Endemism and the assessment of conservation priority Brad Boyle, Brian J. Enquist, Michael D. Weiser University of Arizona

Conservation in the fast lane Two complementary approaches Rapid Assessment Program Hotspots

Myers, et al., 2000 Hotspots Program Identifies global conservation priorities Scale: –regional –usually one to several countries

Rapid Assessment Program Information for specific conservation actions Scale: –Local –Specific region within single country

Hotspots RAP indicators:

Hotspots RAP risk indicators:

Hotspots RAP risk diversity indicators:

Hotspots RAP risk diversity endemism indicators:

Hotspots RAP risk diversity endemism Conservation action

Hotspots RAP risk diversity endemism Conservation action

Endemism

Important indicator of conservation priority

Endemism Important indicator of conservation priority However…

Endemism Important indicator of conservation priority However… Typically “tallied” at the scale of entire countries

Endemism Important indicator of conservation priority However… Typically “tallied” at the scale of entire countries Little information at more local scales

Endemism Important indicator of conservation priority However… Typically “tallied” at the scale of entire countries Little information at more local scales No standard baseline

Can SALVIAS improve our ability to assess endemism?

Plant endemism within the Mesoamerican Hotspot

Mesoamerican Hotspot 8 countries 1.1 million sq km 24,000 plant species  5,000 endemic

Mesoamerican Hotspot Within hotspot, how do major habitats and geopolitical subdivisions within hotspot differ in plant endemism, and hence conservation priority?

Mesoamerican Hotspot Within hotspot, how do major habitats and geopolitical subdivisions within hotspot differ in plant endemism, and hence conservation priority? Globally, how do subdivisions within the Mesoamerican Hotspot rank in endemism?

Data sources Local inventories from SALVIAS database Species distributions estimated from specimen records using SALVIAS distributed query

Response variables Calculated total and percent endemic species per plot Endemic species: entire range within 2.5 x 2.5 deg. lat x long (=78,000 km 2 ; cf. Pitman et al., 1999)

Costa Rica Southern Mexico (Oaxaca, Veracruz) Categories: two regional subdivisions

Elevation (m) Precip (mm) Montane rain forest Lower montane rain forest Premontane rain forest Tropical wet forest Tropical dry forest Categories: five vegetation types

Comparisons Within Mesoamerica Total and proportion endemic species for each vegetation types in each sub-region Globally Ranked Mesoamerican samples relative to entire global SALVIAS inventory dataset

Number of inventories Global: 280 Tenth ha plots by Gentry, Boyle, and others > 20 individual data contributors

Number of inventories Mesoamerican hotspot: 33 Costa RicaMexico Montane rain forest33 Lower montane rain forest33 Premontane rain forest32 Tropical wet forest31 Tropical dry forest57

Species ranges From 23 herbarium specimen databases using SALVIAS InstitutionCoverageDatabase Type MO Botanical Garden (Tropicos) N, S, & C. AmericaSingle online REMIBMexicoDistributed (17 databases) Univ. B.C.NW North AmericaSingle online Univ. TennesseeE USASingle online Univ. OregonNW North AmericaSingle online Univ. TexasSW USASingle online Univ. ArizonaSW USALocal

Data returned by SALVIAS Species (fully determined) Specimens

Data returned by SALVIAS Species (fully determined) Global dataset 7,369 Mesoamerican plots 909 Specimens

Data returned by SALVIAS Species (fully determined) Global dataset 7,369 Mesoamerican plots 909 Specimens Total 1.9 million Total, non-cultivated, with coordinates 1.2 million

How does endemism differ within the Mesoamerican Hotspot?

Endemism rankings of Mesoamerican 0.1 ha plots

Highest-ranking Mexican plots tropical dry forest or premontane rain forest

Highest-ranking Costa Rican plots all wet forest, all elevations

Lowest-ranking Costa Rican plots mostly tropical dry forest

Total endemics

Proportion endemics

How does Mesoamerican plant endemism rank globally?

Global rankings

Mesoamerica

Top 5%

Mata Atlantica, Brazil

New Caledonia

Choco biogeographic province

Andean montane forests

Amazonian foothill forests

Nearly fourfold variation Differences between regions depended on vegetation types… Conclusions: Mesoamerican plant endemism

Costa Rican dry forest  ranked last in both total and percent endemics Conclusions: Mesoamerican plant endemism

Costa Rican dry forest  ranked last in both total and percent endemics Costa Rican rain forest (all elevations)  relatively rich in endemics Conclusions: Mesoamerican plant endemism

Mexican dry forest  2.5 x richer in endemic species than Costa Rican dry forest  among highest ranks in Mesoamerican region

Mexican dry forest  2.5 x richer in endemic species than Costa Rican dry forest  among highest ranks in Mesoamerican region Mexican premontane forest  rich in endemics  high priority within the hotspot. Conclusions: Mesoamerican plant endemism

Conclusions: Global endemism Mesoamerican forests  average on a global scale

Conclusions: Global endemism Mesoamerican forests  average on a global scale Globally highest-ranking sites  restricted biogeographic regions with humid lowland aseasonal forest: Mata Atlantica, Colombian Choco  Wet tropical montane forests

Conclusions: SALVIAS A global baseline for endemism and species distributions

Conclusions: SALVIAS A global baseline for endemism and species distributions Potentially powerful tool for conservation assessment

Thanks to: SALVIAS development team (University of Arizona) Brain Enquist, Mike Weiser, Srinivas Reddy (EEB) James Jeffers, Nirav Marchant (ARL) Numerous data contributors, but especially Missouri Botanical Garden Silvia Salas (SERBO-Oaxaca) Support Conservation International (CABS, TEAM) University of Arizona (EEB)