The partitioning of Africa: statistically defined biogeographical regions in sub‐Saharan Africa

Abstract

Aim To test whether it is possible to establish a common biogeographical regionalization for plants and vertebrates in sub-Saharan Africa (the Afrotropical Region), using objective multivariate methods.Location Sub-Saharan Africa (Afrotropical Region).Methods We used 1°grid cell resolution databases for birds, mammals, amphibians and snakes (4142 vertebrate species) and c. 13% of the plants (5881 species) from the Afrotropical Region. These databases were analysed using cluster analysis techniques to define biogeographical regions. A b(sim) dissimilarity matrix was subjected to a hierarchical classification using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA). The five group-specific biogeographical regionalizations were compared against a regionalization developed from a combined database, and a regionalization that is maximally congruent with the five group-specific datasets was determined using a consensus classification. The regionalizations were interpreted against measures of spatial turnover in richness and composition for the five datasets as well as the combined dataset.Results We demonstrate the existence of seven well-defined and consistent biogeographical regions in sub-Saharan Africa. These regionalizations are statistically defined and robust between groups, with minor taxon-specific biogeographical variation. The proposed biogeographical regions are: Congolian, Zambezian, Southern African, Sudanian, Somalian, Ethiopian and Saharan. East Africa, the West African coast, and the transitions between the Congolian, Sudanian and Zambezian regions are unassigned. The Cape area in South Africa, Afromontane areas and the coastal region of East Africa do not emerge as distinct regions but are characterized by high neighbourhood heterogeneity, rapid turnover of species and high levels of narrow endemism.Main conclusions Species distribution data and modern cluster analysis techniques can be used to define biogeographical regions in Africa that reflect the patterns found in both vertebrates and plants. The consensus of the regionalizations between different taxonomic groups is high. These regions are broadly similar to those proposed using expert opinion approaches. Some previously proposed transitional zones are not recognized in this classification.

Phylogenetic analysis and systematics of the Acrapex unicolora Hampson species complex (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Apameini), with the description of five new species from the Afrotropics

“…nov. and A. parvaclara are recorded from East Africa to western areas of Central Africa, our results suggest restricted distributions for all six other species. Despite extensive surveys in more than 16 sub-Saharan countries, we did not collect any species of the A. unicolora group in the Southern or Somalian Bioregions (Linder et al 2012).…”

“…Moths were found in a mosaic of lowland rain forest and secondary grassland (Mosaic #11A), a mosaic of Zambezian dry evergreen forest and wetter miombo woodland (Mosaic #21), wetter Zambezian miombo woodland (Mosaic no 25) and undifferentiated montane vegetation (Mosaic #19) (White 1983) (Fig. 4), belonging to the Congolian and to the Zambezian bioregion, respectively (Linder et al 2012) (Fig. 5).…”

“…The records are from a mosaic of Zambezian dry evergreen forest and wetter miombo woodland (Mosaic #21) (White 1983) (Fig. 4), belonging to the Zambezian bioregion (Linder et al 2012) (Fig. 5).…”

A necessarily complex model to explain the biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar

“…For example, assessments of spatial biodiversity have typically used simple geographic measures as the unit of analysis, such as the distribution range of individual species, though recent methodological refinements include the integration of phylogenetic relationships among species and their evolutionary age 2,7 . Moreover, carefully parameterized species distribution models can generate accurate estimates of species ranges 14 and novel, more objective, approaches are being developed to translate patterns of species richness, endemism and turnover for determining those biogeographic regions in greatest need for conservation and protection 2,7,8,[15][16][17] . Although biological explanation of these patterns is still in its methodological infancy, considerable recent development of conceptual and statistical tools now allows for integrative multivariate approaches to more realistically estimate underlying processes.…”

Revision of the Afrotropical planthopper genus Centromeriana Melichar, 1912 (Hemiptera, Dictyopharidae)

“…Centromeriana is comprised of four species being endemic to the Congolian region of the western tropical Africa as defined by Linder et al (2012) and closely matching to the Guineo-Congolian region of White (1979White ( , 1983 including the 'Dahomey gap'.…”