Identifying conservation priority areas using spatial phylogenetic approaches in west himalaya

SADDAM SAQIB; YUN LIU; JIANFEI YE; WYCKLIFFE OMONDI OMOLLO; LIMIN LU; HAIHUA HU; QIANG ZHANG; BING LIU; MUSHTAQ AHMAD; ZABTA KHAN SHINWARI; ZHIDUAN CHEN

doi:10.30848/PJB2024-3(42)

SADDAM SAQIB State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;National Botanical Garden, Beijing , China

YUN LIU State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;National Botanical Garden, Beijing , China

JIANFEI YE State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;National Botanical Garden, Beijing , China;School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen , China

WYCKLIFFE OMONDI OMOLLO State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;National Botanical Garden, Beijing , China

LIMIN LU State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;National Botanical Garden, Beijing , China

HAIHUA HU State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;National Botanical Garden, Beijing , China

QIANG ZHANG State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing ,China

BING LIU State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;National Botanical Garden, Beijing , China;National Botanical Garden, Beijing, China;Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan , China

MUSHTAQ AHMAD Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University,Islamabad ,Pakistan

ZABTA KHAN SHINWARI Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University,Islamabad ,Pakistan

ZHIDUAN CHEN State Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Specialty Crops, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing , China;National Botanical Garden, Beijing , China;Sino-Africa Joint Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan , China

Human society is at a critical point in biodiversity conservation. Assessing biodiversity spatiotemporal patterns provides vital insights into the evolutionary and ecological dynamics. Using comprehensive metrics, including species richness (SR), phylogenetic diversity (PD), phylogenetic endemism (PE), weighted endemism (WE), and standardize effect size of PD (SES.PD), we explored the spatial diversity patterns and evolutionary links shaping the West Himalayan flora. Our analyses employed a species-level phylogenetic tree including 7,722 vascular plant species and 116,986 distribution records. Observed variations in SR, PD, SES.PD, PE, and WE highlight key areas: Wakhan (Afghanistan), northern regions including Azad Kashmir (Pakistan), northwestern zones like Jammu and Kashmir (India), and Nepal's western areas (e.g., Bhajang to Mustang). Our analyses of the net relatedness index (NRI) and the nearest taxon index (NTI) also emphasized these regions, revealing a sign of significant lineages with unique evolutionary histories. Ultimately, hotspot analysis identified 19 conservation priority areas, covering 78% of total hotspot regions. Amid rising anthropogenic and climate challenges, these assessments offer insights into biodiversity patterns, guiding future monitoring policies and conservation strategies.