Conservation and Phylogeography of Plants: From the Mediterranean to the Rest of the World

• Published in: Diversity (Basel) Vol. 14; no. 2; p. 78
• Main Authors: Bobo-Pinilla, Javier, Salmerón-Sánchez, Esteban, Mendoza-Fernández, Antonio J., Mota, Juan F., Peñas, Julio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.02.2022
• Subjects: Algorithms; Biodiversity; Biogeography; Conservation; Conservation biology; Decision making; Deoxyribonucleic acid; DNA; ecological niche modelling; Ecosystem biology; Ecosystems; endemic plant species; Endemic plants; Flowers & plants; Genetic diversity; Geographic information systems; Keywords; Literature reviews; Macroevolution; Mediterranean biome; molecular markers; Phylogeography; Plant diversity; Population genetics; rare and threatened plants; Vegetation; Wildlife conservation; South Africa; California; Australia; Chile; United States > US; Spain
• ISSN: 1424-2818; 1424-2818
• DOI: 10.3390/d14020078

During the last decades, phylogeography has transformed the ways to analyze and understand plant diversity and biogeography. The repeated and increasingly detailed articles made from DNA data with phylogeographical procedures and algorithms have revolutionized biodiversity research, particularly on biodiversity conservation. This paper presents a systematic literature review of the different ways in which phylogeography has been applied to plants in Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs), especially to rare, threatened, and endemic plants. Studies ranged from basic research to how phylogeography is actually contributing to management conservation of Mediterranean plants. Finally, new and future phylogeography perspectives with integrative scientific arguments and conceptual bases applied to plant conservation biology are discussed.