Phylogenetic Diversity: Applications and Challenges in Biodiversity Science

✍ Scribed by Rosa A. Scherson, Daniel P Faith

• Publisher: Springer International Publishing
• Year: 2018
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 223
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

“Biodiversity” refers to the variety of life. It is now agreed that there is a “biodiversity crisis”, corresponding to extinction rates of species that may be 1000 times what is thought to be “normal”. Biodiversity science has a higher profile than ever, with the new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services involving more than 120 countries and 1000s of scientists. At the same time, the discipline is re-evaluating its foundations – including its philosophy and even core definitions. The value of biodiversity is being debated. In this context, the tree of life (“phylogeny”) is emerging as an important way to look at biodiversity, with relevance cutting across current areas of concern – from the question of resilience within ecosystems, to conservation priorities for globally threatened species – while capturing the values of biodiversity that have been hard to quantify, including resilience and maintaining options for future generations.

This increased appreciation of the importance of conserving “phylogenetic diversity”, from microbial communities in the human gut to global threatened species, has inevitably resulted in an explosion of new indices, methods, and case studies. This book recognizes and responds to the timely opportunity for synthesis and sharing experiences in practical applications. The book recognizes that the challenge of finding a synthesis, and building shared concepts and a shared toolbox, requires both an appreciation of the past and a look into the future. Thus, the book is organized as a flow from history, concepts and philosophy, through to methods and tools, and followed by selected case studies. A positive vision and plan of action emerges from these chapters, that includes coping with inevitable uncertainties, effectively communicating the importance of this “evolutionary heritage” to the public and to policy-makers, and ultimately contributing to biodiversity conservation policy from local to global scales.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter ....Pages i-xii
Phylogenetic Diversity and Conservation Evaluation: Perspectives on Multiple Values, Indices, and Scales of Application (Daniel P. Faith)....Pages 1-26
The Use of EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct Globally Endangered) and EDGE-Like Metrics to Evaluate Taxa for Conservation (Nick J. B. Isaac, William D. Pearse)....Pages 27-39
Biodiversity, the Tree of Life, and Science Communication (James Rosindell, Yan Wong)....Pages 41-71
Indicators for the Expected Loss of Phylogenetic Diversity (Daniel P. Faith, Simon Veron, Sandrine Pavoine, Roseli Pellens)....Pages 73-91
Phylogenetic Resolution and Metrics of Biodiversity and Signal in Conservation (Nathan G. Swenson, Samantha J. Worthy)....Pages 93-110
Phylogeny-Based Measurements at Global and Regional Scales (Shawn W. Laffan)....Pages 111-129
Phylogeny-Based Measures of Biodiversity When Data Is Scarce: Examples with the Vascular Flora of Chile and California (Rosa A. Scherson, Taryn Fuentes-Castillo, Rafael Urbina-Casanova, Patricio Pliscoff)....Pages 131-144
Priority Areas for Phylogenetic Diversity: Maximising Gains in the Mediterranean Basin (Simon Veron, Daniel P. Faith, Roseli Pellens, Sandrine Pavoine)....Pages 145-166
Evolutionary Diversity Patterns in the Cape Flora of South Africa (Félix Forest, Jonathan F. Colville, Richard M. Cowling)....Pages 167-187
Effects of Phylogenetic Diversity and Phylogenetic Identity in a Restoration Ecology Experiment (Andrew L. Hipp, Mary-Claire Glasenhardt, Marlin L. Bowles, Mira Garner, Bryant C. Scharenbroch, Evelyn W. Williams et al.)....Pages 189-210
Back Matter ....Pages 211-217

✦ Subjects

Life Sciences; Biodiversity; Conservation Biology/Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; Nature Conservation; Landscape Ecology