Department of Biology

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Henrik Balslev

Endemism and conservation of Amazon palms

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  • Carlos Mariano Alvez-Valles, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
  • ,
  • Henrik Balslev
  • Fabricio Alvim Carvalho, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora
  • ,
  • Roosevelt Garcia-Villacorta, PCBC
  • ,
  • Cesar Grandez, UNAP, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonia Peruana, Fac Ciencias Biol
  • ,
  • Luiz Menini Neto, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora

Endemicity is important for the delimitation of conservation areas. Endemic areas are those that contain two or more taxa with their distribution restricted to the area. The aim of this study was to detect endemic areas for palms in the Amazon region and to determine whether the species that define these endemic areas are protected within conservation units. Records of occurrence were extracted from the global biodiversity information facility (GBIF). The final dataset consisted of 17,310 records, for 177 species of Amazonian palms. For analysis we used parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) and NDM-VNDM program, and grid square size of 1A degrees and 3A degrees as operational geographic units (OGUs). The distribution of endemic species was superimposed on occurrence of the conservation units (CUs). PAE did not show endemic areas in grid squares of 1A degrees, but found 10 palm endemic areas in grid squares of 3A degrees in the western Amazon and Andean sub-region. However, the NDM-VNDM program identified an endemic area in grid squares of 1A degrees located at the eastern Guiana with endemicity score = 2.9, and in grid squares of 3A degrees it identified seven consensus areas with endemicity score > 6.0, all in the western Amazon. The combination of PAE and NDM-VNDM analyses resulted in eight endemic palm areas in the combined western Amazon and Andean sub-region. Of the species that define the endemic areas, five are threatened with extinction in one of three IUCN categories (EN, VU, NT), and they are not protected in any conservation units. The western Amazon, besides having high palm richness, also has palm endemic areas, especially, near the Andean sub-region and the Peruvian Amazon.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBiodiversity and Conservation
Volume27
Issue3
Pages (from-to)765-784
Number of pages20
ISSN0960-3115
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2018

    Research areas

  • Biogeography, Endemic areas, Threatened species, Western Amazon, TERRA-FIRME FORESTS, SOUTH-AMERICA, OPTIMALITY CRITERION, SPECIES RICHNESS, ATLANTIC FOREST, WESTERN AMAZON, DIVERSITY, ARECACEAE, AREAS, COMMUNITIES

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