SI_Appendix_DatasetS2.xlsx from Changes of Cinchona distribution over the past two centuries in the northern Andes

The <i>Cinchona</i> genus is important for humanity due to its ethnobotanical properties, and in particular its ability to prevent and treat malaria. However, there have been historical changes of <i>Cinchona</i> distribution in the tropical Andes that remain undocumented. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, several explorers recorded <i>Cinchona</i> precise localities in present-day Colombia and Ecuador, countries which harbour about half of the species of the genus, including <i>C. officinalis</i>. We compare historical and twentieth-century records to evaluate whether elevational ranges, mean elevation and latitude varied between the two periods. A large expansion of 662.5 m in average elevation for <i>Cinchona</i> and 792.5 m in elevational range for <i>C. officinalis</i> was found. These findings have implications for the conservation of economically important species and help us understand the impacts of the Anthropocene over time.

金鸡纳属（Cinchona）因其民族植物学特性，尤其是其预防和治疗疟疾的能力，对人类具有重要价值。然而，金鸡纳属在热带安第斯山脉的分布历史变化迄今仍未被记录在案。18世纪末至19世纪初，数位探险家在现今的哥伦比亚和厄瓜多尔记录了金鸡纳属植物的精确分布点位，这两个国家孕育了该属约半数的物种，包括药用金鸡纳（C. officinalis）。本研究对比历史记录与20世纪的记录，以评估两个时期内该属植物的海拔范围、平均海拔及纬度是否存在差异。研究发现，金鸡纳属的平均海拔升高了662.5米，药用金鸡纳的海拔范围扩大了792.5米。上述研究结果对具有经济价值的物种保护具有重要启示，同时有助于我们理解人类世（Anthropocene）随时间推移所产生的影响。