Detection of areas of endemism on two spatial scales using Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE): the Neotropical region and the Atlantic Forest

Abstract

An important biological challenge today is the conservation of biodiversity. Biogeography, the study of the distribution patterns of organisms, is an important tool for this challenge. Endemism, the co-occurrence of several species unique to the same area, has important implications for the preservation of biodiversity, since many areas of endemism are also areas with large human impact. More rigorously defined, areas of endemism are historical units of distributional congruence of monophyletic taxa. These areas often assumed to be due to nonrandom historical events that favored conditions associated with high rates of speciation. Thus, understanding endemism and the delimitation of endemic areas has important implications for conservation. Today, most studies delimit areas of endemism by superimposing maps of distribution for various species. This approach suffers from arbitrary delimitations, however, when a great distributional data is used. In this paper we used the method of Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE) based on georeferenced quadrats in order to delimit areas of endemism. This modality of the method is important due to its testable nature and can also be used to infer area relationships. We applied the method to raw distributional data from 19 unrelated taxa to delimit general patterns of endemism in the Neotropical Region and in the Atlantic forest domain using different grid scales. Neotropical areas found are comprised over the Panama region, northern Andean region and the Atlantic forest. Atlantic forest showed a major division into two distinct components (northern x southern). Endemic areas delimited using smaller scale grids on the Atlantic forest should be considered for conservation priorities once they showed endemism at regional and local scales. The results were also compared to other studies using different taxa and methods. Finally, some considerations on the analysis scale and future perspectives of the method are presented.

Endemism analysis of Neotropical Pentatomidae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera)

“…The definition of the grid-cells can vary considerably, from restricted areas with a unit of 0.5° (CAVIERES et al, 2002;ROVITO et al, 2004) to 1° ( SIGRIST & CARVALHO, 2008) to 2.5° (LINDER, 2001) and to 5° for continental areas (COSTA & LEITE, 2000;GOLDANI et al, 2002;BIONDI & D'ALESSANDRO, 2006). Larger gridcells can include a higher number of single species and result in areas with greater support.…”

“…Larger gridcells can include a higher number of single species and result in areas with greater support. However, using larger grid-cells increases the probability of including areas with greater heterogeneity of ecosystems, which can obscure possible biological patterns in grouping areas with little support (MORRONE & ESCALANTE, 2002;SIGRIST & CARVALHO, 2008).…”

“…MORRONE et al (2004) used a panbiogeographic analysis to study the distribution patterns of 60 species of Belostomatidae, Corixidae, Micronectidae and Gerridae for the Chaco region. SIGRIST & CARVALHO (2008) conducted a PAE with 19 unrelated taxa, and included data of Serdia Stål, 1867 (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae). THOMAS (2000) reviewed the literature and summarized the knowledge of the pentatomids occurring in Mexico.…”

Genetic and morphological diversity in Cousinia cylindracea (Asteraceae) populations: Identification of gene pools

“…Increasing human population and more extensive use of natural resources and space, cause damage to plant biodiversity. To conserve biological diversity, we must first understand the distribution of organisms and how and why these organisms are geographically distributed as they are (Sigrist and Carvalho 2008). Population genetic investigation is one of the main steps for understanding the population genetic structure and fragmentation, interpopulation gene flow and diversification (Sheidai et al 2014).…”

Aves da Mata Atlântica: riqueza, composição, status, endemismos e conservação

“…Tal situação aponta para existência de áreas de endemismo que reúnem táxons cujas histórias evolutivas tendem a ser compartilhadas (Carvalho 2011). Seu elevado índice de espécies endêmicas tem permitido o reconhecimento de várias áreas de endemismo dentro da Mata Atlântica (Sigrist & Carvalho 2008, DaSilva & Pinto-da-Rocha 2011.…”