1. Global monocot diversification: geography better explains variation in species richness than environment or biology
- Author
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Tang, CQ, Orme, CDL, Bunnefeld, L, Jones, FA, Powell, S, Chase, MW, Barraclough, TG, Savolainen, V, The Leverhulme Trust, and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
- Subjects
Evolutionary Biology ,Science & Technology ,elevational diversity gradient ,BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT ,AREA RELATIONSHIP ,FLOWERING PLANTS ,Plant Sciences ,0607 Plant Biology ,food and beverages ,LATITUDINAL GRADIENTS ,latitudinal diversity gradient ,species-area relationship ,DARWINS ABOMINABLE MYSTERY ,SOUTHERN AFRICA ,phylogenetic generalised least squares analysis ,GENE FLOW ,correlates of diversity ,ANGIOSPERM DIVERSIFICATION ,Life Sciences & Biomedicine ,PLANT DIVERSIFICATION ,LARGE PHYLOGENETIC TREES ,biodiversity - Abstract
Monocots account for a quarter of angiosperm species richness and are among the most economically and culturally important plants, including cereals (grasses), palms, orchids and lilies. Previous investigations of correlates of monocot species diversity have varied in scale and usually concentrated on a few drivers of diversification. Here, to disentangle the correlates of monocot diversity, we reconstructed a genus-level phylogenetic tree (1987 of the 2713 genera) and compiled an extensive database of abiotic, biotic and geographical characteristics to assess whether differences in these traits correlate with the vast asymmetrical species richness among genera present in this clade. Our results support several classical biodiversity theories, including species–area relationships, and latitudinal and elevational diversity gradients. Furthermore, interactions among these factors explain an additional 10% of the variation (compared to 36% from the main effects alone). We conclude that higher species richness among monocot genera is associated with geographical variables, especially larger ranges and lower elevations, rather than physical environment or physiology.
- Published
- 2016