Geographic distribution and conservation assessment of Deprea species (Solanaceae)

LEIVA, S.; DEANNA, R.; BARBOZA G. E.

Fort Worth

Congreso; Botany 2017; 2017

Botanical Society of America, de Saint Louis, MO

The genus Deprea Raf. was recently re-circumscribed as result of new molecular phylogenetic analyses. Currently, it comprises 50 species mainly distributed in montane rain forests from Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The number of species within this genus has increased considerably since many? transferences of Larnax species and descriptions of new species were made. Consequently, there is no a complete assessment about the actual geographic distribution and conservation assessments of the total of Deprea species. Therefore, our objectives were to update the geographic distribution of each species, estimate their conservation status according to the IUCN criteria, and identify the geographic areas with the highest richness of the genus, as part of an ongoing monographic treatment. More than 700 georeferenced occurrence localities from collections housed at 43 herbaria were included, in addition to new specimens collected in many field trips to Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Species distributions and genus richness were plotted using DIVA-GIS and conservation assessments were undertaken using IUCN criteria B ?geographic range? in the form of B1 (extent of occurrence) and/or B2 (area of occupancy), and criteria D ?population size?. Deprea species show a distribution over the Northern and Central Andes from South America, with only one species reaching Central America. The highest richness is shown in Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador, over a complex biogeographical region called the Amotape-Huancabamba (A-T) zone. Approximately the half of the species is included within a threatened category according to IUCN, mainly due to their endemic nature and the continuous degradation of their habitat. The most common category was Near Threatened (16 species) while Endangered was the second category with the most numerous of species (13 species). Conservation priorities should be focused to the A-T zone since is the area with most of the isolated and endangered species of the genus.