the role of history and ecology in shaping biological diversity in tropical forest
DESCRIPTION
The role of history and ecology in shaping biological diversity in tropical forest. Gabon Tropical forest diversity Endemicity Viable populations. MTC. MFC. MTD. Western lowland gorillas. Shed hairs from night nests. Dung. Sampling and landscape features. Nigeria. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The role of history and ecology in shaping biological diversity in tropical
forest
Gabon
Tropical forest diversityEndemicityViable populations
MTC
MFC
MTD
Shed hairs from night nests
Dung
Western lowland gorillas
Sampling and landscape features
Sangha
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Central African Republic (CAR)
Congo
Gabon
EquatorialGuinea
Cameroon
Nigeria
Angola
Uganda
Rwanda
Burundi
Ogooué
Sanaga
Congo
Tropical forest refugia
Localization of forest refuges during the last arid phase ~18,000 years ago
Predictions
• Pleistocene refugia leads to allopatric divergence and regional differentiation
• Evidence for demographic expansion out of regional centers
• Haplogroup admixture in areas of secondary contact
• Role of major rivers in population structuring?
Genetic variation in wild gorillas
?
?
MTC
MFCMTD
Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA)
Among groupAmong populationsWithin populations
Signatures of demographic expansion
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
0
10
20
30
40
MTG A
ELG B
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
0
200
400
600
800
WLG D3
** Significant at P < 0.05* Significant at P < 0.01
ELG Fu’s F -2.65857**Growth (g) = 630.3 + 110.4
MTG Fu’s F -1.47522*Growth (g) = -3.6 + 0.6
HD3 Fu’s F -4.49150**Growth (g) = 1006.5 + 188.2
Nuclear genetic analyses
Afi Mt.,Nigeria
C.A.R. Lopé,Gabon
Lossi-Odzala,Congo
Kahuzi-Biega,D.R.C.
Bwindi,Uganda
Gp C Gp D1 Gp D3 Gp B Gp A
Forest duikers as models for testing tropical diversity hypotheses
• high species richness • recent adaptive radiation• tied to forest habitats• major protein source• easy to sample
Combined non-invasive strategy across a suite of taxa
Species identification
• Forest artiodactyls cannot be differentiated by fecal pellet morphology
• Up to six species of forest duiker and as many as eleven artiodactyl species are in sympatry
?
Ntie et al., 2009
Construction of a reference phylogeny using the control region
(Ntie et al., 2009)
Understanding species responses to climate change: development of a conservation prioritization scheme for central Africa
Central African Biodiversity Alliance
Climate change across the region
Species have three options:
a) Evolve and adaptb) Buffer changec) Move
Strategies for conservation: conserving evolutionary process
Areas of high turnover = Regions of Elevated Adaptive Evolutionary Potential (REAPs)
Focal species• Butterfly - Bicyclus dorothea• Amphibian - Phrynobatrachus auritus• Plant - Megaphrynium macrostachyum• Birds - Andropadus virens and Cyanomitra
olivacea• Rodent - Hylomyscus stella• Reptile - Trachylepis affinis• Chimpanzee - Pan troglodytes• Duiker - Philantomba monticola
Identifying REAPS: the less bulbul
1. Species mapping 2. Identification of PAs 3. Map REAPs
Integrating socio-economic data• Are zones of elevated evolutionary potential
also found in zones of rapid economic development?
• What is the value of these top priority areas to local communities (household goods, cultural values)
Educational activities• Professional development workshop
(2013, 2015)• Undergraduate field course (2014, 2016)• Graduate seminars (2014-2016)• Research symposium for workshop
participants (2015, 2017)• Academic exchange programs (2013-
2017)• Distance learning (2016, 2017)
Undergraduate field course
Acknowledgements• National Science Foundation• University of New Orleans, University of California Los
Angeles, University of Albany• Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku• Institut de Recherche en Ecologie Tropicale• University of Buea• Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux• Direction Générale de la Faune et des Aires Protégées• Smithsonian Institute• Wildlife Conservation Society• Committee on the Advancement of Women Chemists
(COACh)
Biodiversité et sa Conservation