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Spatial analyses of the phylogenetic diversity of Minaria (Apocynaceae): assessing priority areas for conservation in the Espinhaço Range, Brazil

2012; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 10; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/14772000.2012.705356

1478-0933

Patrícia Luz Ribeiro, Alessandro Rapini, Uiara Catharina Soares e Silva, Tatiana Ungaretti Paleo Konno, Leilton Santos Damascena, Cássio van den Berg,

Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions

Abstract The protection of areas that shelter high evolutionary diversity represented by geographically and phylogenetically isolated lineages is becoming an important conservation strategy. Nevertheless, the spatial distribution of this component of biodiversity is still unknown for most groups, which limits its application for selecting priority areas to conserve. In the present study, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Minaria (Apocynaceae) based on plastid (trnH-psbA, rps16, trnS-trnG and trnD-trnT) and nuclear (ITS and ETS) DNA markers and 34 morphological characters, and analysed the geographic distribution of the phylogenetic diversity (PD) and endemism (PE) in this genus. Minaria includes 21 species that are highly concentrated in the Espinhaço Range, in eastern Brazil, most of which (∼75%) are narrowly distributed. The spatial analyses of PD and PE of Minaria indicate four evolutionary relevant areas in this region. The Serra do Cipó and the Diamantina Plateau contain 10 endemic species and present the highest levels of PD. However, the two other areas also deserve special attention. Rio de Contas has high levels of PE, because of two endemic sister species that represent a phylogenetically isolated lineage and the Southern Espinhaço Range houses the most critically endangered species of the genus. Most endemic species of Minaria occur in vegetation islands on rocky outcrops (campos rupestres). These low-fuel areas are less susceptible to fire, suggesting that the Espinhaço Range has served as a historical refuge for fire-sensitive lineages. Our results suggest that conservation units in the Espinhaço Range cover a great proportion of the evolutionary diversity of Minaria and that fire management is probably an important strategy to preserve this endemic biodiversity. Key words: AsclepiadoideaeBahiabiogeography campos rupestres endangered speciesendemismfire managementMetastelmatinaeMinas GeraisNeotropics Acknowledgements This study is part of the Ph.D. thesis of PLR, developed at PPGBot-UEFS, with a fellowship from FAPESB and CAPES. It was supported by the APR 140/2007 and PNX0014/2009 research grants from FAPESB. We thank Abel A. Conceição for calling our attention to the importance of fire for the dynamic of campos rupestres. We also thank IBAMA and IEF/MG for the collection permits for Asclepiadoideae within the conservation units. AR and CvdB are supported by Pq-2 and Pq-1D CNPq grants, respectively, UCSS by a PhD fellowship from CAPES (PNADB) and TK by FAPERJ 170836/2006. Associate Editor: Charlie Jarvis