Global Ecology and Conservation最新文献

{"title":"Ecosystem services and multifunctionality are co-regulated by biotic and abiotic factors along with forest types in a temperate forest of South Korea","authors":"Min-Ki Lee ,&nbsp;Yong-Ju Lee ,&nbsp;Jung-Hwa Chun ,&nbsp;A-Reum Kim ,&nbsp;Chang-Bae Lee","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03683","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03683","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Given global issues such as large-scale deforestation and increasing habitat loss, promoting forest ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) is essential for the successful implementation of global sustainable development. This study aims to quantify the four ecosystem service categories (i.e., provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting) and the ability to comprehensively provide them, EMF, based on 18 ecosystem services-related variables. Additionally, we evaluated the influence of biotic (i.e., species diversity, functional dominance, stand structural diversity) and abiotic (i.e., topography, climate, and soil) factors, and stand age on EMF and each ecosystem service category. We collected data from 98 plots, each 20 × 20 m, across the seven major forest types of Mt. Gariwang, which is a representative temperate forest in South Korea. Multimodel averaging and piecewise structural equation modeling were used to identify key variables influencing EMF and ecosystem service categories and to assess their interrelationships. Our results show that higher plant species richness and older forest stands enhanced stand structural diversity, which directly and positively affected EMF. EMF is primarily driven by biotic factors, such as the community weighted mean of traits, rather than abiotic factors. The mechanisms influencing each ecosystem services differed. Variance partitioning analysis revealed that the relative contributions of the four ecosystem service categories to the EMF are similar, with supporting and regulating services categories showing significant negative and positive effects on EMF, respectively. These findings suggest that forest management should comprehensively consider stand age and structural diversity to enhance EMF and as well as individual ecosystem service category. Furthermore, management practices that promote functional traits, such as wood density and leaf nitrogen content, are essential for increasing EMF. Finally, the degree of control of ecosystem service categories over EMF varies across forest types, so a clear management plan must be developed for each forest type.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article e03683"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144280285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Who’s active when and where? Unraveling the habitat use and temporal strategies of prey in a predator-human shared landscape","authors":"Dristee Chad ,&nbsp;Gunjan Adhikari ,&nbsp;Yam Bahadur Rawat ,&nbsp;Bijaya Dhami ,&nbsp;Mahamad Sayab Miya ,&nbsp;Bijaya Neupane","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the habitat use and temporal activity patterns of key prey species is crucial for conserving large carnivores, such as tigers and leopards, especially in landscapes dominated by humans. Hence, this study investigated the habitat associations and diel activity overlaps of six major prey species with both predators and humans in Banke National Park (BaNP), Nepal. For this, we deployed camera traps (n = 30) along a 2 km × 2 km grid, resulting in a total sampling effort of 450 trap nights. Generalized linear mixed models were used to reveal species-specific habitat associations. Barking deer were found associated with areas of sparse vegetation and proximity to water while avoiding roads; in contrast, spotted deer tolerated higher levels of human disturbance. Similarly, four-horned antelopes avoided steep slopes, wild boars were less common near roads, and Indian crested porcupines preferred regions with low disturbance. Temporal activity analyses indicated diverse activity patterns among prey, ranging from crepuscular to nocturnal, with most species exhibiting moderate overlap with predator activity. The reduced temporal synchrony noted for spotted deer and four-horned antelopes supports the human shield hypothesis, suggesting that these species alter their activity in response to increased human presence to mitigate predation risk. Conversely, predators minimized their temporal overlap with humans, likely as an adaptive strategy to avoid encounters. These findings signify the necessity for species-specific habitat management to sustain prey populations and mitigate human-wildlife conflict. We recommend conducting further studies to gather year-round data that will provide a thorough understanding of how seasonal changes influence the activities of prey and their predators in the study area and similar landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article e03682"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144290802","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Massive spread of invasive plant species predicted from spatio-temporal modelling on Reunion Island","authors":"Roxane L’Horset ,&nbsp;Mathieu Castets ,&nbsp;Elise Cazaux ,&nbsp;Pauline Fenouillas ,&nbsp;Cédric Ajaguin-Soleyen ,&nbsp;Danny Lo Seen ,&nbsp;Mathieu Rouget","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03680","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03680","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite their high species diversity and endemism, island ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to invasive plant species (IPS). Reunion Island, located in the Indian Ocean, represents the largest area of intact vegetation in the Mascarene archipelago. However, the flora of Reunion Island is mostly threatened by IPS. Ecological modelling is crucial for studying IPS dynamics and for guiding management decisions on islands. To improve the capacity of IPS management in Reunion Island, this study aimed: (1) to predict the future spatio-temporal dynamics of IPS at island scale, (2) to better understand IPS spread factors. This work was conducted through an active “research-action” partnership. We designed a hybrid model to simulate the spatial spread over time of IPS on Reunion Island. We selected three species to be modelled: <em>Anthoxanthum odoratum</em>, <em>Hiptage benghalensis</em> and <em>Solanum mauritianum</em>. The hybrid model predicted an increase of 30 % of the current invaded surface by <em>A. odoratum</em> in Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs); an increase of 20 % for <em>S. mauritianum</em>; and a spread outside of KBAs for <em>H. benghalensis</em>. The framework of the model, based on generic life-cycle mechanisms and species distribution models, can be adapted to other IPS of different plant types (such as lianas, shrubs and trees). The model framework is also adaptable and can be used with different climate change scenarios. With the implementation of IPS control actions also planned, the model could be used as a support tool by managers for analysing IPS trends spreading into KBAs and for taking appropriate actions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03680"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144313297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of tourism on seasonal movements and fine-scale habitat selection of African lions and spotted hyenas in Etosha National Park, Namibia","authors":"Jessica R. Patterson ,&nbsp;Stéphanie Périquet-Pearce ,&nbsp;Madeline H. Melton ,&nbsp;Brennan PetersonWood ,&nbsp;Dipanjan Naha ,&nbsp;Claudine Cloete ,&nbsp;James C. Beasley","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03681","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03681","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the drivers of habitat selection for apex predators, such as African lions (<em>Panthera leo</em>) and spotted hyenas (<em>Crocuta crocuta</em>), is a vital component of conservation efforts. Large carnivores are especially vulnerable to anthropogenic pressures, which are increasing in areas of Sub-Saharan Africa. As wildlife-based tourism increases human-wildlife interactions, it is crucial to better understand predator habitat selection to inform conservation strategies. In this study, we used GPS collar data from 14 lions and nine hyenas tracked between 2016 and 2024 in Etosha National Park, Namibia to develop step selection functions to determine how roads, waterholes, and vegetation influenced habitat selection during periods of high and low tourism. Our results show that within a protected area popular for tourism, lion and hyena habitat selection is influenced by environmental and anthropogenic factors during both day and night. However, the distribution and availability of habitat and vegetation was a more important driver of habitat selection than anthropogenic factors in our study system. In particular, during both seasons water availability was a main driver of habitat selection for lions. Lions and hyenas selected for areas near roads with less tourism activity, which may indicate they avoid certain areas to minimize interactions with humans. Vegetation density influenced selection by both species, with lions selecting for areas with low vegetation density and hyenas selected for areas with high vegetation density in both seasons. These results contribute to our understanding of lion and hyena habitat selection as human activities continue to increase across the globe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article e03681"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144261902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Individual-level size distribution patterns in fruit-feeding butterfly communities along a forest restoration gradient in the Afrotropics","authors":"Ryosuke Nakadai ,&nbsp;Perpetra Akite ,&nbsp;Sille Holm ,&nbsp;Richard Kigenyi ,&nbsp;Eveliina Korkiatupa ,&nbsp;Lotta Leinonen ,&nbsp;Geoffrey M. Malinga ,&nbsp;Margaret Nyafwono ,&nbsp;Wouter van Goor ,&nbsp;Anu Valtonen","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03679","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03679","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The loss and degradation of tropical rainforests pose significant challenges to global conservation, yet the impact of forest restoration on the functional diversity of animal communities, particularly at the intraspecific level, remains poorly understood. This study investigates the size distribution of fruit-feeding butterflies along a gradient of tropical forest restoration ages in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Study sites were categorised into three forest age groups: younger restored (10–16 years), older restored (21–26 years), and primary forests. Butterflies were sampled across 48 sites, and individual forewing lengths were measured to analyse changes in mean forewing length, diversity, skewness, and kurtosis. The mean forewing length and diversity increased, while skewness and kurtosis decreased, towards primary forest age group. Significant differences in size metrics were observed among forest age groups, with younger restored forests showing lower diversity compared to older restored and primary forests. Intraspecific differences in forewing length were detected in six of the 12 species studied, highlighting the nuanced insights provided by individual-level data compared to species-level analyses. Kernel density plots demonstrated a gradual shift towards more uniform size distributions along the restoration gradient, suggesting that morphological diversity increases as forests mature. These findings underscore the value of considering intraspecific variation in understanding community responses to forest restoration. The study highlights the prolonged but steady progress towards primary forest, offering important implications for tropical forest conservation and applied ecology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03679"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144322043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental thresholds triggering changes in above and belowground biomass carbon in China","authors":"Xin Zhang ,&nbsp;Shihang Zhang ,&nbsp;Jun Zhou ,&nbsp;Jianrong Fan","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03676","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03676","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quantifying the dynamics of above and belowground biomass carbon (AGBC and BGBC) is essential for optimizing carbon sink management. However, the environmental thresholds that govern these dynamics under climate change remain poorly understood in China. In this study, we identified key thresholds by examining the relationships between AGBC (4485 observations) and BGBC (3442 observations) with mean annual temperature (MAT), aridity index (AI), and soil pH. Thresholds for AGBC were 15.24°C (MAT), 1.17 (AI), and 6.87 (pH), while those for BGBC were 14.37°C, 0.65, and 7.99, respectively. Additionally, we explored these thresholds in different ecosystems (forests, grasslands, shrublands, and wetlands). By spatially mapping these thresholds, we delineated environmentally sensitive areas—regions currently below (or above) the thresholds that are projected to exceed (or fall below) them under future climate scenarios. Using machine learning algorithms, we modeled AGBC and BGBC distributions for the years 2010 and 2100 (SSP5–8.5 scenario) and identified regions with the most significant expected changes. Overlaying threshold-sensitive areas with projected vegetation carbon changes revealed that AGBC is likely to increase in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, while BGBC is projected to increase in the northern Shandong Province (Likelihood &gt; 66 %). These shifts are primarily driven by regional warming and humidification that exceed identified MAT and AI thresholds. By integrating threshold identification with spatial and temporal analyses, this study enhances our understanding of vegetation carbon responses to climate change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article e03676"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144261900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Projecting the poleward habitat expansion of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) in the west pacific and east Indian ocean in response to climate change","authors":"Soeon Ahn ,&nbsp;Hyun Woo Kim ,&nbsp;Kwang-Sik Choi ,&nbsp;Chulhong Oh ,&nbsp;Soo-Jin Heo ,&nbsp;Do-Hyung Kang ,&nbsp;Dongwha Sohn","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03674","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03674","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change is accelerating the poleward redistribution of marine megafauna, including whale sharks. This study aimed to (1) identify suitable habitat beyond the whale shark’s known northern range in the Northwestern Pacific, (2) quantify projected shifts in habitat across the Western Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean under future climate scenarios using species distribution models (SDMs), and (3) examine the influence of key environmental drivers across ecologically distinct regions using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis. High-performing SDMs were developed using H2O AutoML, incorporating presence records from GBIF, OBIS, and newly documented sightings in Korean waters. The best-fitted model was hindcast (2004–2023) and forecasted for the 2050s, 2070s, and 2090s using CMIP6-based Earth System Models under three climate change scenarios. Model projections indicated substantial habitat losses in equatorial regions and concurrent poleward expansion. Predictions illuminated suitable habitat within Korean waters to 47°N under present ocean conditions, extending to nearly 50°N by the end of the century, largely due to increases in sea surface temperatures. In contrast, chlorophyll-a played a more influential role in shaping habitat suitability in the Philippines and Ningaloo Reef, indicating region-specific environmental controls. While Korean waters may emerge as a future aggregation hotspot, the Philippines are projected to experience a persistent decline in high-quality habitat, and Ningaloo Reef may undergo seasonal shifts in aggregation timing. These findings highlight the ecological importance of emerging habitats and the urgency for proactive, region-specific conservation strategies in response to climate-driven range shifts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article e03674"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144270381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of manual and vacuum cleaner intake approaches efficiency for sampling subtropical ants using Winkler extractor across different habitats","authors":"Defu Chen ,&nbsp;Peng Xiao ,&nbsp;Mingrong Liang ,&nbsp;Benoit Guénard ,&nbsp;Yijuan Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03675","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03675","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sampling efforts and approaches represent the foundation of ecological and biodiversity studies. Winkler extractors have been increasingly used over the past 40 years to sample leaf litter and topsoil arthropods. Its use, however, is constrained by various factors, such as the litter quantity, environmental moisture levels or insect composition and, as such, may limit our understanding of the species communities sampled. The manual intake through hand sampling requiring the manual collection of surface litter and loose soil can be perceived as time-consuming, risk-prone and may be suboptimal to sample arthropods. Consequently, improving the manual intake method through mechanical suction could potentially address some of these limitations. This study presents a comparison of two field collection approaches prior to the treatment of ants using Winkler extractors. Here we evaluated the efficiency and complementarity of the manual and the vacuum cleaner intake across three habitats (woodland, grassland and wasteland) to measure the diversity (alpha and beta), abundance and richness of ants. We hypothesized that the use of vacuum cleaner intake offers a more comprehensive sampling in terms of ant abundance, species richness, and diversity, while being more time efficient in grasslands and wasteland habitats compared to the manual intake. Our results show that in grassland and wasteland habitats, vacuum cleaner intake presented an increase in ant abundance relative to the manual method but not in species richness nor diversity collected. Within woodlands no significant differences were observed for the different indices used. In terms of practicality, however, the vacuum cleaner intake showed greater efficiency, being about 36 % faster than manual intake. In summary, the vacuum cleaner intake method showed only practical benefits but no major improvements in the characterization of the ant communities sampled across these habitats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article e03675"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Balancing evidence and reducing uncertainty in the evaluation of reintroduction outcomes in ‘alalā, the Hawaiian crow","authors":"Alison L. Greggor ,&nbsp;Bryce Masuda ,&nbsp;James Sheppard ,&nbsp;Alison M. Flanagan ,&nbsp;Jay Nelson ,&nbsp;Lainie Berry ,&nbsp;Patricia Gaffney ,&nbsp;Ronald R. Swaisgood","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03673","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03673","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the course of conservation translocations, evaluating release outcomes can be critical for shaping future plans. However, reintroduction programs are often constrained in the number of animals they can release, which reduces the potential for experimental insight. Recent releases of the extinct-in-the-wild ‘alalā (<em>Corvus hawaiiensis</em>) highlight this dilemma. As the last remaining corvid species of the Hawaiian Islands, ‘alalā are critical seed dispersers, yet currently survive only in a small population within conservation breeding facilities. In our efforts to understand the factors contributing to the successes and failures of the 2016–2020 ‘alalā release effort, we explored various datasets and analyses to evaluate which management actions and ecological factors contributed to post-release mortality outside of an experimental framework. Specifically, we explored competing hypotheses surrounding the influence of social competition, supplemental food reduction, drawbacks of supplemental feeders, and predation on the outcome of recent releases. Using a multifaceted post-release monitoring dataset, we were able to reduce some of the uncertainty surrounding where and why ‘alalā died and what may have made them more vulnerable to mortality. We found that mortality risk was highest during times of supplemental food reduction and increased as more ‘alalā transitioned to the territorial behavior characteristic of adulthood. However, the mechanism for either risk factor remains uncertain, because low body weight, and changes to space use or food consumption did not explain why many birds ultimately died from predation, were not recovered, or suffered from multifactorial deaths (e.g. poor condition or infection). Nevertheless, these analyses highlight that future changes to the supplemental food reduction and release strategy could improve outcomes. In the context of passive adaptive management, release efforts can still learn from management actions, given sufficient monitoring of small release cohorts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"62 ","pages":"Article e03673"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144481173","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Population dynamics and evolutionary history of an endemic Sambucus africana Standl. (Viburnaceae): Evidence from complete plastomes and ecological niche analysis","authors":"Emmanuel Nyongesa Waswa ,&nbsp;Elijah Mbandi Mkala ,&nbsp;Jacinta Katunge Kawenze ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Syowai Mutinda ,&nbsp;Wyclif Ochieng Odago ,&nbsp;Victoire Izabayo ,&nbsp;Harriet Melany Nyamvula ,&nbsp;Neduvoto Mollel ,&nbsp;M.A.H. Fernandez Voortman ,&nbsp;Guang-Wan Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03671","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03671","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Evolution and demographic history of plant populations are primarily influenced by climatic and geological events. However, evolutionary population dynamics of endemic herbaceous plants in East Africa remains unexplored. In this study, we integrated chloroplast genomes, environmental variables, and geographical distribution datasets to assess the evolutionary relationships and population dynamics of <em>Sambucus africana</em> Standl., an endemic medicinal herb in East African highlands. The findings showed that <em>S. africana</em> genomes exhibited typical quadripartite structures and contained 129 unique genes, including 88 protein-coding, 33 tRNAs, and 8 rRNAs. Population genomics revealed significant degree of intraspecific variations within isolated African-limit populations. The phylogenetic relationship of Dipsacales yielded significantly supported topologies (ML ≥ 83, BI ≥ 0.4) which strongly supported the monophyly of <em>Sambucus.</em> Major lineages of Viburnaceae were estimated to have diverged from the Late Cretaceous 80.89 Mya (95 % PHD = 68.90–91.99 Mya), while within-genus diversification was dated to Eocene and later. Ancestral area reconstruction revealed that the most probable ancestral area for <em>Sambucus</em> is Asia, with a secondary ancestral presence in North America, followed by diversification to other regions. Species distribution modeling indicated that under Shared Socio-Economic Pathway 585 (SSP585), the potentially suitable habitats for <em>S. africana</em> would significantly decline around Mt. Elgon parts of Uganda (western) and Kenya (central parts of Mt. Kenya) and southwestern parts of Ngorongoro conservation area relative to SSP126. Therefore, conservation units of western and eastern Mt. Elgon groups in Uganda, among other distributional regions in Kenya and Tanzania should be established for this endemic medicinal herb.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54264,"journal":{"name":"Global Ecology and Conservation","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article e03671"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144221889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}