Drastic underestimation of amphipod biodiversity in the endangered Irano-Anatolian and Caucasus biodiversity hotspots
| Autor: | Ahmad-Reza Katouzian, Florian Leese, Alireza Sari, Jan Macher, Alexander M. Weigand, Martina Weiss, Alireza Saboori |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine Genetic Markers Species complex Endangered species Biodiversity Ecological Parameter Monitoring Biology Freshwater Biology 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences DNA Mitochondrial Article Electron Transport Complex IV 03 medical and health sciences RNA Ribosomal 28S Asia Western Umbrella species Animals Amphipoda Ecosystem diversity Multidisciplinary Ecology Species diversity Genetic Variation Biodiversity hotspot 030104 developmental biology Threatened species Biologie human activities |
| Zdroj: | Scientific Reports |
| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |
| Popis: | Biodiversity hotspots are centers of biological diversity and particularly threatened by anthropogenic activities. Their true magnitude of species diversity and endemism, however, is still largely unknown as species diversity is traditionally assessed using morphological descriptions only, thereby ignoring cryptic species. This directly limits evidence-based monitoring and management strategies. Here we used molecular species delimitation methods to quantify cryptic diversity of the montane amphipods in the Irano-Anatolian and Caucasus biodiversity hotspots. Amphipods are ecosystem engineers in rivers and lakes. Species diversity was assessed by analysing two genetic markers (mitochondrial COI and nuclear 28S rDNA), compared with morphological assignments. Our results unambiguously demonstrate that species diversity and endemism is dramatically underestimated, with 42 genetically identified freshwater species in only five reported morphospecies. Over 90% of the newly recovered species cluster inside Gammarus komareki and G. lacustris; 69% of the recovered species comprise narrow range endemics. Amphipod biodiversity is drastically underestimated for the studied regions. Thus, the risk of biodiversity loss is significantly greater than currently inferred as most endangered species remain unrecognized and/or are only found locally. Integrative application of genetic assessments in monitoring programs will help to understand the true magnitude of biodiversity and accurately evaluate its threat status. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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