Phylogenetic classification of the world's tropical forests.

Published

Journal Article

Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world's tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition, and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region-specific responses to global environmental change. Modern phylogenies, in combination with broad coverage of species inventory data, now allow for global biogeographic analyses that take species evolutionary distance into account. Here we present a classification of the world's tropical forests based on their phylogenetic similarity. We identify five principal floristic regions and their floristic relationships: (i) Indo-Pacific, (ii) Subtropical, (iii) African, (iv) American, and (v) Dry forests. Our results do not support the traditional neo- versus paleotropical forest division but instead separate the combined American and African forests from their Indo-Pacific counterparts. We also find indications for the existence of a global dry forest region, with representatives in America, Africa, Madagascar, and India. Additionally, a northern-hemisphere Subtropical forest region was identified with representatives in Asia and America, providing support for a link between Asian and American northern-hemisphere forests.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Slik, JWF; Franklin, J; Arroyo-Rodríguez, V; Field, R; Aguilar, S; Aguirre, N; Ahumada, J; Aiba, S-I; Alves, LF; K, A; Avella, A; Mora, F; Aymard C, GA; Báez, S; Balvanera, P; Bastian, ML; Bastin, J-F; Bellingham, PJ; van den Berg, E; da Conceição Bispo, P; Boeckx, P; Boehning-Gaese, K; Bongers, F; Boyle, B; Brambach, F; Brearley, FQ; Brown, S; Chai, S-L; Chazdon, RL; Chen, S; Chhang, P; Chuyong, G; Ewango, C; Coronado, IM; Cristóbal-Azkarate, J; Culmsee, H; Damas, K; Dattaraja, HS; Davidar, P; DeWalt, SJ; Din, H; Drake, DR; Duque, A; Durigan, G; Eichhorn, K; Eler, ES; Enoki, T; Ensslin, A; Fandohan, AB; Farwig, N; Feeley, KJ; Fischer, M; Forshed, O; Garcia, QS; Garkoti, SC; Gillespie, TW; Gillet, J-F; Gonmadje, C; Granzow-de la Cerda, I; Griffith, DM; Grogan, J; Hakeem, KR; Harris, DJ; Harrison, RD; Hector, A; Hemp, A; Homeier, J; Hussain, MS; Ibarra-Manríquez, G; Hanum, IF; Imai, N; Jansen, PA; Joly, CA; Joseph, S; Kartawinata, K; Kearsley, E; Kelly, DL; Kessler, M; Killeen, TJ; Kooyman, RM; Laumonier, Y; Laurance, SG; Laurance, WF; Lawes, MJ; Letcher, SG; Lindsell, J; Lovett, J; Lozada, J; Lu, X; Lykke, AM; Mahmud, KB; Mahayani, NPD; Mansor, A; Marshall, AR; Martin, EH; Calderado Leal Matos, D; Meave, JA; Melo, FPL; Mendoza, ZHA; Metali, F; Medjibe, VP; Metzger, JP; Metzker, T; Mohandass, D; Munguía-Rosas, MA; Muñoz, R; Nurtjahy, E; de Oliveira, EL; Onrizal, ; Parolin, P; Parren, M; Parthasarathy, N; Paudel, E; Perez, R; Pérez-García, EA; Pommer, U; Poorter, L; Qie, L; Piedade, MTF; Pinto, JRR; Poulsen, AD; Poulsen, JR; Powers, JS; Prasad, RC; Puyravaud, J-P; Rangel, O; Reitsma, J; Rocha, DSB; Rolim, S; Rovero, F; Rozak, A; Ruokolainen, K; Rutishauser, E; Rutten, G; Mohd Said, MN; Saiter, FZ; Saner, P; Santos, B; Dos Santos, JR; Sarker, SK; Schmitt, CB; Schoengart, J; Schulze, M; Sheil, D; Sist, P; Souza, AF; Spironello, WR; Sposito, T; Steinmetz, R; Stevart, T; Suganuma, MS; Sukri, R; Sultana, A; Sukumar, R; Sunderland, T; Supriyadi, ; Suresh, HS; Suzuki, E; Tabarelli, M; Tang, J; Tanner, EVJ; Targhetta, N; Theilade, I; Thomas, D; Timberlake, J; de Morisson Valeriano, M; van Valkenburg, J; Van Do, T; Van Sam, H; Vandermeer, JH; Verbeeck, H; Vetaas, OR; Adekunle, V; Vieira, SA; Webb, CO; Webb, EL; Whitfeld, T; Wich, S; Williams, J; Wiser, S; Wittmann, F; Yang, X; Adou Yao, CY; Yap, SL; Zahawi, RA; Zakaria, R; Zang, R

Published Date

  • February 5, 2018

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 115 / 8

Start / End Page

  • 1837 - 1842

PubMed ID

  • 29432167

Pubmed Central ID

  • 29432167

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1091-6490

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0027-8424

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1073/pnas.1714977115

Language

  • eng