Systematic Conservation Planning for Groundwater Ecosystems Using Phylogenetic Diversity

摘要: Aquifer ecosystems provide a range of important services including clean drinking water. These ecosystems, which are largely inaccessible to humans, comprise distinct invertebrate fauna (stygofauna), is characterized by narrow distributions, high levels endemism and cryptic species. Although being under enormous anthropogenic pressure, aquifers have rarely been included in conservation planning because the general lack knowledge species diversity distribution. Here we use molecular sequence data phylogenetic as surrogates for stygofauna New South Wales, Australia. We demonstrate how incorporate these features systematic software Marxan. designated each branch tree feature, with length surrogate number characters represented branch. Two markers (nuclear 18S ribosomal DNA mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I) were used evaluate marker variability resulting topology affected site-selection process. found that sites containing deepest branches deemed most irreplaceable By integrating data, method taxonomically undescribed groundwater planning.