Data from: Phylogenetic measures of biodiversity and neo- and paleo-endemism

Understanding spatial patterns of biodiversity is critical for conservation planning, particularly given rapid habitat loss and human-induced climatic change. Diversity and endemism are typically assessed by comparing species ranges across regions. However, investigation of patterns of species diversity alone misses out on the full richness of patterns that can be inferred using a phylogenetic approach. Here, using Australian Acacia as an example, we show that the application of phylogenetic methods, particularly two new measures, relative phylogenetic diversity and relative phylogenetic endemism, greatly enhances our knowledge of biodiversity across both space and time. We found that areas of high species richness and species endemism are not necessarily areas of high phylogenetic diversity or phylogenetic endemism. We propose a new method called categorical analysis of neo- and paleo-endemism (CANAPE) that allows, for the first time, a clear, quantitative distinction between centres of neo- and paleo-endemism, useful to the conservation decision-making process.

阐明生物多样性的空间格局对于保护规划至关重要，尤其在栖息地快速丧失与人类活动诱发气候变化的背景下。当前学界通常通过比较不同区域的物种分布范围，来评估物种多样性与特有性。然而，仅针对物种多样性格局的研究，无法涵盖通过系统发育研究方法所能推断出的全部格局类型与丰富内涵。本研究以澳大利亚金合欢（Australian Acacia）为研究对象，结果表明，系统发育分析方法的应用——尤其是两项新测度：相对系统发育多样性（relative phylogenetic diversity）与相对系统发育特有性（relative phylogenetic endemism）——极大地拓展了我们对时空尺度下生物多样性的认知。本研究发现，物种丰富度与物种特有性较高的区域，未必同时拥有较高的系统发育多样性或系统发育特有性。我们提出了一种名为新特有与古特有分类分析（categorical analysis of neo- and paleo-endemism, CANAPE）的新方法，首次实现了新特有中心与古特有中心的清晰量化区分，可为保护决策制定提供有力支撑。