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Contributed Talk

Session: : Conservation Ecology and Extinction 3

COS 213-5 - Prioritizing conservation areas for the genus Quercus (Fagaceae) in Mexico using species niche models and a multicriteria analysis

Wednesday, August 9, 2023
4:30 PM – 4:45 PM PDT
Location: C125-126
Abstract: Mexico is the center of diversity for oaks (genus Quercus). Oaks occupies multiple habitats within the region, where they are often keystone species, shaping ecological relationships and providing various ecosystem services and economic benefits. Unfortunately, more than 25% of the species in the region are threatened with extinction. Understanding the spatial distribution and identifying priority areas for species conservation is an essential step toward preventing their loss. Here, the ecological niche of oak species was modeled to identify priority areas for conservation and to assess the effectiveness of national legally protected areas on their conservation. Occurrence data for oak species were collected from nine different data sources, and niche models were generated using MAXENT. We used a multicriteria analysis to identify conservation priority areas. This multicriteria analysis was based on the spatial patterns of richness, geographic rareness, and irreplaceability. We found that the regions with high species richness differed in part from those with high endemism. The areas with high species richness are the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental. In addition, we estimated the potential exposure to introgressive hybridization among sympatric interfertile species, which is particularly important in high species richness areas. We discuss the conservation implications of this potential interspecific gene flow, particularly from the perspective of rare species and some of the network effects of gene flow among numerous species in a syngameon. A proportion of priority areas for conservation overlapped with legally protected areas, however, this is not enough for conserving this genus. This suggests that conservation efforts should be focused beyond current protected areas and effective conservation action will require engaging local communities, private citizens, and NGOs in these efforts.