A biogeographical appraisal of the threatened South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion
Abstract Recent biological surveys of ancient inselbergs in southern Malawi and northern Mozambique have led to the discovery and description of many species new to science, and overlapping centres of endemism across multiple taxa. Combining these endemic taxa with data on geology and climate, we pr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54671-z |
| _version_ | 1797233599139807232 |
|---|---|
| author | Julian Bayliss Gabriela B. Bittencourt-Silva William R. Branch Carl Bruessow Steve Collins T. Colin E. Congdon Werner Conradie Michael Curran Savel R. Daniels Iain Darbyshire Harith Farooq Lincoln Fishpool Geoffrey Grantham Zacharia Magombo Hermenegildo Matimele Ara Monadjem Jose Monteiro Jo Osborne Justin Saunders Paul Smith Claire N. Spottiswoode Peter J. Taylor Jonathan Timberlake Krystal A. Tolley Érica Tovela Philip J. Platts |
| author_facet | Julian Bayliss Gabriela B. Bittencourt-Silva William R. Branch Carl Bruessow Steve Collins T. Colin E. Congdon Werner Conradie Michael Curran Savel R. Daniels Iain Darbyshire Harith Farooq Lincoln Fishpool Geoffrey Grantham Zacharia Magombo Hermenegildo Matimele Ara Monadjem Jose Monteiro Jo Osborne Justin Saunders Paul Smith Claire N. Spottiswoode Peter J. Taylor Jonathan Timberlake Krystal A. Tolley Érica Tovela Philip J. Platts |
| author_sort | Julian Bayliss |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Recent biological surveys of ancient inselbergs in southern Malawi and northern Mozambique have led to the discovery and description of many species new to science, and overlapping centres of endemism across multiple taxa. Combining these endemic taxa with data on geology and climate, we propose the ‘South East Africa Montane Archipelago’ (SEAMA) as a distinct ecoregion of global biological importance. The ecoregion encompasses 30 granitic inselbergs reaching > 1000 m above sea level, hosting the largest (Mt Mabu) and smallest (Mt Lico) mid-elevation rainforests in southern Africa, as well as biologically unique montane grasslands. Endemic taxa include 127 plants, 45 vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and 45 invertebrate species (butterflies, freshwater crabs), and two endemic genera of plants and reptiles. Existing dated phylogenies of endemic animal lineages suggests this endemism arose from divergence events coinciding with repeated isolation of these mountains from the pan-African forests, together with the mountains’ great age and relative climatic stability. Since 2000, the SEAMA has lost 18% of its primary humid forest cover (up to 43% in some sites)—one of the highest deforestation rates in Africa. Urgently rectifying this situation, while addressing the resource needs of local communities, is a global priority for biodiversity conservation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:18:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7f30134e6df14206811744ab531b3821 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T16:18:44Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-7f30134e6df14206811744ab531b38212024-03-31T11:19:11ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-03-0114111610.1038/s41598-024-54671-zA biogeographical appraisal of the threatened South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregionJulian Bayliss0Gabriela B. Bittencourt-Silva1William R. Branch2Carl Bruessow3Steve Collins4T. Colin E. Congdon5Werner Conradie6Michael Curran7Savel R. Daniels8Iain Darbyshire9Harith Farooq10Lincoln Fishpool11Geoffrey Grantham12Zacharia Magombo13Hermenegildo Matimele14Ara Monadjem15Jose Monteiro16Jo Osborne17Justin Saunders18Paul Smith19Claire N. Spottiswoode20Peter J. Taylor21Jonathan Timberlake22Krystal A. Tolley23Érica Tovela24Philip J. Platts25Department of Biological and Medical Sciences, Oxford Brookes UniversityNatural History MuseumPort Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld)Mount Mulanje Conservation TrustAfrican Butterfly Research InstituteAfrican Butterfly Research InstitutePort Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld)Department of Food System Science, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)Department of Botany and Zoology, University of StellenboschRoyal Botanic Gardens, KewFaculty of Natural Sciences, Lúrio UniversityBirdLife InternationalDepartment of Geology, University of JohannesburgNational Herbarium and Botanical Gardens of MalawiHerbarium, Instituto de Investigaçao Agraria de MoçambiqueDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of EswatiniRede Para Gestão Comunitária de Recursos Naturais (ReGeCom)Royal Botanic Gardens, KewAfrica Bees LtdBotanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)Department of Zoology, University of CambridgeBiological Sciences Department, University of VendaBiodiversity Foundation for AfricaSouth African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research CentreMuseu de História NaturalDepartment of Environment and Geography, University of YorkAbstract Recent biological surveys of ancient inselbergs in southern Malawi and northern Mozambique have led to the discovery and description of many species new to science, and overlapping centres of endemism across multiple taxa. Combining these endemic taxa with data on geology and climate, we propose the ‘South East Africa Montane Archipelago’ (SEAMA) as a distinct ecoregion of global biological importance. The ecoregion encompasses 30 granitic inselbergs reaching > 1000 m above sea level, hosting the largest (Mt Mabu) and smallest (Mt Lico) mid-elevation rainforests in southern Africa, as well as biologically unique montane grasslands. Endemic taxa include 127 plants, 45 vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and 45 invertebrate species (butterflies, freshwater crabs), and two endemic genera of plants and reptiles. Existing dated phylogenies of endemic animal lineages suggests this endemism arose from divergence events coinciding with repeated isolation of these mountains from the pan-African forests, together with the mountains’ great age and relative climatic stability. Since 2000, the SEAMA has lost 18% of its primary humid forest cover (up to 43% in some sites)—one of the highest deforestation rates in Africa. Urgently rectifying this situation, while addressing the resource needs of local communities, is a global priority for biodiversity conservation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54671-z |
| spellingShingle | Julian Bayliss Gabriela B. Bittencourt-Silva William R. Branch Carl Bruessow Steve Collins T. Colin E. Congdon Werner Conradie Michael Curran Savel R. Daniels Iain Darbyshire Harith Farooq Lincoln Fishpool Geoffrey Grantham Zacharia Magombo Hermenegildo Matimele Ara Monadjem Jose Monteiro Jo Osborne Justin Saunders Paul Smith Claire N. Spottiswoode Peter J. Taylor Jonathan Timberlake Krystal A. Tolley Érica Tovela Philip J. Platts A biogeographical appraisal of the threatened South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion Scientific Reports |
| title | A biogeographical appraisal of the threatened South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion |
| title_full | A biogeographical appraisal of the threatened South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion |
| title_fullStr | A biogeographical appraisal of the threatened South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion |
| title_full_unstemmed | A biogeographical appraisal of the threatened South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion |
| title_short | A biogeographical appraisal of the threatened South East Africa Montane Archipelago ecoregion |
| title_sort | biogeographical appraisal of the threatened south east africa montane archipelago ecoregion |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54671-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT julianbayliss abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT gabrielabbittencourtsilva abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT williamrbranch abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT carlbruessow abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT stevecollins abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT tcolinecongdon abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT wernerconradie abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT michaelcurran abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT savelrdaniels abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT iaindarbyshire abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT harithfarooq abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT lincolnfishpool abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT geoffreygrantham abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT zachariamagombo abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT hermenegildomatimele abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT aramonadjem abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT josemonteiro abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT joosborne abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT justinsaunders abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT paulsmith abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT clairenspottiswoode abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT peterjtaylor abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT jonathantimberlake abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT krystalatolley abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT ericatovela abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT philipjplatts abiogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT julianbayliss biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT gabrielabbittencourtsilva biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT williamrbranch biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT carlbruessow biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT stevecollins biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT tcolinecongdon biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT wernerconradie biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT michaelcurran biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT savelrdaniels biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT iaindarbyshire biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT harithfarooq biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT lincolnfishpool biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT geoffreygrantham biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT zachariamagombo biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT hermenegildomatimele biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT aramonadjem biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT josemonteiro biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT joosborne biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT justinsaunders biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT paulsmith biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT clairenspottiswoode biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT peterjtaylor biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT jonathantimberlake biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT krystalatolley biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT ericatovela biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion AT philipjplatts biogeographicalappraisalofthethreatenedsoutheastafricamontanearchipelagoecoregion |