Porter P. Lowry

Climate Change Adaptation for Conservation in Madagascar

Madagascars imperilled biota are now experiencing the effects of a new threat—climate change ([Raxworthy et al . 2008][1]). With more than 90% endemism among plants, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, the stakes are high. The pristine landscapes that allowed this exceptional biodiversity to

Infrafamilial classifications and characters in Araliaceae: Insights from the phylogenetic analysis of nuclear (ITS) and plastid (trnL-trnF) sequence data

Abstract.Traditional classifications of Araliaceae have stressed a relatively small number of morphological characters in the circumscription of infrafamilial groups (usually recognized as tribes). These systems remain largely untested from a phylogenetic perspective, and only a single previous study has explicitly explored intergeneric relationships throughout this family. To test these infrafamilial classification systems, parsimony and Bayesian-inference analyses were conducted using a broad sampling of 107 taxa representing 37 (of the 41) genera currently recognized in core Araliaceae, plus five outgroup genera. Data were collected from two molecular markers, the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) of the nuclear rRNA genes and the intron and intergenic spacer found in the trnL-trnF region of the chloroplast genome. The results suggest that there are three major lineages of Araliaceae, and that these lineages generally correspond with the centers of diversity for the family. The Aralia and Asian Palmate groups are centered primarily in eastern and southeastern Asia, whereas the Polyscias-Pseudopanax group is found throughout the Pacific and Indian Ocean basins. Several poorly resolved lineages are placed at the base of core Araliaceae, and the geographic distributions of these clades are consistent with a hypothesized rapid radiation of Araliaceae, possibly correlated with the breakup of Gondwanaland. Comparison of molecular results with the traditional systems of classification shows almost no congruence, indicating that they inadequately reflect phylogenetic relationships. Moreover, the morphological characters employed in these classifications appear to be highly homoplastic, and are thus of little utility at the infrafamilial level.

Recent advances in understanding Apiales and a revised classification

Despite the long history of recognising the angiosperm order Apiales as a natural alliance, the circumscription of the order and the relationships among its constituent groups have been troublesome. Recent studies, however, have made great progress in understanding phylo- genetic relationships in Apiales. Although much of this recent work has been based on molecular data, the results are congruent with other sources of data, including morphology and geography. A unified picture of relationships has now emerged regarding the delimitation of Apiales, which includes a core group of four families (Apiaceae, Araliaceae, Myodocarpaceae, Pittosporaceae) to which three small families are also added (Griseliniaceae, Torricelliaceae and Pennantiaceae). After a brief review of recent advances in each of the major groups, a revised classification of the order is presented, which includes the recognition of the new suborder Apiineae (comprising the four core families) and two new subfamilies within Apiaceae (Azorelloideae and Mackinlayoideae).

The endemic and non-endemic vascular flora of Madagascar updated

Background and aims - The Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Madagascar project aims to evaluate and enumerate the native and naturalized vascular plant flora of Madagascar. In light of the past two decades of intensive collecting and taxonomic work, all relevant published literature and available specimens are being reassessed in order to evaluate the taxonomic status and distribution of the native and naturalized taxa of vascular plants. Here we provide current figures for the total numbers of vascular plants and levels of endemism at the order, family, genus and species levels, comparing them to previous historical counts and analyzing the distribution of the non-endemic element of the flora. Key Results - At the time of writing (April 2010), more than a century after Baron first counted 4,100 species of vascular plants in Madagascar, the Madagascar Catalogue database had registered a total of 14,883 accepted names at all taxonomic levels (64 orders, 243 families, 1,730 genera, 11,220 species and 1,626 infraspecific taxa). Of the 11,220 species of vascular plants in Madagascar, 10,650 (95%) are angiosperms, of which 331 are naturalized introduced species. The remaining accepted indigenous angiosperm species total 10,319, of which 8,621 (84%) are endemic to Madagascar (82% endemism for all indigenous vascular plants). Among the 1,698 non-endemic species of indigenous angiosperms, a total of 1,372 (81%) also occur in Africa, of these 654 (39%) are present only in Africa and Madagascar.

Phylogenetic and biogeographic diversification in Osmorhiza (Apiaceae)

Osmorhiza Raf. (Apiaceae) consists of 10 species disjunctly distributed in temperate Asia (1 sp.) and the Americas (9 spp.). Osmorhiza berteroi and 0. depauperata show an American antitropical disjunction. Within North America, these two species are also disjunctly distributed in eastern and western North America and the Great Lakes regions. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted to clarify inter- and intraspecific relationships based on sequences of the ITS and 5.85 regions of nrDNA. With Anthriscus, Geocaryum, and Myrrhis as outgroups, the monophyly of Osmorhiza is strongly supported. The ITS phylogeny suggests the basal position of the Asiatic 0. aristata and the monophyly of the nine New World species. The ITS sequence of Osmorhiza aristata is relatively divergent from those of all other species even though it is morphologically similar to the eastern North American 0. claytonii and 0. longistylis (which form a Glade), suggesting early divergence followed by morphological stasis. Osmorhiza berteroi, 0. brachypoda, 0. depauperata, O. mexicana, O. occidentalis, and 0. purpurea constitute a monophyletic group (= western North American clade). The morphologically distinct 0. glabrata from the central Andes forms a trichotomy with the eastern North American Glade (O. claytonii and 0. longistylis) and the western North American clade in parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses. The 11 populations studied of the widespread 0. berteroi form a clade, and showed little sequence divergence, suggesting recent establishment of the widely disjunct populations following long-distance dispersal. Disjunct populations of 0. depauperata from the Rocky Mountains and eastern North America have an identical ITS profile. Osmorhiza occidentalis, however, shows a high level of infraspecific sequence divergence. The ITS phylogeny and the low sequence divergence values suggest rapid diversification of Osmorhiza in western North America.

Threats to the conifer species found on New Caledonia’s ultramafic massifs and proposals for urgently needed measures to improve their protection

Forty-one endemic conifer species occur on New Caledonia’s ultramafic substrates (known locally as “terrains miniers”), the source of nickel ore deposits being exploited at a rapidly increasing rate. Impacts of the removal of native vegetation and its destruction by the deposition of mine wastes are compounded by fire, which has dramatically reduced and fragmented the original cover. A new threat evaluation of these conifers, now being incorporated into the IUCN Red List, is presented. A conservation action plan is proposed to ensure their long term survival. Four species are classified as Critically Endangered (CR), 13 Endangered (EN), 6 Vulnerable (VU), 7 Nearly Threatened (NT) and 11 Least Concern. Wetland habitats contain two threatened species (i.e., CR, EN or VU), all inadequately protected in a single reserve. High altitude forest and maquis (a characteristic scrub-like vegetation) have four threatened and three NT conifers only partially encompassed in protected areas, some open to mining. Thirteen threatened species are restricted to low- and mid-elevation forests, and another three that can also occur on non-ultramafic substrates have isolated, unprotected populations in small forest remnants. Fire and land clearing for mining threaten two conifer species in low- to mid-elevation maquis along with subpopulations of five primarily forest species. Conserving the threatened conifers on terrains miniers will require coordinated measures including: comprehensive protection of forest remnants by forbidding mine waste stockpiling; establishment of new reserves, especially in key unprotected massifs; effective fire prevention; restoration of forest corridors between forest remnants; and multiplication/transplanting of selected species.

POLYPHYLY IN GUETTARDA L. (RUBIACEAE, GUETTARDEAE) BASED ON NRDNA ITS SEQUENCE DATA1, 2

Abstract The genus Guettarda (Guettardeae–Rubiaceae) comprises approximately 150 species, ranging from eastern Africa through the islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans to the Neotropics. Sequence data from the nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region were used to test the monophyly of Guettarda and its relationships to closely related genera within Guettardeae. The results indicate that Guettarda and two smaller genera, Antirhea and Stenostomum, are polyphyletic. Most Guettarda species fall into two distinct groups: a Neotropical lineage that also includes the widespread Indo-Pacific strand species G. speciosa (the type of the genus), and a New Caledonian lineage that, along with Antirhea and Timonius, comprises a dioecious Paleotropical clade. The Hawaiian endemic Bobea, traditionally considered close to Timonius and assumed to be of Old World origin, appears to be more closely related to Neotropical Guettarda species, suggesting that dioecy may have evolved twice within the tribe. The use of traditional gynoecium characters to delimit genera within Guettardeae is not congruent with the ITS phylogeny; other features, such as inflorescence architecture, sexual system, and palynology, appear to correlate more closely with the molecular phylogeny.

Generic relationships in Araliaceae: looking into the crystal ball

Our understanding of relationships among Apiales and within Araliaceae has progressed considerably in the last decade thanks to numerous molecular phylogenetic studies. It is now clear that traditional infrafamilial systems of classification of Araliaceae fail to reflect evolutionary relationships and that the morphological features on which they were based exhibit high levels of homoplasy. Recent studies have provided a very different picture of relationships in the family, and are rapidly converging on a consensus that allows us to review the status of the 41 genera currently recognised in Araliaceae and to consider alternative circumscriptions for those that are not monophyletic. Twenty-four small and medium-sized genera are unlikely to be modified, whereas five others ( Dendropanax , Oreopanax , Osmoxylon , Pseudopanax and Sinopanax ) may require changes in circumscription. The status of four other small genera is not yet clear, but the two largest genera will require considerable re-alignments: Polyscias (c. 150 spp.), which is paraphyletic with respect to six other genera, and the polyphyletic genus Schefflera (c. 650-900 spp.), which represents five geographically distinct clades. While it is still too early to make formal taxonomic changes to these genera, current evidence suggests that Polyscias sensu lato will likely be realigned into 5–8 geographically coherent genera, while Schefflera sensu lato will be split into 10–16 genera.

Recognition of Martellidendron, a new genus of Pandanaceae, and its biogeographic implications

Pandanaceae are an ancient family of dioecious monocots dating from the early to mid-Cretaceous, and comprising three extant genera Sararanga, Freycinetia and Pandanus. We present a cladistic analysis of Pandanaceae based on DNA sequences of four cpDNA fragments (the trnL intron and three intergenic spacers, trnL-F, trnS-ycJ9 and atpB-rbcL) in order to elucidate intergeneric relationships within the family. The results show that Pandanus, as currently circumscribed, is biphyletic, with members of the Indian Ocean subg. Martellidendron sister to the Indo-Malesian genus Freycinetia in a clade that also includes the Malesian genus Sararanga, and that the remaining members of Pandanus form a separate well supported clade. Martellidendron is thus recognized as a distinct genus, thereby circumscribing a monophyletic Pandanus. Martellidendron comprises seven species (for which new combinations are proposed). The high level of morphological differentiation between the genera of Pandanaceae suggests rapid early radiation as seen in other monocot groups. The molecular data also indicate that the distinct lineages of Pandanaceae in the Indian Ocean basin are likely the result of both vicariance (Martellidendron) and more recent step-wise long-distance dispersal from Asia across the Indian Ocean (e.g., monocarpellate spiniform species in lowland eastern Madagascar).

How Effective Have Thirty Years of Internationally Driven Conservation and Development Efforts Been in Madagascar

Conservation and development are intricately linked. The international donor community has long provided aid to tropical countries in an effort to alleviate poverty and conserve biodiversity. While hundreds of millions of