Abstract
ObjectivesSpecies Distribution Models (SDMs) are used to produce predictions of potential Leguminosae diversity in West Central Africa. Those predictions are evaluated subsequently using expert opinion. The established methodology of combining all SDMs is refined to assess species diversity within five defined vegetation types. Potential species diversity is thus predicted for each vegetation type respectively. The primary aim of the new methodology is to define, in more detail, areas of species richness for conservation planning.MethodologyUsing Maxent, SDMs based on a suite of 14 environmental predictors were generated for 185 West Central African Leguminosae species, each categorised according to one of five vegetation types: Afromontane, coastal, non-flooded forest, open formations, or riverine forest. The relative contribution of each environmental variable was compared between different vegetation types using a nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis analysis followed by a post-hoc Kruskal-Wallis Paired Comparison contrast. Legume species diversity patterns were explored initially using the typical method of stacking all SDMs. Subsequently, five different ensemble models were generated by partitioning SDMs according to vegetation category. Ecological modelers worked with legume specialists to improve data integrity and integrate expert opinion in the interpretation of individual species models and potential species richness predictions for different vegetation types.Results/ConclusionsOf the 14 environmental predictors used, five showed no difference in their relative contribution to the different vegetation models. Of the nine discriminating variables, the majority were related to temperature variation. The set of variables that played a major role in the Afromontane species diversity model differed significantly from the sets of variables of greatest relative important in other vegetation categories. The traditional approach of stacking all SDMs indicated overall centers of diversity in the region but the maps indicating potential species richness by vegetation type offered more detailed information on which conservation efforts can be focused.
Highlights
The spatial distribution of an organism forms a fundamental basis for studies of biogeography, evolution, patterns of biodiversity, effects of climate change, and invasive species as well as conservation planning, the designation of protected areas, ecological modeling, and statistical or correlative modeling [1,2,3,4]
Vegetation types analyses According to the Kruskal-Wallis test, the following environmental variables exhibited different contributions to the models across vegetation types (P,0.01): the mean diurnal range, isothermality, mean temperature of wettest quarter, mean temperature of driest quarter, precipitation of wettest quarter, precipitation of driest quarter, precipitation of warmest quarter, precipitation of coldest quarter, distance, eastness, geology, northness and Compound Topographic Index (CTI) (Table 2)
Species classified as open formations (OF) were separated from non-flooded forest (NF) and riverine forests (RF) species based on geologic factors
Summary
The spatial distribution of an organism forms a fundamental basis for studies of biogeography, evolution, patterns of biodiversity, effects of climate change, and invasive species as well as conservation planning, the designation of protected areas, ecological modeling, and statistical or correlative modeling [1,2,3,4]. SDMs can be generated using a number of different techniques, each of which is designed to establish a relationship between different environmental variables and available distribution data for a given organism. This distribution information is limited to that provided by natural history collections, such as herbarium data. For example Howard et al [14] found little spatial congruence in the species richness of woody plants, large moths, butterflies, birds and small mammals across 50 Ugandan forests, but other studies, such that by Urbina-Cardona and Flores-Villela [15] found overlap among the main selected areas in the conservation-area network prioritized to preserve amphibian and reptile species in Mexico
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
