Phylogenetic diversity and endemism of the vascular flora of the páramo ecoregion

The páramo ecoregion is known for its remarkable biodiversity and
evolutionary histories shaped by complex biogeographical processes. To
protect and conserve the ecological diversity and evolutionary lineages in
this hotspot requires analyzing spatial patterns of phylogenetic diversity
and endemism. This study uses spatial phylogenetic methods, combining
georeferenced occurrence data with a genus-level phylogeny of the region’s
entire vascular flora to investigate the spatial distributions of
phylogenetic diversity and endemism. In this study, we assembled a
comprehensive dataset of 361 equal-area grid cells covering the páramo
biome and compiled occurrence records for 567 vascular plant genera. A
phylogeny of vascular plants in the páramo was generated by combining
publicly available genetic sequence data with novel genetic data from
Colombian herbarium collections. This study examined the vascular plant
diversity in the páramo ecosystem and identified distinct centers of neo-
and paleoendemism, as well as a strong pattern of phylogenetic clustering
across most páramo regions. The phylogenetic beta diversity analysis
identified several phylogenetically distinct bioregions, characterized by
both widespread, shared evolutionary histories and localized, distinct
assemblages. This study provides a scope to prioritize certain areas for
protection and to further identify and understand biogeographical patterns
in the páramo ecoregion. The dataset provided here is an alignment of 5
chloroplast DNA marker sequences aiming to represent all á
vascular plant genera.