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Article alert: Can we predict the number of plant species from the richness of a few common genera, families or orders?
16.06.2010 |
by: Pavel Stoev
Mazaris, A.D., Kallimanis, A.S., Tzanopoulos, J. Sgardelis, S.P., Pantis, J.D. 2010. Can we predict the number of plant species from the richness of a few common genera, families or orders? – Journal of Applied Ecology, 47: 662-670.
Halting biodiversity loss, a major environmental challenge, relies on the understanding of species richness patterns. The assessment of species richness is often hampered by limited taxonomic knowledge and the general dearth of trained systematists. Research has shown that the number of species in a community can be predicted by the number of higher order taxonomic units present. The number of common species in a region is a good predictor of total richness and it is tested whether this predictability translates to using higher taxa. The data from 240 sites from the Natura 2000 network of protected areas in Greece, including 5148 plant species and subspecies, which are grouped in 1113 genera 174 families and 56 orders, is used. The study revealed that there is no need to know all higher order taxa present in a region, in order to predict species richness. The analysis demonstrates that species richness can be predicted from the number of common or more speciose genera, families and orders present. These predictions hold without complete sampling of these higher taxa. The implication is that only limited systematic knowledge resources and effort in order to predict species richness are needed. Assuming these findings hold in other taxonomic groups and in other regions, the uncertainty introduced by limited knowledge of the systematics of less studied taxa should not be used as an excuse to avoid making conservation decisions.
For further information: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123394785/abstract
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