Abstract
BackgroundBiogeographic models partition ecologically similar species assemblages into discrete ecoregions. However, the history, relationship and interactions between these regions and their assemblages have rarely been explored.Methodology/Principal FindingsHere we develop a taxon-based approach that explicitly utilises molecular information to compare ecoregion history and status, which we exemplify using a continentally distributed mammalian species: the African bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). We reveal unprecedented levels of genetic diversity and structure in this species and show that ecoregion biogeographic history better explains the distribution of molecular variation than phenotypic similarity or geography. We extend these data to explore ecoregion connectivity, identify core habitats and infer ecological affinities from them.Conclusions/SignificanceThis analysis defines 28 key biogeographic regions for sub-Saharan Africa, and provides a valuable framework for the incorporation of genetic and biogeographic information into a more widely applicable model for the conservation of continental biodiversity.
Highlights
Continental-scale biogeographic models capture and incorporate the complexity of natural ecosystems by partitioning this variation into provinces or ‘ecoregions’ which can be used as manageable foci for the conservation of biodiversity [1,2]
We examined 516 bp of sequence from the 59 end of the Tragelaphus scriptus mitochondrial control region (CR) in 485 specimens covering the entire species range and accounting for all known phenotypic variation (Table S1)
Genetic structure was assessed by a median-joining network for CR haplotypes (Fig. 1) and by maximum likelihood (ML) for the cyt b data set (Fig. 2)
Summary
Continental-scale biogeographic models capture and incorporate the complexity of natural ecosystems by partitioning this variation into provinces or ‘ecoregions’ which can be used as manageable foci for the conservation of biodiversity [1,2]. We reveal unprecedented levels of genetic diversity and structure in this species and show that ecoregion biogeographic history better explains the distribution of molecular variation than phenotypic similarity or geography. We extend these data to explore ecoregion connectivity, identify core habitats and infer ecological affinities from them. This analysis defines 28 key biogeographic regions for sub-Saharan Africa, and provides a valuable framework for the incorporation of genetic and biogeographic information into a more widely applicable model for the conservation of continental biodiversity
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