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

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

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

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

5. Hotspots RAP indicators:

6. Hotspots RAP risk indicators:

7. Hotspots RAP risk diversity indicators:

8. Hotspots RAP risk diversity endemism indicators:

9. Hotspots RAP risk diversity endemism Conservation action

10. Hotspots RAP risk diversity endemism Conservation action

11. Endemism

12. Important indicator of conservation priority

13. Endemism Important indicator of conservation priority However…

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

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

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

17. Can SALVIAS improve our ability to assess endemism?

18. Plant endemism within the Mesoamerican Hotspot

19. Mesoamerican Hotspot 8 countries 1.1 million sq km 24,000 plant species  5,000 endemic http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/mesoamerica/

20. Mesoamerican Hotspot Within hotspot, how do major habitats and geopolitical subdivisions within hotspot differ in plant endemism, and hence conservation priority? http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/mesoamerica/

21. 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? http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/mesoamerica/

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

23. 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)

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

25. Elevation (m) Precip (mm) Montane rain forest27503000-4000 Lower montane rain forest17503500-5000 Premontane rain forest7504500-5500 Tropical wet forest504000-4500 Tropical dry forest501000-1600 Categories: five vegetation types

26. 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

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

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

29. 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

30. Data returned by SALVIAS Species (fully determined) Specimens

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

32. 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

33. How does endemism differ within the Mesoamerican Hotspot?

34. Endemism rankings of Mesoamerican 0.1 ha plots

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

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

37. Lowest-ranking Costa Rican plots mostly tropical dry forest

38. Total endemics

39. Proportion endemics

40. How does Mesoamerican plant endemism rank globally?

41. Global rankings

42. Mesoamerica

43. Top 5%

44. Mata Atlantica, Brazil

45. New Caledonia

46. Choco biogeographic province

47. Andean montane forests

48. Amazonian foothill forests

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

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

51. 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

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

53. 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

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

55. 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

56. Conclusions: SALVIAS A global baseline for endemism and species distributions

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

58. 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)