Anthropocene refugia in Patagonia: A macrogenetic approach to safeguarding the biodiversity of flowering plants

BARANZELLI, MATIAS C.; COSACOV, ANDREA; SEDE, SILVANA M.; NICOLA, MARCELA V.; SÉRSIC, ALICIA N

BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Año: 2022 vol. 268

0006-3207

Intraspecific genetic diversity (IGD), the fundamental dimension of biodiversity, is scarcely considered in thecontext of anthropogenic impact at regional and global scales. Here, encouraged by the knowledge about theeffect of past climate changes that shaped IGD at the community level, we evaluated how current land use andfuture climate changes may erode mechanisms underlying genetic diversity and species richness of the nativeflora of the Patagonian steppe, a cold desert that covers 827,446 km2 in the southern cone of South America.About 36% of the Patagonian steppe could serve as Anthropocene refugia, with only 1.8% being protected areasat present. Moreover, 63% of the areas with the highest species richness and endemism, and 37% with thehighest genetic diversity are outside the refugia areas. Human-driven changes threaten plant biodiversity mainlyin northern Patagonia. We provide the first broad assessment of climate change and land-use effects on IGD forthe Patagonian steppe. The conservation of the detected high genetic diversity and species-rich areas withmoderate land use and projected low climate anomaly should be prioritized, whereas high-risk areas, those forwhich a high climatic anomaly is projected, deserve monitoring and mitigation policies. This approach whichincludes IGD as a biodiversity metric may be useful for other endangered ecoregions in the world, with promisingresults for biodiversity conservation