The global loss of floristic uniqueness

Author(s):Show less -

Yang, Qiang ^[1] ; Weigelt, Patrick ^{[2, 3]} ; Fristoe, Trevor S. ^[1] ; Zhang, Zhijie ^[1] ; Kreft, Holger ^{[2, 4]} ; Stein, Anke ^[1] ; Seebens, Hanno ^[5] ; Dawson, Wayne ^[6] ; Essl, Franz ^[7] ; Koenig, Christian ^[8] ; Lenzner, Bernd ^[7] ; Pergl, Jan ^[9] ; Pouteau, Robin ^[10] ; Pysek, Petr ^{[9, 11]} ; Winter, Marten ^[12] ; Ebel, Aleksandr L. ^{[13, 14]} ; Fuentes, Nicol ^[15] ; Giehl, Eduardo L. H. ^[16] ; Kartesz, John ^[17] ; Krestov, Pavel ^[18] ; Kukk, Toomas ^[19] ; Nishino, Misako ^[17] ; Kupriyanov, Andrey ^[20] ; Luis Villasenor, Jose ^[21] ; Wieringa, Jan J. ^[22] ; Zeddam, Abida ^[23] ; Zykova, Elena ^[14] ; van Kleunen, Mark ^{[1, 24]}

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Univ Konstanz, Dept Biol, Ecol, Constance - Germany

^[2] Univ Gottingen, Biodivers Macroecol & Biogeog, Gottingen - Germany

^[3] Campus Inst Data Sci, Gottingen - Germany

^[4] Univ Goettingen, Ctr Biodivers & Sustainable Land Use, Gottingen - Germany

^[5] Senckenberg Biodivers & Climate Res Ctr, Frankfurt - Germany

^[6] Univ Durham, Dept Biosci, Durham - England

^[7] Univ Vienna, Dept Bot & Biodivers Res, Bioinvas Global Change Macroecol Grp, Vienna - Austria

^[8] Univ Potsdam, Ecol & Macroecol Grp, Potsdam - Germany

^[9] Czech Acad Sci, Inst Bot, Dept Invas Ecol, Pruhonice - Czech Republic

^[10] Univ Montpellier, AMAP, CIRAD, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Montpellier - France

^[11] Charles Univ Prague, Fac Sci, Dept Ecol, Prague - Czech Republic

^[12] German Ctr Integrat Biodivers Res iDiv, Leipzig - Germany

^[13] Tomsk State Univ, Dept Bot, Tomsk - Russia

^[14] Russian Acad Sci, Siberian Branch, Cent Siberian Bot Garden, Novosibirsk - Russia

^[15] Univ Concepcion, Fac Ciencias Nat & Oceanog, Dept Bot, Concepcion - Chile

^[16] Univ Fed Santa Catarina, Dept Ecol & Zool, Florianopolis, SC - Brazil

^[17] Biota North Amer Program, Chapel Hill, NC - USA

^[18] Bot Garden Inst FEB RAS, Vladivostok - Russia

^[19] Estonian Univ Life Sci, Inst Agr & Environm Sci, Tartu - Estonia

^[20] Russian Acad Sci, Inst Human Ecol, Siberian Branch, Kemerovo - Russia

^[21] Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Dept Bot, Mexico City, DF - Mexico

^[22] Nat Biodivers Ctr, Leiden - Netherlands

^[23] Ingenieur Ecol Vegetale, Algiers - Algeria

^[24] Taizhou Univ, Zhejiang Prov Key Lab Plant Evolutionary Ecol & C, Taizhou - Peoples R China

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: NATURE COMMUNICATIONS; v. 12, n. 1 DEC 15 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Regional species assemblages have been shaped by colonization, speciation and extinction over millions of years. Humans have altered biogeography by introducing species to new ranges. However, an analysis of how strongly naturalized plant species (i.e. alien plants that have established self-sustaining populations) affect the taxonomic and phylogenetic uniqueness of regional floras globally is still missing. Here, we present such an analysis with data from native and naturalized alien floras in 658 regions around the world. We find strong taxonomic and phylogenetic floristic homogenization overall, and that the natural decline in floristic similarity with increasing geographic distance is weakened by naturalized species. Floristic homogenization increases with climatic similarity, which emphasizes the importance of climate matching in plant naturalization. Moreover, floristic homogenization is greater between regions with current or past administrative relationships, indicating that being part of the same country as well as historical colonial ties facilitate floristic exchange, most likely due to more intensive trade and transport between such regions. Our findings show that naturalization of alien plants threatens taxonomic and phylogenetic uniqueness of regional floras globally. Unless more effective biosecurity measures are implemented, it is likely that with ongoing globalization, even the most distant regions will lose their floristic uniqueness. Humans have altered plant biogeography by introducing species from one region to another, but an analysis of how naturalized plant species affect the uniqueness of regional floras around the world was missing. This study presents an analysis using data from native and naturalized alien floras in 658 regions, finding strong taxonomic and phylogenetic floristic homogenization overall. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/06005-1 - Process-based modeling of species richness and niche shifts among woody formations in South America
• Grantee: Eduardo Luís Hettwer Giehl
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor