| Title: |
Incorporating Genetic Diversity to Optimize the Plant Conservation Network in the Third Pole |
| Authors: |
Wambulwa, Moses C.; Zhu, Guang‐Fu; Luo, Ya‐Huang; Wu, Zeng‐Yuan; Provan, Jim; Cadotte, Marc W.; Jump, Alistair S.; Wachira, Francis N.; Gao, Lian‐Ming; Yi, Ting‐Shuang; Cai, Jie; Wang, Hong; Li, De‐Zhu; Liu, Jie |
| Contributors: |
National Natural Science Foundation of China; Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China; Kunming Institute of Botany; Aberystwyth University; University of Toronto; NS Management and Support; orcid:0000-0002-6373-5915; orcid:0000-0002-0073-419X; orcid:0000-0003-4652-0194; orcid:0000-0002-2167-6451; orcid:0000-0002-4990-724X |
| Publisher Information: |
Wiley |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Collection: |
University of Stirling: Stirling Digital Research Repository |
| Subject Terms: |
conservation network; ecological niche modeling; genetic diversity; genetic erosion; National Park Cluster; protected areas; systematic conservation planning; Tibetan Plateau |
| Description: |
Climate change poses a significant threat to the survival of many species. Although protected areas can slow down biodiversity loss, they often lack systematic planning and do not integrate genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is a key prerequisite for species survival and the ability to tolerate new conditions. Using population genetic and distribution data from 96 plant species in the Third Pole (encompassing the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent mountains), we mapped patterns of genetic diversity, projected climate-driven range dynamics and future genetic erosion, and designed an optimal conservation framework for the region. We identified several patches of high haplotype diversity (HD), with a relatively high number of haplotypes in southeastern Third Pole. Regression models revealed that climate and topography have interacted to shape patterns of genetic diversity, with latitude and precipitation being the best predictors for HD of cpDNA and nrDNA, respectively. Ecological niche modeling predicted an approximate 43 km northwestward and 86 m upward shift in suitable habitats under future climate scenarios, likely leading to a significant loss of up to 13.19% and 15.49% of cpDNA and nrDNA genetic diversity, respectively. Alarmingly, 71.20% of the newly identified conservation priority areas fall outside of the existing protected areas and planned National Park Clusters. Therefore, we recommend expanding the network by 2.02 × 105 km2 (5.91%) in the Third Pole, increasing the total conserved area to 1.36 × 106 km2 (39.93%) to effectively preserve the evolutionary potential of plants. This study represents an innovative attempt to incorporate genetic diversity into biodiversity conservation efforts. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: |
application/pdf |
| Language: |
English |
| Relation: |
Wambulwa MC, Zhu G, Luo Y, Wu Z, Provan J, Cadotte MW, Jump AS, Wachira FN, Gao L, Yi T, Cai J, Wang H, Li D & Liu J (2025) Incorporating Genetic Diversity to Optimize the Plant Conservation Network in the Third Pole. Global Change Biology , 31 (3). https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70122; http://hdl.handle.net/1893/36955; 2112673 |
| DOI: |
10.1111/gcb.70122 |
| Availability: |
http://hdl.handle.net/1893/36955; https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70122; http://dspace.stir.ac.uk/retrieve/86fc2469-8c40-4cd5-be8c-e1cc257c8c01/Incorporating%20Genetic%20Diversity%20to%20Optimize%20the%20Plant%20Conservation%20Network%20in%20the%20Third%20Pole.pdf |
| Rights: |
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided theoriginal work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes. © 2025 The Author(s). Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd ; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.F410D4F9 |
| Database: |
BASE |