Floristic and faunal Cape biochoria: do they exist?

Colville, Jonathan F.; Potts, Alastair J.; Bradshaw, P.; Measey, G. John; Snijman, D.A.; Picker,; Procheş, Şerban; Bowie, Rauri C. K.; Manning, John C.

doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199679584.003.0004

Cited by 36 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…These taxa are absent or rare elsewhere in southern Africa. The persistence of these lineages in the Fynbos, along with similar taxa in other taxonomic groups (Linder et al , Colville et al ), is consistent with the habitat filtering and isolation by distance mechanisms. These taxa and other Fynbos range‐restricted endemics are then interpreted as descending from few local adaptation events.…”

supporting

confidence: 72%

Low bird diversity in the Fynbos plant diversity hotspot: Quaternary legacies in the current distributions of passerine birds

Péron

Altwegg

2015

Ecography

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The Fynbos Biome or Cape Floristic Region is well‐known for its plant diversity. This diversity does not seem to carry over at higher trophic levels, and in particular in birds. Here, we analyzed the passerine bird assemblages of the Fynbos Biome at the quarter degree resolution with occupancy models and citizen science data. Multivariate analysis of distribution summary metrics revealed a gradient of specialist to generalist species, in which range‐restricted, specialist species responded positively to increases in number of competing species and included ancient lineages. Wide‐ranging, generalist species exhibited stronger affinities for the arid Karoo Biomes than for the other neighboring biome (Albany Thicket) and for the other mesic biomes in South Africa. Both results are explained by the Quaternary legacy hypothesis: the combined effects of habitat filtering, isolation by distance, and limited in situ diversification, acting throughout the Quaternary, and caused by the contrasting winter‐rainfall regime of the region and the low phylogenetic diversity and original adaptations of the plant assemblages.

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supporting

confidence: 72%

Low bird diversity in the Fynbos plant diversity hotspot: Quaternary legacies in the current distributions of passerine birds

Péron

Altwegg

2015

Ecography

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“…Southern Africa (10–35° E, 15–40° S; Fig. ) includes the Greater Cape Floristic Region (Allsopp et al ., ), an area of globally high diversity and endemicity, especially among higher plants but also other taxa, including birds (Colville et al ., ). Even in such unglaciated or minimally glaciated regions (Boelhouwers & Meiklejohn, ; Mills et al ., ), climatic conditions varied substantially over the Last Glacial–Interglacial cycle (Meadows & Baxter, ; Partridge et al ., ; Chase & Meadows, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Explaining patterns of avian diversity and endemicity: climate and biomes of southern Africa over the last 140,000 years

Huntley

Singarayer

Valdes

et al. 2016

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Test hypotheses that present biodiversity and endemic species richness are related to climatic stability and/or biome persistence. Location Africa south of 15° S. Methods Seventy eight HadCM3 general circulation model palaeoclimate experiments spanning the last 140,000 years, plus a pre‐industrial experiment, were used to calculate measures of climatic variability for 0.5° grid cells. Models were fitted relating distributions of the nine biomes of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland to present climate. These models were used to simulate potential past biome distribution and extent for the 78 palaeoclimate experiments, and three measures of biome persistence. Climatic response surfaces were fitted for 690 bird species regularly breeding in the region and used to simulate present species richness for cells of the 0.5° grid. Species richness was evaluated for residents, mobile species (nomadic or partially/altitudinally migrant within the region), and intra‐African migrants, and also separately for endemic/near‐endemic (hereafter ‘endemic’) species as a whole and those associated with each biome. Our hypotheses were tested by analysing correlations between species richness and climatic variability or biome persistence. Results The magnitude of climatic variability showed clear spatial patterns. Marked changes in biome distributions and extents were projected, although limited areas of persistence were projected for some biomes. Overall species richness was not correlated with climatic variability, although richness of mobile species showed a weak negative correlation. Endemic species richness was significantly negatively correlated with climatic variability. Strongest correlations, however, were positive correlations between biome persistence and richness of endemics associated with individual biomes. Main conclusions Low climatic variability, and especially a degree of stability enabling biome persistence, is strongly correlated with species richness of birds endemic to southern Africa. This probably principally reflects reduced extinction risk for these species where the biome to which they are adapted persisted.

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“…Consequently, this might also explain diversity patterns within the Lentulidae in general, even though the initial splits into several main clades or genera probably occurred much earlier. Several palaeorelictual insects of the Cape Floristic Region are known [5], suggesting that parts of the Cape Floristic Region may have served as refugia for quite a long time. Some represent ancient Gondwanan lineages.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numerous studies have dealt with the enormous plant diversity and its origin and a number of phylogenetic studies on certain plant families aimed at unravelling the drivers for diversification in this region [2–4]. The fauna of the Cape Floristic Region, though not less unique, has not been investigated as intensely as the flora, especially research on invertebrate diversity remains still scarce [5]. Recent evidence suggests that invertebrate diversity and endemism in the Cape Floristic Region might be comparable to the pattern found in plants [5, 6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fauna of the Cape Floristic Region, though not less unique, has not been investigated as intensely as the flora, especially research on invertebrate diversity remains still scarce [5]. Recent evidence suggests that invertebrate diversity and endemism in the Cape Floristic Region might be comparable to the pattern found in plants [5, 6]. The Cape Floristic Region also maintains a variety of endemic families, subfamilies and genera, suggesting that it provided refugia also over a longer time-span.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A preliminary phylogeny of the South African Lentulidae

2016

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BackgroundThe grasshopper family Lentulidae is endemic to eastern and southern Africa, with its center of diversity situated in South Africa, the highest diversity being found in the Cape Floristic Region, which is one of the global biodiversity hotspots. The family consists of 35 genera sorted in two subfamilies. This study provides first insights into the phylogeny of Lentulidae. Two mitochondrial genes (12S and NDS) were sequenced and the phylogeny was inferred through Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference.ResultsOur results indicate that the current classification into the subfamilies Lentulinae and Shelforditinae may be incorrect as Uvarovidium, Leatettix (Shelforditinae) and Devylderia (Lentulinae) clustered together in one main clade, while Betiscoides, Basutacris and Gymnidium (all Lentulinae) formed the second main clade. The genera Uvarovidium and Leatettix, which had been assigned to the Acrididae (subfamily Hemiacridinae) in the past, grouped within the Lentulidae, confirming their current assignment to this family. The East African Usambilla group is likely to represent a sister clade to the south African Lentula and Eremidium. Diversification patterns in the genus Devylderia and Betiscoides suggest a higher number of species than currently known.ConclusionsOur phylogeny is not in line with the current systematics of Lentulidae, suggesting that a broader sampling and a study of the genitalia would be useful to clarify the taxonomy. Furthermore, some genera (particularly Betiscoides and Devylderia) are in need of taxonomic revision, as the number of species within these genera is likely to be higher than the current taxonomy suggests.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s41065-015-0005-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Floristic and faunal Cape biochoria: do they exist?

Cited by 36 publications

References 88 publications

Low bird diversity in the Fynbos plant diversity hotspot: Quaternary legacies in the current distributions of passerine birds

Low bird diversity in the Fynbos plant diversity hotspot: Quaternary legacies in the current distributions of passerine birds

Explaining patterns of avian diversity and endemicity: climate and biomes of southern Africa over the last 140,000 years

A preliminary phylogeny of the South African Lentulidae

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