Phylogenetic diversity and nature conservation: where are we?

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.015

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

Volume 28, Issue 4, April 2013, Pages 199-204

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2012.10.015 Get rights and content

To date, there is little evidence that phylogenetic diversity has contributed to nature conservation. Here, we discuss the scientific justification of using phylogenetic diversity in conservation and the reasons for its neglect. We show that, apart from valuing the rarity and richness aspect, commonly quoted justifications based on the usage of phylogenetic diversity as a proxy for functional diversity or evolutionary potential are still based on uncertainties. We discuss how a missing guideline through the variety of phylogenetic diversity metrics and their relevance for conservation might be responsible for the hesitation to include phylogenetic diversity in conservation practice. We outline research routes that can help to ease uncertainties and bridge gaps between research and conservation with respect to phylogenetic diversity.

Section snippets

A promising but yet ambiguous additional biodiversity component for conservation

More than two decades ago, Richard Vane-Wright et al. [1] proposed phylogenetic diversity (see Glossary) as an additional component for nature conservation. The idea was to integrate information on the phylogenetic positions of species as a legacy of evolutionary processes (e.g., speciation, radiation) into conservation assessments [2]. Research on the applicability of aspects of phylogenetic diversity has steadily increased since then 3, 4. Phylogenetic diversity has been repeatedly suggested

Phylogenetic diversity as an intrinsic biodiversity component

One general agreement is to conserve all components of biodiversity [11], including evolutionary information. If we lose species we will inevitably lose evolutionary information 5, 12. The concern about losing evolutionary information as a value on its own can also be seen in the context of the general motivation of nature conservation and leads to the fields of moral and ethical questions. However, it is unclear how protecting phylogenetic diversity per se can be an ultimate objective for

The rarity aspect

Humans usually value entities higher when they are rare. Because rare species are often the first to become extinct, rare species in addition to charismatic and ecological keystone species have received priority protection [13]. The corresponding concept of rarity in an evolutionary framework is ‘phylogenetic rarity’, which can be measured as uniqueness or phylogenetic distinctiveness [14]. The extinction of a species from a young and species-rich clade will result in a smaller loss of

The richness aspect

The focus on single species has a long tradition in nature conservation [17], but more recent developments highlight the importance of considering whole areas in which communities and their ecological processes can be maintained [1]. Traditional area-based conservation often relies on species richness, which has been related to ecosystem functioning (stability, productivity) 21, 22, 23. This is a research field with important implications, but also with many remaining questions [24] and

Phylogenetic diversity as a proxy for functional diversity

It is argued that phylogenetically distinct species are likely to also have distinct functional traits. For example, the African plant Welwitschia mirabilis is the only member of the family Welwitschiaceae. Due to its unique combination of life history and leaf traits, it is one of the very few plants able to survive under extreme arid conditions and thus serves as an important refuge for many desert animals. Intuitively, the loss of evolutionarily distinct species is assumed to constitute an

Phylogenetic diversity as a proxy for evolutionary potential

Another line of argument considers an evolutionary perspective in the sense of ‘evolutionary potential’; that is, species capacities to evolve in response to environmental changes 33, 43, 44. From a species-centered point of view, the loss of phylogenetically distinct species might also result in the loss of evolutionary potential, which is of particular concern in the face of ongoing global change 45, 46. However, despite an increasing body of evidence for differences in the evolutionary

The jungle of different indices

Even if the integration of phylogenetic diversity into conservation assessments can be justified, a major question will remain: what is the best measure and methodological approach to increase the conservation benefit compared with other, more commonly used conservation measures? Choosing the right metric of phylogenetic diversity is, in itself, not an easy task. There is a large variety of metrics and they are designed to quantify different aspects of phylogenetic diversity [52], such as the

The need for a solid conceptual basis and reliable guidance

If we accept rarity and richness to represent values deserving protection on their own, as has long been done by conservationists for the species- and area-centered approaches, phylogenetic diversity has the potential to enrich modern conservation practice. It can help by the identification and prioritization of species in need of protection and it can improve the spatial planning of conservation areas by the identification of locations with high levels of phylogenetic diversity in addition to

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Ingolf Kühn for comments on earlier drafts and thank Walter Durka, Stefan Michalski, and the team at the EEF symposium ‘Evolutionary history, ecosystem function and conservation biology: new perspectives’ [68] for fruitful discussions. We also acknowledge the helpful and detailed comments and suggestions from three anonymous reviewers and Paul Craze.

Glossary

Complementarity approach: in terms of conservation, this approach uses optimization algorithms to select a set of areas that, if protected, would represent components of biodiversity not adequately represented in existing protected areas [1]. Components could be, for example, species, regions, landscape features, evolutionary lineages, or functional characteristics.
Distinctiveness: ‘distinctiveness’ describes the phylogenetic relationship of a species to other extant species regardless of whether

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Trends in Ecology & Evolution

OpinionPhylogenetic diversity and nature conservation: where are we?

Section snippets

A promising but yet ambiguous additional biodiversity component for conservation

Phylogenetic diversity as an intrinsic biodiversity component

The rarity aspect

The richness aspect

Phylogenetic diversity as a proxy for functional diversity

Phylogenetic diversity as a proxy for evolutionary potential

The jungle of different indices

The need for a solid conceptual basis and reliable guidance

Acknowledgments

Glossary

Biol. Conserv.

Trends Ecol. Evol.

Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustainabil.

Biol. Conserv.

Curr. Biol.

Theor. Popul. Biol.

An evolutionary basis for conservation strategies

Science

Nonrandom extinction and the loss of evolutionary history

Science

Plant extinctions and introductions lead to phylogenetic and taxonomic homogenization of the European flora

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Phylogenetic diversity and the functioning of ecosystems

Ecol. Lett.

Evolutionary biology and practical conservation: bridging a widening gap

Mol. Ecol.

Evolution in biodiversity policy - current gaps and future needs

Evol. Appl.

Convention on Biological Diversity

Preserving the tree of life

Science

Prioritizing species for conservation planning

Biodivers. Conserv.

A comparative test of phylogenetic diversity indices

Oecologia

Incorporating evolutionary measures into conservation prioritization

Conserv. Biol.

The contribution of rare species to community phylogenetic diversity across a global network of forest plots

Am. Nat.

Mammals on the EDGE: conservation priorities based on threat and phylogeny

PLoS ONE

Evolutionary distinctiveness, threat status, and ecological oddity in primates

Conserv. Biol.

Phylogenetically-informed priorities for amphibian conservation

PLoS ONE

M019 - Halting the Loss of Evolutionarily Distinct Lineages

Quantifying the evidence for biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning and services

Ecol. Lett.

Contrasted effects of diversity and immigration on ecological insurance in marine bacterioplankton communities

PLoS ONE

A global synthesis reveals biodiversity loss as a major driver of ecosystem change

Nature

Biodiversity loss and its impact on humanity

Nature

Biodiversity-ecosystem function research: is it relevant to conservation?

Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst.

Preserving the evolutionary potential of floras in biodiversity hotspots

Nature

Hotspots and the conservation of evolutionary history

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Drafting a blueprint for functional and phylogenetic diversity conservation in the Brazilian cerrado

Nat. Conserv.

Integrating phylogenetic diversity in the selection of priority areas for conservation: does it make a difference?

New ‘biodiversity’ measures reveal a decrease in taxonomic distinctness with increasing stress

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

The relationship between species richness and taxonomic distinctness in freshwater organisms

Limnol. Oceanogr.

Challenging urban species diversity: contrasting phylogenetic patterns across plant functional groups in Germany

Ecol. Lett.

Opinion
Phylogenetic diversity and nature conservation: where are we?