Abstract
AbstractTargeting phylogenetic diversity (PD) in systematic conservation planning is an efficient way to minimize losses across the Tree of Life. Considering representation of genetic diversity below and above species level, also allows robust analyses within systems where taxonomy is in flux. We use dense sampling of phylogeographic diversity for 11 lizard genera, to demonstrate how PD can be applied to a policy‐ready conservation planning problem. Our analysis bypasses named taxa, using genetic data directly to inform conservation decisions. We highlight areas that should be prioritized for ecological management, and also areas that would provide the greatest benefit if added to the multisector conservation estate. We provide a rigorous and effective approach to represent the spectrum of genetic and species diversity in conservation planning.
Highlights
In the face of rapid biodiversity loss, the use of phylogenetic diversity (PD; Faith, 1992) in conservation assessments holds the promise of better prioritizing investment for biodiversity conservation (Carvalho, Velo-Antón, & Tarroso, 2017; Forest, Grenyer, & Rouget, 2007; Pollock, Rosauer, & Thornhill, 2015; Rosauer, Pollock, Linke, & Jetz, 2017) including genetic and species diversity
Conservation assessment based on phylogenetic lineages has the potential to address these issues by representing spatial patterns of diversity independent of taxon names, if we can define evolutionary units and describe each unit in terms two questions: “where does it occur?” and “how is it related to other units on the phylogeny?” This does not imply that species do not matter for ecology, but rather reflects the reality that biological diversity is a continuum, from local variants to species, genera, and beyond
We identified evolutionarily distinct lineages across 11 genera of lizards, modeled their distributions beyond sampled locations and applied systematic conservation planning to identify areas that most efficiently conserve the PD, given set targets (Figure 2)
Summary
In the face of rapid biodiversity loss, the use of phylogenetic diversity (PD; Faith, 1992) in conservation assessments holds the promise of better prioritizing investment for biodiversity conservation (Carvalho, Velo-Antón, & Tarroso, 2017; Forest, Grenyer, & Rouget, 2007; Pollock, Rosauer, & Thornhill, 2015; Rosauer, Pollock, Linke, & Jetz, 2017) including genetic and species diversity. An advantage of PD-based conservation assessment that has received limited attention (Asmyhr, Linke, Hose, & Nipperess, 2014; Rosauer, Blom, & Bourke, 2016; Thomassen, Fuller, & Buermann, 2011), is that it does not depend on using named taxa. This is potentially important for at least three reasons.
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