Data from: Evolutionary hotspots in the Mojave Desert

Genetic diversity within species provides the raw material for adaptation and evolution. Just as regions of high species diversity are conservation targets, identifying regions containing high genetic diversity and divergence within and among populations may be important to protect future evolutionary potential. When multiple co-distributed species show spatial overlap in high genetic diversity and divergence, these regions can be considered evolutionary hotspots. We mapped spatial population genetic structure for 17 animal species across the Mojave Desert, USA. We analyzed these in concurrence and located 10 regions of high genetic diversity, divergence or both among species. These were mainly concentrated along the western and southern boundaries where ecotones between mountain, grassland and desert habitat are prevalent, and along the Colorado River. We evaluated the extent to which these hotspots overlapped protected lands and utility-scale renewable energy development projects of the Bureau of Land Management. While 30–40% of the total hotspot area was categorized as protected, between 3–7% overlapped with proposed renewable energy project footprints, and up to 17% overlapped with project footprints combined with transmission corridors. Overlap of evolutionary hotspots with renewable energy development mainly occurred in 6 of the 10 identified hotspots. Resulting GIS-based maps can be incorporated into ongoing landscape planning efforts and highlight specific regions where further investigation of impacts to population persistence and genetic connectivity may be warranted.

物种种内的遗传多样性为物种适应与演化提供了核心物质基础。正如高物种多样性区域是生物多样性保护的优先目标，识别种群内部及种群间兼具高遗传多样性与遗传分化的区域，对保护物种未来的演化潜力具有关键意义。当多个同分布物种的高遗传多样性与高遗传分化区域在空间上发生重叠时，这些区域即可被认定为演化热点。本研究针对美国莫哈韦沙漠中的17个动物物种，绘制了其种群遗传结构的空间分布图谱；通过整合分析这些数据，共识别出10个在多个物种中表现出高遗传多样性、高遗传分化或兼具二者特征的区域。这些区域主要集中在山地、草原与荒漠生境生态交错带广泛分布的西部与南部边界沿线，以及科罗拉多河沿岸。我们评估了这些演化热点与美国土地管理局（Bureau of Land Management, BLM）所辖保护地及公用事业规模可再生能源开发项目的空间重叠程度：尽管热点区域总面积的30%至40%被划入保护地范畴，但其中仅有3%至7%与已规划的可再生能源项目用地范围重叠；若将输电走廊一并计入，则重叠比例最高可达17%。演化热点与可再生能源开发区域的重叠主要集中在10个已识别热点中的6个区域内。本研究生成的基于地理信息系统（Geographic Information System, GIS）的图谱可纳入当前的景观规划工作中，并可明确指出需进一步开展种群存续与遗传连通性影响评估的特定区域。