geographical occurrence records for vascular plants together with a time-calibrated phylogeny including 67 269 species. We constructed a global phylogenetic regionalization by estimating species composition and phylogenetic beta diversity among 200 km × 200 km grid cells across the world. We identified de novo 16 phytogeographical units that are deeply split into two clusters: Laurasian and Gondwanan. Our regionalization broadly matches previous schemes, but also highlights the separation of the Gondwanan biota into an Holotropical cluster and an Australian-Neozealandic-Patagonian cluster. In contrast, no clear split among Laurasian and Gondwanan biotas was retrieved when omitting phylogenetic information. The integration of phylogenetic and geographical information provides new insights into the delineation of phytogeographical areas and their historical relationships, enabling the identification of three large, clearly differentiated biotas, here referred to as kingdoms: Holarctic, Holotropical, and Austral. Our results provide further evidence for delineating transition zones and show a clear latitudinal pattern of increasing evolutionary distinctiveness towards the poles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelino Carta
- Unità di BotanicaDipartimento di BiologiaUniversità di Pisa56126PisaItaly
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e AmbientaliCentro Interuniversitario per la Biodiversità Vegetale Big Data – PLANT DATAAlma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna40126BolognaItaly
| | - Lorenzo Peruzzi
- Unità di BotanicaDipartimento di BiologiaUniversità di Pisa56126PisaItaly
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e AmbientaliCentro Interuniversitario per la Biodiversità Vegetale Big Data – PLANT DATAAlma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna40126BolognaItaly
| | - Santiago Ramírez‐Barahona
- Departamento de BotánicaInstituto de BiologíaUniversidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)Circuito Exterior s/nCiudad de México04510Mexico
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Ibanez T, Ainsworth A, Gross J, Price JP, Webb EL, Hart PJ. Rarity patterns of woody plant species are associated with life form and diversification rates in Pacific islands forests. Am J Bot 2021; 108:946-957. [PMID: 34160827 PMCID: PMC9328433 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Rarity is a complex and central concept in ecology and conservation biology. Yet, it is still poorly understood why some species are rare and others common. Here, we aimed to understand the drivers of species rarity patterns in woody plant communities. METHODS We analyzed the local abundance and landscape frequency of 121 woody plant species across 238 plots on American Samoa and Hawaiian islands. We first assessed whether taxonomy, life form (shrub, small tree, large tree), and dispersal syndrome (dispersed by animals or by other means) are associated with the rarity of species. We then analyzed phylogenetic patterns in plant rarity and tested whether rarity patterns are associated with species evolutionary distinctiveness and the number of species within genera and families. RESULTS Large trees were less abundant but more frequent than shrub species. Animal-dispersed species tended to be less abundant than species dispersed by other means, while species frequency was not associated with dispersal syndromes. Relative frequency in Hawai'i exhibited a more robust phylogenetic signal than did abundance. Both evolutionary distinctiveness and taxa species richness were significantly associated with the frequency of shrub species in Hawai'i. CONCLUSIONS Life form appears consistently associated with the rarity of species. High diversification rate is probably a key factor explaining landscape-scale rarity of native species on isolated archipelagos like Hawai'i. At the landscape scale, rarity appears to be inversely associated with evolutionary distinctiveness, but at the local scale, species abundance may be not associated with evolutionary distinctiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ibanez
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Hawai'i at Hilo200 West Kawili StreetHiloHI96712USA
- Present address:
AMAPUniv MontpellierCIRADCNRSINRAEIRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Alison Ainsworth
- National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Program, Pacific Island NetworkP.O. Box 52Hawai'i Volcanoes National ParkHI96718USA
| | - Jacob Gross
- National Park Service, Inventory and Monitoring Program, Pacific Island NetworkP.O. Box 52Hawai'i Volcanoes National ParkHI96718USA
| | - Jonathan P. Price
- Department of Geography and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Hawai'i at Hilo200 West Kawili StreetHiloHI96712USA
| | - Edward L. Webb
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of Singapore14 Science Drive 4117543Singapore
| | - Patrick J. Hart
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Hawai'i at Hilo200 West Kawili StreetHiloHI96712USA
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Davis M, Faurby S, Svenning JC. Mammal diversity will take millions of years to recover from the current biodiversity crisis. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:11262-7. [PMID: 30322924 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1804906115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The incipient sixth mass extinction that started in the Late Pleistocene has already erased over 300 mammal species and, with them, more than 2.5 billion y of unique evolutionary history. At the global scale, this lost phylogenetic diversity (PD) can only be restored with time as lineages evolve and create new evolutionary history. Given the increasing rate of extinctions however, can mammals evolve fast enough to recover their lost PD on a human time scale? We use a birth-death tree framework to show that even if extinction rates slow to preanthropogenic background levels, recovery of lost PD will likely take millions of years. These findings emphasize the severity of the potential sixth mass extinction and the need to avoid the loss of unique evolutionary history now.
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Quan Q, Che X, Wu Y, Wu Y, Zhang Q, Zhang M, Zou F. Effectiveness of protected areas for vertebrates based on taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity. Conserv Biol 2018; 32:355-365. [PMID: 28703325 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.12986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 06/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Establishing protected areas is the primary goal and tool for preventing irreversible biodiversity loss. However, the effectiveness of protected areas that target specific species has been questioned for some time because targeting key species for conservation may impair the integral regional pool of species diversity and phylogenetic and functional diversity are seldom considered. We assessed the efficacy of protected areas in China for the conservation of phylogenetic diversity based on the ranges and phylogenies of 2279 terrestrial vertebrates. Phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity were strongly and positively correlated, and only 12.1-43.8% of priority conservation areas are currently protected. However, the patterns and coverage of phylogenetic diversity were affected when weighted by species richness. These results indicated that in China, protected areas targeting high species richness protected phylogenetic diversity well overall but failed to do so in some regions with more unique or threatened communities (e.g., coastal areas of eastern China, where severely threatened avian communities were less protected). Our results suggest that the current distribution of protected areas could be improved, although most protected areas protect both taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Quan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Xianli Che
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Yongjie Wu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, U.S.A
| | - Yuchun Wu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Fasheng Zou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangzhou 510260, China
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Ibáñez-Álamo JD, Rubio E, Benedetti Y, Morelli F. Global loss of avian evolutionary uniqueness in urban areas. Glob Chang Biol 2017; 23:2990-2998. [PMID: 27859999 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization, one of the most important anthropogenic impacts on Earth, is rapidly expanding worldwide. This expansion of urban land-covered areas is known to significantly reduce different components of biodiversity. However, the global evidence for this effect is mainly focused on a single diversity measure (species richness) with a few local or regional studies also supporting reductions in functional diversity. We have used birds, an important ecological group that has been used as surrogate for other animals, to investigate the hypothesis that urbanization reduces the global taxonomical and/or evolutionary diversity. We have also explored whether there is evidence supporting that urban bird communities are evolutionarily homogenized worldwide in comparison with nonurban ones by means of using evolutionary distinctiveness (how unique are the species) of bird communities. To our knowledge, this is the first attempt to quantify the effect of urbanization in more than one single diversity measure as well as the first time to look for associations between urbanization and phylogenetic diversity at a large spatial scale. Our findings show a strong and globally consistent reduction in taxonomic diversity in urban areas, which is also synchronized with the evolutionary homogenization of urban bird communities. Despite our general patterns, we found some regional differences in the intensity of the effect of cities on bird species richness or evolutionary distinctiveness, suggesting that conservation efforts should be adapted locally. Our findings might be useful for conservationists and policymakers to minimize the impact of urban development on Earth's biodiversity and help design more realistic conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Diego Ibáñez-Álamo
- Behavioral and Physiological Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Enrique Rubio
- Behavioral and Physiological Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yanina Benedetti
- Centro Naturalistico Sammarinese, via Valdes De Carli 21, I-47893, Borgo Maggiore, Republic of San Marino
| | - Federico Morelli
- Department of Applied Geoinformatics and Spatial Planning, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
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Mankga LT, Yessoufou K. Factors driving the global decline of cycad diversity. AoB Plants 2017; 9:plx022. [PMID: 28721186 PMCID: PMC5506724 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plx022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 05/21/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Mounting evidence indicates that we are witnessing the sixth mass extinction period. Given the important goods and services biodiversity delivers to humans, there is a need for a continued commitment to investigate what pre-disposes some taxa to greater risk of extinction. Here, we investigate this question using a phylogenetic comparative method and fitting a cumulative link mixed effect model on biological, ecological and evolutionary data of cycads, the most threatened lineage in the plant kingdom. We identified nine groups of threats to cycads, with habitat loss, over-collection, fire and reproduction failure being the most prominent, but only four of these threats (habitat loss, over-collection, medicinal uses and reproduction failure) clustered on the cycad tree of life. This clustering suggests that closely related species may be exposed to similar threats, perhaps because of geographic regionalization of cycad genera. Nonetheless, the diversity of threats and several variables linked to the biology and ecology of cycads correlate with extinction risk (e.g. altitude, height, diameter, geographic range), and different variables seem to be linked to different IUCN status of cycads. Although their predictive power is generally < 50 %, geographic range and maximum diameter stood out as the best predictors particularly for the Vulnerable (VU) category, with a predictive power of 87 % and 69 %, respectively. Using our best model for VU, we predicted all five Data Deficient (DD) species of cycads to be in the VU category. Collectively, our results elucidate the pattern of extinction risk in cycads and, since most threats that we identified as drivers of extinction risk of cycads are anthropogenically mediated, we recommend stronger legislation to regulate human-cycad interactions and the commitment of all governments globally to implement this regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ledile T. Mankga
- Department of Life and Consumer Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida campus, Florida 1710, South Africa
| | - Kowiyou Yessoufou
- Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, APK Campus, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Yessoufou K, Daru BH, Tafirei R, Elansary HO, Rampedi I. Integrating biogeography, threat and evolutionary data to explore extinction crisis in the taxonomic group of cycads. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:2735-2746. [PMID: 28428864 PMCID: PMC5395460 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Revised: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Will the ongoing extinction crisis cause a severe loss of evolutionary information accumulated over millions of years on the tree of life? This question has been largely explored, particularly for vertebrates and angiosperms. However, no equivalent effort has been devoted to gymnosperms. Here, we address this question focusing on cycads, the gymnosperm group exhibiting the highest proportion of threatened species in the plant kingdom. We assembled the first complete phylogeny of cycads and assessed how species loss under three scenarios would impact the cycad tree of life. These scenarios are as follows: (1) All top 50% of evolutionarily distinct (ED) species are lost; (2) all threatened species are lost; and (3) only all threatened species in each IUCN category are lost. Finally, we analyzed the biogeographical pattern of cycad diversity hotspots and tested for gaps in the current global conservation network. First, we showed that threatened species are not significantly clustered on the cycad tree of life. Second, we showed that the loss of all vulnerable or endangered species does not depart significantly from random loss. In contrast, the loss of all top 50% ED, all threatened or all critically endangered species, would result in a greater loss of PD (Phylogenetic Diversity) than expected. To inform conservation decisions, we defined five hotpots of diversity, and depending on the diversity metric used, these hotspots are located in Southern Africa, Australia, Indo‐Pacific, and Mexico and all are found within protected areas. We conclude that the phylogenetic diversity accumulated over millions of years in the cycad tree of life would not survive the current extinction crisis. As such, prioritizing efforts based on ED and concentrating efforts on critically endangered species particularly in southern Africa, Australia, Indo‐Pacific, and Mexico are required to safeguarding the evolutionary diversity in the cycad tree of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kowiyou Yessoufou
- Department of Geography Environmental Management and Energy Studies University of Johannesburg Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Barnabas H Daru
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Harvard University Herbaria Harvard University Cambridge MA USA.,Department of Plant Sciences University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
| | - Respinah Tafirei
- Department of Geography Environmental Management and Energy Studies University of Johannesburg Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Hosam O Elansary
- Department of Floriculture Ornamental Horticulture and Garden Design Alexandria University Alexandria Egypt
| | - Isaac Rampedi
- Department of Geography Environmental Management and Energy Studies University of Johannesburg Johannesburg South Africa
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Chen D, Liu Q, Chang J, Jiang A, Zhou F, Zhang Y, Zhang Z. Multi-locus analysis supports the taxonomic validity of Arborophila gingica guangxiensis Fang Zhou & Aiwu Jiang, 2008. Zookeys 2016:125-36. [PMID: 26877690 PMCID: PMC4740825 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.555.6814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The taxonomic status of subspecies has long been debated, especially in conservation biology. Some proposed subspecies must be evolutionarily distinct to be considered conservation units. White-necklaced Partridge (Arborophilagingica) comprises two subspecies, Arborophilagingicagingica and Arborophilagingicaguangxiensis. Arborophilagingicaguangxiensis, restricted to three isolated small areas in Guangxi, China, with limited population sizes, is a newly discovered subspecies based on recently identified geographic and phenotypic differences between Arborophilagingicagingica; however, evidence is lacking that can effectively identify whether the subspecies is evolutionarily distinct. Here, three mitochondrial DNA segments and four nuclear introns were used to test whether the two subspecies are reciprocally monophyletic, which has been proposed as an objective method to evaluate evolutionary distinctiveness. The results indicate that the two subspecies are genetically divergent and form reciprocal monophyletic groups. Therefore, this study further supports the taxonomic validity and distinctiveness of Arborophilagingicaguangxiensis and suggests that this subspecies be considered as a conservation unit.
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Affiliation(s)
- De Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Qiong Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jiang Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Aiwu Jiang
- College of Forestry, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Fang Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, Guangxi, China
| | - Yanyun Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zhengwang Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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13
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Veron S, Davies TJ, Cadotte MW, Clergeau P, Pavoine S. Predicting loss of evolutionary history: Where are we? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 92:271-291. [PMID: 26467982 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The Earth's evolutionary history is threatened by species loss in the current sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history. Such extinction events not only eliminate species but also their unique evolutionary histories. Here we review the expected loss of Earth's evolutionary history quantified by phylogenetic diversity (PD) and evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) at risk. Due to the general paucity of data, global evolutionary history losses have been predicted for only a few groups, such as mammals, birds, amphibians, plants, corals and fishes. Among these groups, there is now empirical support that extinction threats are clustered on the phylogeny; however this is not always a sufficient condition to cause higher loss of phylogenetic diversity in comparison to a scenario of random extinctions. Extinctions of the most evolutionarily distinct species and the shape of phylogenetic trees are additional factors that can elevate losses of evolutionary history. Consequently, impacts of species extinctions differ among groups and regions, and even if global losses are low within large groups, losses can be high among subgroups or within some regions. Further, we show that PD and ED are poorly protected by current conservation practices. While evolutionary history can be indirectly protected by current conservation schemes, optimizing its preservation requires integrating phylogenetic indices with those that capture rarity and extinction risk. Measures based on PD and ED could bring solutions to conservation issues, however they are still rarely used in practice, probably because the reasons to protect evolutionary history are not clear for practitioners or due to a lack of data. However, important advances have been made in the availability of phylogenetic trees and methods for their construction, as well as assessments of extinction risk. Some challenges remain, and looking forward, research should prioritize the assessment of expected PD and ED loss for more taxonomic groups and test the assumption that preserving ED and PD also protects rare species and ecosystem services. Such research will be useful to inform and guide the conservation of Earth's biodiversity and the services it provides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Veron
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR7204), Sorbonne Universités, MNHN, CNRS, UPMC, CP51, 55-61 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - T Jonathan Davies
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 ave Docteur Penfield, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1B1, Canada.,African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, APK Campus, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Marc W Cadotte
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Philippe Clergeau
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR7204), Sorbonne Universités, MNHN, CNRS, UPMC, CP51, 55-61 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Pavoine
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR7204), Sorbonne Universités, MNHN, CNRS, UPMC, CP51, 55-61 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France.,Mathematical Ecology Research Group, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, U.K
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14
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Thuiller W, Maiorano L, Mazel F, Guilhaumon F, Ficetola GF, Lavergne S, Renaud J, Roquet C, Mouillot D. Conserving the functional and phylogenetic trees of life of European tetrapods. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:20140005. [PMID: 25561666 PMCID: PMC4290419 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Protected areas (PAs) are pivotal tools for biodiversity conservation on the Earth. Europe has had an extensive protection system since Natura 2000 areas were created in parallel with traditional parks and reserves. However, the extent to which this system covers not only taxonomic diversity but also other biodiversity facets, such as evolutionary history and functional diversity, has never been evaluated. Using high-resolution distribution data of all European tetrapods together with dated molecular phylogenies and detailed trait information, we first tested whether the existing European protection system effectively covers all species and in particular, those with the highest evolutionary or functional distinctiveness. We then tested the ability of PAs to protect the entire tetrapod phylogenetic and functional trees of life by mapping species' target achievements along the internal branches of these two trees. We found that the current system is adequately representative in terms of the evolutionary history of amphibians while it fails for the rest. However, the most functionally distinct species were better represented than they would be under random conservation efforts. These results imply better protection of the tetrapod functional tree of life, which could help to ensure long-term functioning of the ecosystem, potentially at the expense of conserving evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilfried Thuiller
- LECA, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble 38000, France LECA, CNRS, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - Luigi Maiorano
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie 'Charles Darwin', Università di Roma 'La Sapienza', Roma 00185, Italy
| | - Florent Mazel
- LECA, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble 38000, France LECA, CNRS, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - François Guilhaumon
- Laboratoire ECOSYM, UMR 5119 CNRS-UM2-IRD-IFREMER, Place Eugène Bataillon cc 93, Montpellier 34095, France
| | | | - Sébastien Lavergne
- LECA, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble 38000, France LECA, CNRS, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - Julien Renaud
- LECA, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble 38000, France LECA, CNRS, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - Cristina Roquet
- LECA, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble 38000, France LECA, CNRS, Grenoble 38000, France
| | - David Mouillot
- Laboratoire ECOSYM, UMR 5119 CNRS-UM2-IRD-IFREMER, Place Eugène Bataillon cc 93, Montpellier 34095, France
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15
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Yessoufou K, Gere J, Daru BH, van der Bank M. Differences in evolutionary history translate into differences in invasion success of alien mammals in South Africa. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:2115-23. [PMID: 25360253 PMCID: PMC4201426 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2013] [Revised: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Attempts to investigate the drivers of invasion success are generally limited to the biological and evolutionary traits distinguishing native from introduced species. Although alien species introduced to the same recipient environment differ in their invasion intensity – for example, some are “strong invaders”; others are “weak invaders” – the factors underlying the variation in invasion success within alien communities are little explored. In this study, we ask what drives the variation in invasion success of alien mammals in South Africa. First, we tested for taxonomic and phylogenetic signal in invasion intensity. Second, we reconstructed predictive models of the variation in invasion intensity among alien mammals using the generalized linear mixed-effects models. We found that the family Bovidae and the order Artiodactyla contained more “strong invaders” than expected by chance, and that such taxonomic signal did not translate into phylogenetic selectivity. In addition, our study indicates that latitude, gestation length, social group size, and human population density are only marginal determinant of the variation in invasion success. However, we found that evolutionary distinctiveness – a parameter characterising the uniqueness of each alien species – is the most important predictive variable. Our results indicate that the invasive behavior of alien mammals may have been “fingerprinted” in their evolutionary past, and that evolutionary history might capture beyond ecological, biological and life-history traits usually prioritized in predictive modeling of invasion success. These findings have applicability to the management of alien mammals in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kowiyou Yessoufou
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa, Florida campus Florida, 1710, South Africa
| | - Jephris Gere
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, APK Campus Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa ; Department of Biological Sciences, Bindura University of Science Education Bindura, Private Bag, 1020, Zimbabwe
| | - Barnabas H Daru
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, APK Campus Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa
| | - Michelle van der Bank
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding, University of Johannesburg, APK Campus Auckland Park, 2006, South Africa
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