First assessment of pteridophytes’ composition and conservation status in Myanmar

Abstract

The ongoing biodiversity crisis enforces the need of practical conservation plans based on robust estimates of the threats to local from regional biodiversity. Unfortunately, this protocol has been difficult to apply especially to species rich, but poorly explored nations such as Myanmar. Therefore, efforts to obtain the local assessments are urgently needed before having local vegetation reduced to small remnants. The current study aimed at the first evaluation of pteridophyte conservation status using the global occurrence data and assessment of the conservation gaps and priority regions.Diversity and priority indices such as species richness, compositions and conservation status for IUCN criterion B of 603 species were observed to define the regions and hotspots of Myanmar. Forty-five species of which were assigned to DD category having less than three occurrences. Indices were demonstrated in regional level of states and regions in Myanmar and local levels of 0.5-degree gridded cells.Species richness was highest in Kachin (389 species), followed by Shan (181 spp.), and Chin (127 spp.). The highest turnover was recorded of Ayeyarwady (0.91), Rakhine (0.91), and Magway (0.90). Seventeen percent of evaluated species was assigned into threatened categories. The value of pixels varied from 1 to 153 for species richness, 0.89 to 0.96 for species turnover rate and 1 to 31 for number of threatened species. The overlap between existing protected area and hotspots was 100% and 67% for above 95th and 90th percentile respectively.Attempts to raise the awareness of pteridophytes’ threat level and conservation priority regions have emerged for Myanmar. The conservation gaps and priority regions highlighted from this study are robust having an insight into the different diversity and conservation indices. However, ground data checking and extensive evaluation is recommended for Data Deficient species as most of these species are likely to be evaluated as threatened species. First evaluation of conservation status for pteridophyte contributes substantially to the conservation planning in Myanmar.