Environmental correlates of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in the Atlantic Forest

Aim: There is little consensus on which environmental variables are best at predicting multiple dimensions of diversity. We ask whether there are common environmental correlates of diversity, despite ecological differences, across nine clades of plants and animals distributed along a single rainforest domain. For that, we the compare environmental correlates of species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and phylogenetic endemism.

Location: Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Taxon: Five clades of plants: one within the Bromelioideae subfamily, three in the family Melastomataceae (the Miconieae tribe, the genus Bertolonia, and the tribe Cambessedesieae), and one in the family Bignoniaceae ( Fridericia and allies). Four clades of animals: clearwing butterflies of the tribe Ithomiini, treefrogs of the genus Boana, horned frogs of the genus Proceratophrys, and birds in the subfamily Thraupinae.

Methods: Using curated occurrence localities and phylogenetic data, we generated maps of (i) spe...