Endemicity and evolutionary value: a study of Chilean endemic vascular plant genera

Abstract

This study uses phylogeny-based measures of evolutionary potential (phylogenetic diversity and community structure) to evaluate the evolutionary value of vascular plant genera endemic to Chile. Endemicity is regarded as a very important consideration for conservation purposes. Taxa that are endemic to a single country are valuable conservation targets, as their protection depends upon a single government policy. This is especially relevant in developing countries in which conservation is not always a high resource allocation priority. Phylogeny-based measures of evolutionary potential such as phylogenetic diversity (PD) have been regarded as meaningful measures of the “value” of taxa and ecosystems, as they are able to account for the attributes that could allow taxa to recover from environmental changes. Chile is an area of remarkable endemism, harboring a flora that shows the highest number of endemic genera in South America. We studied PD and community structure of this flora using a previously available supertree at the genus level, to which we added DNA sequences of 53 genera endemic to Chile. Using discrepancy values and a null model approach, we decoupled PD from taxon richness, in order to compare their geographic distribution over a one-degree grid. An interesting pattern was observed in which areas to the southwest appear to harbor more PD than expected by their generic richness than those areas to the north of the country. In addition, some southern areas showed more PD than expected by chance, as calculated with the null model approach. Geological history as documented by the study of ancient floras as well as glacial refuges in the coastal range of southern Chile during the quaternary seem to be consistent with the observed pattern, highlighting the importance of this area for conservation purposes.

Diversity of Phytophthora species in Valdivian rainforests and association with severe dieback symptoms

“…Therefore, the Valdivian rainforest is considered a tropical rainforest in a non‐tropical climate originating as a Tertiary relic from the supercontinent Gondwana (Hueck, ; Seibert, ). Due to the diverse flora with a high degree of endemicity, the Valdivian rainforest constitutes one of the global hotspots of biodiversity (Armesto, Rozzi, Smith‐Ramirez, & Arroyo, ; Myers, Mittermeier, Mittermeier, Fonseca, & Kent, ; Scherson, Albornoz, Moreira‐Muñoz, & Urbina‐Casanova, ). Dominating tree species are Aextoxicum punctatum , Eucryphia cordifolia , Laurelia aromatica , Lomatia hirsuta and Drimys winteri , the latter belonging to the Antarctic Flora.…”

Potential spatial interaction of the invasive species Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) with native and endemic coccinellids

“…A total of 115 native and alien coccinellid species have been reported in Chile (González, ), with ~50% being endemic to the country and ~35% native to southern South America. The biogeography of this family in Chile is poorly known; however, coccinellids have patterns of endemism and richness similar to other organisms (e.g., plants), concentrating the highest values in the central part of the country (González, ; Samaniego & Marquet, ; Scherson, Albornoz, Moreira‐Muñoz, & Urbina‐Casanova, ; Segovia, Hinojosa, Pérez, & Hawkins, ). These distribution patterns suggest that, in central Chile, H. axyridis should frequently co‐occur with native and endemic coccinellids, with high level of interaction.…”

Modelling the current and future biodiversity distribution in the Chilean Mediterranean hotspot. The role of protected areas network in a warmer future

“…Nevertheless, under different climate change scenarios the differences between current and future climatic conditions followed similar patterns only for PD and GR. This response can be explained by the tight correlation (0.99 correlation coefficient for current PD ~ GR) between PD and GR (Forest et al, ; Scherson et al, ). However, by computing the discrepancy of PD‐GR we identified the areas where PD is higher or lower than predicted by GR.…”

“…The flora of the Chilean Mediterranean region concentrates high diversity at the genus level (Bannister, Vidal, Teneb, & Sandoval, ; Scherson, Albornoz, Moreira‐Muñoz, & Urbina‐Casanova, ; Scherson et al, ). Spatial phylogenetic patterns of the Chilean vascular flora were evaluated by Scherson et al (), showing that the Mediterranean region concentrates also the highest PD (see also Morlon et al, ).…”