Phylogenetic conservatism and coordination in traits of Chinese woody endemic flora

Jihong Huang; Qing Wang; Pablo Sanchez-Martinez; Yousry A. El-Kassaby; Qiang Jia; Yifei Xie; Wenbin Guan; Runguo Zang

iScience (Jun 2024)

Phylogenetic conservatism and coordination in traits of Chinese woody endemic flora

Jihong Huang,
Qing Wang,
Pablo Sanchez-Martinez,
Yousry A. El-Kassaby,
Qiang Jia,
Yifei Xie,
Wenbin Guan,
Runguo Zang

Affiliations

Jihong Huang: Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China; Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China
Qing Wang: Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China; Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China; Ecological Technical Research Institute (Beijing) CO., Ltd., CIECC, Beijing 100037, China; Corresponding author
Pablo Sanchez-Martinez: CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Autòonoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
Yousry A. El-Kassaby: Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, Faculty of Forestry, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z4, Canada
Qiang Jia: Ecological Technical Research Institute (Beijing) CO., Ltd., CIECC, Beijing 100037, China
Yifei Xie: Ganzhou Key Laboratory of Nanling Plant Resources Protection and Utilization, School of Life Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000, China
Wenbin Guan: School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Runguo Zang: Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China; Co-Innovation Centre for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, China

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 27, no. 6
p. 109885

Abstract

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Summary: Range-limited endemic species, often labeled as endangered due to their low adaptability to climate change, exhibit unclear evolutionary mechanisms influencing their distribution. This study explores the relationship between leaf length, maximum height, and seed diameter and their linkage to phylogeny and climate in the macroecology of 1,370 woody endemics. Using Bayesian analytical method that allows partitioning phylogenetic and environmental variances and covariance, we revealed moderate to high phylogenetic signals in these traits, indicating evolutionary constraints potentially impacting climate change adaptability. The study uncovered a phylogenetically conserved coordination between height and leaf length which showed to be independent of macroecological patterns of temperature and precipitation. These findings emphasize the role of phylogenetic ancestry in shaping the distribution of woody endemics, highlighting the need for prioritized in-situ conservation and providing insights for ex situ conservation strategies.

Published in iScience

ISSN: 2589-0042 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.cell.com/iscience/home

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