Mapping, explaining, and assessing the current and future protection of mammalian evolutionary diversity

绘制、解释和评估哺乳动物进化多样性当前和未来的保护

• 批准号: 0642619
• 负责人: John Gittleman
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-04-01 至 2010-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0642619&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mapping; explaining; assessing; current; future

This project will synthesize two unique datasets to quantify the distribution of evolutionary history for all terrestrial mammals. First, range distribution maps have been digitized into Geographic Information Systems, permitting quantitative analysis of evolutionary history across different areas. Second, there exists a complete species-level evolutionary tree ("phylogeny"), with accurate branch lengths derived from molecular clocks and fossil evidence. These two datasets will be combined to examine three broad questions: 1) Do the distribution of species numbers and evolutionary history reside similarly around the world? 2) Do conservation priority areas based on species tallies (e.g. hotspots or ecoregions) also protect significant amounts of evolutionary history? 3) Do areas of high evolutionary history also contain unusual richness of threatened mammals? These questions are fundamental to understanding why and where almost a quarter of the 4763 mammal species are currently threatened with extinction. Human population growth, unsustainable resource use and associated environmental change have accelerated biodiversity losses over the last two centuries. Effective methods of measuring biodiversity are needed to develop a sound scientific basis for conservation. One successful and influential strategy has been to divide the planet into areas of higher and lower conservation concern. The motivation behind such strategies is that species numbers will be afforded greater protection in targeted regions. This approach can be improved by using evolutionary trees rather than species numbers per se, as will be done with this research. Thus, the proposed research will integrate ecological and evolutionary perspectives with conservation policy to help preserve biodiversity worldwide.

该项目将综合两个独特的数据集，以量化所有陆地哺乳动物进化历史的分布。 首先，分布范围图已数字化输入地理信息系统，从而可以对不同地区的进化历史进行定量分析。 第二，存在一个完整的物种水平的进化树（“进化树”），精确的分支长度来自分子钟和化石证据。 这两个数据集将被结合起来研究三个广泛的问题：1）物种数量和进化历史的分布在世界各地相似吗？ 2)基于物种统计的优先保护区（例如热点或生态区）是否也保护了大量的进化历史？ 3)高进化历史的地区是否也包含着异常丰富的受威胁哺乳动物？ 这些问题对于理解4763种哺乳动物中近四分之一目前面临灭绝威胁的原因和地点至关重要。 在过去两个世纪里，人口增长、不可持续的资源使用和相关的环境变化加速了生物多样性的丧失。需要有衡量生物多样性的有效方法，以便为养护工作建立健全的科学基础。 一个成功的和有影响力的战略是将地球划分为高度和低度保护关注的区域。 这些战略背后的动机是，在目标区域，物种数量将得到更大的保护。 这种方法可以通过使用进化树而不是物种数量本身来改进，正如本研究所做的那样。 因此，拟议的研究将把生态和进化的观点与保护政策结合起来，以帮助保护全球生物多样性。