Targeted conservation management of white pines in China: Integrating phylogeographic structure, niche modeling, and conservation gap analyses

• DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119211
• Publication Date: 2021-04-13T17:24:58Z
• Authors: Lele Lin; Jian He; Rudan Lyu; Yike Luo; Min Yao; Lei Xie; Guofa Cui
• Keywords: Environmental niche modelling; Gap analysis (conservation)

Abstract White pines (Pinus subsect. Strobus) are important in many Northern Hemisphere forest ecosystems, and white pine species are often narrowly distributed or even endangered in China. In this study, we integrated phylogeography, ecological niche modeling, and conservation gap analysis to assess conservation priorities for the white pine species in China, and subsequently provided valuable insights for their effective conservation. First, to infer their phylogeographic structure, DNA sequence data were obtained for three plastid and two mitochondrial regions from 87 individuals representing all 12 natural species in China. Then, the effectiveness of existing protected areas (PAs) in China was evaluated by overlapping 1372 PAs to the current and future suitable habitats identified by MaxEnt. We also used the software Marxan to assess irreplaceable planning units (IPUs) and conservation priority areas. Our results revealed that the plastid and mitochondrial data generated different phylogenetic relationships, indicating historical introgressions among the white pine species. Additionally, half of the species in China, including endangered species such as P. dabeshanensis, P. wangii, and P. kwangtungensis, are poorly protected with low percentages (