New insights into the biogeography of Southwestern Europe: spatial patterns from vascular plants using cluster analysis and parsimony

MORENO SAIZ, J. C.; DONATO, MARIANO; KATINAS,L.; CRISCI,J.V.; POSADAS, PAULA

JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2013 vol. 40 p. 90 - 104

0305-0270

Aim To analyze phytogeographical patterns and areas of endemism in southwestern Europe and to compare the results with previous regionalization schemes.Location Southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.)Methods Cluster analysis and parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) were applied to a chorological dataset of 3,041 vascular plant species for the 50x50 km UTM grid in Iberia and the Balearic Islands. The Jaccard similarity index was used in the first case and the results of PAE were summarized in a 75% majority consensus analysis. Results The dendrogram derived from the application of the Jaccard index divides the territory into two main branches with a primarily longitudinal component. There is (1) an eastern area constituted by six sectors which comprises the Balearic Islands plus the basic substrata of Iberia; and (2) a western area with three sectors comprising the acidic soils of Iberia. The majority rule tree of PAE shows eight main clades supporting a primarily longitudinal splitting of eastern basic Iberia plus the Balearic Islands, and a western acidic-basic Iberia. Parsimony analysis recovers some previously undetected historical patterns.Main conclusions The use of large and representative datasets allow for the recognition of different spatial patterns from those obtained based on a limited number of endemic or indicator species. Our analyses reinforce some floristic regions proposed in Iberia so far, but also discuss the classic Eurosiberian-Mediterranean division and the role of some transition territories. We propose areas of endemism in Southwestern Europe based on plant distributions for the first time.