The Pan-Himalayan biogeographic domain is a significant region for biodiversity conservation and climate resilience. It has both tropical and extratropical flora and holds ecological, cultural, and socio-economic importance. However, there is still limited understanding of plant species diversity and conservation strategies in Pan-Himalayan protected areas.

In a study published in Journal of Cleaner Production, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) addressed conservation of biodiversity in the trans-Himalayan region, specifically on understanding spatial distribution and threats to threatened plant species.

The researchers evaluated the phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic endemism of threatened flora in the Pan-Himalayan region. They also examined the effect of rapid land cover transformation and landscape fragmentation between 2000 and 2020 on the preservation of distinct evolutionary lineages.

They assessed the phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic distinctiveness of threatened plants, and analyzed the land cover change data between 2000 and 2020, including an increase in cultivated land area, an increase in impervious surfaces, and changes in landscape fragmentation and landscape cohesion.

They found that current protected areas are insufficient to fully conserve the biodiversity of the trans-Himalayan region, with significant conservation gaps. There is a mismatch between biodiversity hotspots and existing protected areas, requiring targeted conservation strategies to preserve unique evolutionary lineages and regions with high species occurrence.

The spatial consistency of endangered plant diversity with phylogenetic diversity and endemism in the Pan-Himalayan was identified, with major hotspots in the core of the Himalayan biogeographic belt, Hengduan Mountains, where prominent phylogenetic endemism hotspots exist.

Moreover, the mountainous, particularly cross-border landscapes, need urgent targeted conservation interventions.

The researchers proposed to establish ecological corridors and expand protected areas, so as to facilitate biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management in the trans-Himalayan region and similar regions.

Contact

BAI Yang Ph.D Principal Investigator

Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China                       

E-mail: baiyang@xtbg.ac.cn        

First published:  26 September 2024