Citation:

PANGAEA.825659, Supplement to: Da, SS (2010): Spatial patterns of West-African plant diversity along a climatic gradient from coast to Sahel. Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades (Dr. rer. nat.) der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 118 pp, urn:nbn:de:hbz:5N-22197

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Abstract:

Understanding species distribution patterns and the corresponding environmental determinants is a crucial step in the development of effective strategies for the conservation and management of plant communities and ecosystems. Therefore, a central prerequisite is the biogeographical and macroecological analysis of factors and processes that determine contemporary, potential, as well as future geographic distribution of species. This thesis has been conducted in the framework of the BIOMAPS-BIOTA project at the Nees Institute of Biodiversity of Plants, which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The study investigated patterns of plants species richness and phytogeographic regions under contemporary environmental conditions and forecasted future climate change in the area of West Africa covering five countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Togo.

Firstly, geographic patterns of vascular plant species richness have been depicted at a relatively fine spatial resolution based on the potential distribution of 3,393 species. Species richness is closely related to the steep climatic gradient existing in the region with a high concentration of species in the most humid areas in the south and decreases towards the northern drier areas. The investigation of the effectiveness of the existing network of protected areas shows an overall good coverage of species in the study area. However, the proportion of covered species is considerably lower at national extent for some countries, thus calling for more protected areas in order to cover adequately a maximum number of plants species in these countries.

Secondly, based on the potential distribution range of vascular plant species, seven phytogeographic regions have been delineated that broadly reflect the vegetation zones as defined by White (1983). However notable differences to the delineation of White (1983) occur at the margins of some regions. Corresponding to a general southward shifted of all regions. And expansion of the Sahel vegetation zone is observed in the north, while the rainforest zone is decreased in the very south.This is alarming since the rainforest shelters a high number of species and a high proportion of range-restricted or endemic species, despite their relatively small extent compared to the other regions.

Finally, the evaluation of the potential impact of climate change on plant species richness in the study area, results in a severe loss of future suitable habitat for up to 50% of species per grid cell, particularly in the rainforest region. Moreover, the analysis of the possible shift of phytogeographic regions shows in general a strong deterioration of the West African rainforest. In contrast the drier areas are expanding continuously, although a slight gain in species number can be observed in some particular regions.

The overall lesson to retain from the results of this study is that the West African rainforest should be fixed as a high priority area for the conservation of biodiversity of plants, since it is subject to severe contemporary and projected future threats.

Project(s):

BIOdiversity Monitoring Transect Analysis in Africa (BIOTA)

Coverage:

Median Latitude: 9.005714 * Median Longitude: -3.835714 * South-bound Latitude: 5.250000 * West-bound Longitude: -7.350000 * North-bound Latitude: 13.880000 * East-bound Longitude: 0.650000

Event(s):

PGR-I (I) * Latitude: 5.250000 * Longitude: -5.640000 * Location: West Africa * Comment: Guineo-Congolian rainforest wetter type

PGR-II (II) * Latitude: 6.830000 * Longitude: -7.120000 * Location: West Africa * Comment: Guineo-Congolian rainforest drier type

PGR-III (III) * Latitude: 8.210000 * Longitude: -7.350000 * Location: West Africa * Comment: Mosaic of Guineo-Congolian wetter and drier rain forests

Parameter(s):

#	Name	Short Name	Principal Investigator
1	Event label	Event
2	Optional event label	Event 2
3	Species	Species	Da, Sié Sylvestre
4	Family	Family	Da, Sié Sylvestre
5	Fidelity	Fidelity	Da, Sié Sylvestre

License:

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC-BY-3.0)

Size:

591 data points

Data

Download dataset as tab-delimited text — use the following character encoding:

1 Event	2 Event 2	3 Species	4 Family	5 Fidelity
PGR-I	I	Aframomum chrysanthum	ZINGIBERACEAE	0.003
PGR-I	I	Airyantha schweinfurthii	FABACEAE	0.041
PGR-I	I	Albertisia cordifolia	MENISPERMACEAE	0.003
PGR-I	I	Albertisia mangenotii	MENISPERMACEAE	0.083
PGR-I	I	Albertisia scandens	MENISPERMACEAE	0.029
PGR-I	I	Alternanthera littoralis	AMARANTHACEAE	0.003
PGR-I	I	Anisopus mannii	APOCYNACEAE	0.003
PGR-I	I	Anthonotha vignei	FABACEAE	0.348
PGR-I	I	Anthostema aubryanum	EUPHORBIACEAE	0.052
PGR-I	I	Avicennia germinans	AVICENNIACEAE	0.005
PGR-I	I	Berlinia confusa	FABACEAE	0.076
PGR-I	I	Brachystegia leonensis	FABACEAE	0.132
PGR-I	I	Calophyllum inophyllum	HYPERICACEAE	0.105
PGR-I	I	Catharanthus roseus	APOCYNACEAE	0.027
PGR-I	I	Coelocaryon preussii	MYRISTICACEAE	0.006
PGR-I	I	Conocarpus erectus	COMBRETACEAE	0.022
PGR-I	I	Crinum purpurascens	AMARYLLIDACEAE	0.079
PGR-I	I	Crudia klainei	FABACEAE	0.033
PGR-I	I	Cyperus crassipes	CYPERACEAE	0.011
PGR-I	I	Dalbergia ecastaphyllum	FABACEAE	0.011
PGR-I	I	Dasylepis racemosa	FLACOURTIACEAE	0.087
PGR-I	I	Dichapetalum dictyospermum	DICHAPETALACEAE	0.006
PGR-I	I	Didelotia brevipaniculata	FABACEAE	0.033
PGR-I	I	Diospyros tricolor	EBENACEAE	0.003
PGR-I	I	Dorstenia embergeri	MORACEAE	0.057
PGR-I	I	Dracaena praetermissa	DRACAENACEAE	0.006
PGR-I	I	Dramsenia grandijlora	APOCYNACEAE	0.032
PGR-I	I	Eugenia whytei	MYRTACEAE	0.040
PGR-I	I	Eulophia caricifolia	ORCHIDACEAE	0.025
PGR-I	I	Haplormosia monophylla	FABACEAE	0.062
PGR-I	I	Hibiscus tiliaceus	MALVACEAE	0.011
PGR-I	I	Hydrocotyle bonariensis	APIACEAE	0.021
PGR-I	I	iocfes africana	ICACINACEAE	0.003
PGR-I	I	Ipomoea imperati	CONVOLVULACEAE	0.006
PGR-I	I	Ipomoea pes-caprae	CONVOLVULACEAE	0.008
PGR-I	I	Isonema smeathmannii	APOCYNACEAE	0.019
PGR-I	I	Landolphia leptantha	APOCYNACEAE	0.037
PGR-I	I	Lycopodiella affinis	LYCOPODIACEAE	0.003
PGR-I	I	Macaranga beillei	EUPHORBIACEAE	0.060
PGR-I	I	Machaerium lunatum	FABACEAE	0.056
PGR-I	I	Mapania mangenotiana	CYPERACEAE	0.046
PGR-I	I	Megastachya mucronata	POACEAE	0.003
PGR-I	I	Mesanthemum radicans	ERIOCAULACEAE	0.024
PGR-I	I	Monanthotaxis laurentii	ANNONACEAE	0.005
PGR-I	I	Oncoba echinata	FLACOURTIACEAE	0.059
PGR-I	I	Ormocarpum verrucosum	FABACEAE	0.029
PGR-I	I	Pellegriniodendron diphyllum	FABACEAE	0.027
PGR-I	I	Pycreus polystachyos	CYPERACEAE	0.013
PGR-I	I	Rhizophora racemosa	RHIZOPHORACEAE	0.032
PGR-I	I	Rhynchospora holoshoenoides	CYPERACEAE	0.008
PGR-I	I	Saxicolella submersa	PODOSTEMACEAE	0.086
PGR-I	I	Schizachyrium pulchellum	POACEAE	0.008
PGR-I	I	Spilanthes costata	ASTERACEAE	0.081
PGR-I	I	Sporobolus virginicus	POACEAE	0.005
PGR-I	I	Stemonocoleus micranthus	FABACEAE	0.005
PGR-I	I	Stenotaphrum secundatum	POACEAE	0.011
PGR-I	I	Synsepalum tsounkpe	SAPOTACEAE	0.052
PGR-I	I	Tapinanthus belvisii	LORANTHACEAE	0.060
PGR-I	I	Tapinanthus praetexta	LORANTHACEAE	0.057
PGR-I	I	Terminalia catappa	COMBRETACEAE	0.060
PGR-I	I	Torulinium odoratum	CYPERACEAE	0.013
PGR-I	I	Typha domingensis	TYPHACEAE	0.016
PGR-I	I	Uapaca paludosa	EUPHORBIACEAE	0.008
PGR-I	I	Utricularia foliosa	LENTIBULARIACEAE	0.049
PGR-I	I	Utricularia tortilis	LENTIBULARIACEAE	0.005
PGR-I	I	Warneckea membranifolia	MELASTOMATACEAE	0.106
PGR-I	I	Xylopia rubescens	ANNONACEAE	0.013
PGR-II	II	Eugenia coronata	MYRTACEAE	0.006
PGR-II	II	Ischaemum indicum	POACEAE	0.003
PGR-II	II	Macropodiella taylorii	PODOSTEMACEAE	0.003
PGR-II	II	Rivina humilis	PHYTOLACCACEAE	0.014
PGR-III	III	Argostemma pumilum	RUBIACEAE	0.004
PGR-III	III	Asplenium formosum	ASPLENIACEAE	0.001
PGR-III	III	Brachycorythis macrantha	ORCHIDACEAE	0.005
PGR-III	III	Bulbophyllum bidenticu latum	ORCHIDACEAE	0.012
PGR-III	III	Bulbophyllum cochleatum	ORCHIDACEAE	0.001
PGR-III	III	Cyphostemma rubrosetosum	VITACEAE	0.003
PGR-III	III	Dicranolepis laciniata	THYMELAEACEAE	0.009
PGR-III	III	Dryopteris manniana	DRYOPTERIDACEAE	0.001
PGR-III	III	Gladiolus aequinoctialis	IRIDACEAE	0.006
PGR-III	III	Kotschya ochreata	FABACEAE	0.021
PGR-III	III	Maesa lanceolata	MYRSINACEAE	0.004
PGR-III	III	Panicum sadinii	POACEAE	0.008
PGR-III	III	Polystachya dalzielii	ORCHIDACEAE	0.026
PGR-III	III	Polystachya leonensis	ORCHIDACEAE	0.014
PGR-III	III	Preussiella kamerunensis	MELASTOMATACEAE	0.019
PGR-III	III	Rubus pinnatus	ROSACEAE	0.001
PGR-III	III	Sericostachys scandens	AMARANTHACEAE	0.028
PGR-III	III	Syzygium staudtii	MYRTACEAE	0.010
PGR-III	III	Trichilia djalonis	MELIACEAE	0.010
PGR-III	III	Vemonia myriantha	ASTERACEAE	0.001
PGR-IV	IV	Andropogon ivorensis	POACEAE	0.034
PGR-IV	IV	Indigofera barteri	FABACEAE	0.004
PGR-V	V	Adenodolichos paniculatus	FABACEAE	0.003
PGR-V	V	Aedesia baumannii	ASTERACEAE	0.002
PGR-V	V	Aeschynomene lateritia	FABACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Aloe schweinfurthii	ALOACEAE	0.002
PGR-V	V	Becium obovatum	LAMIACEAE	0.003
PGR-V	V	Beckeropsis uniseta	POACEAE	0.014
PGR-V	V	Bewsia biflora	POACEAE	0.006
PGR-V	V	Borreria pusilla	RUBIACEAE	0.000
PGR-V	V	Borreria ruelliae	RUBIACEAE	0.007
PGR-V	V	Borreria scandens	RUBIACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Brachiaria brachylopha	POACEAE	0.003
PGR-V	V	Brachiaria disticha	POACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Byrsocarpus coccineus	CONNARACEAE	0.008
PGR-V	V	Cissus corniculata	VITACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Clematis hirsuta	RANUNCULACEAE	0.002
PGR-V	V	Crassocephalum togoense	ASTERACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Crotalaria deightonii	FABACEAE	0.005
PGR-V	V	Crotalaria graminicola	FABACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Cussonia barteri	ARALIACEAE	0.011
PGR-V	V	Cyperus karlschumannii	CYPERACEAE	0.025
PGR-V	V	Dolichos scarabaeoides	FABACEAE	0.033
PGR-V	V	Dyschoriste heudelotiana	ACANTHACEAE	0.011
PGR-V	V	Eriosema afzelii	FABACEAE	0.006
PGR-V	V	Fadogia cienkowskii	RUBIACEAE	0.043
PGR-V	V	Ficus capensis	MORACEAE	0.003
PGR-V	V	Gnidia kraussiana	THYMELAEACEAE	0.003
PGR-V	V	Haumaniastrum buettneri	LAMIACEAE	0.003
PGR-V	V	Hippocratea pallens	CELASTRACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Hyparrhenia barteri	POACEAE	0.002
PGR-V	V	Hypoestes verticillaris	ACANTHACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Indigofera confusa	FABACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Kohautia grandiflora	RUBIACEAE	0.003
PGR-V	V	Laggera gracilis	ASTERACEAE	0.004
PGR-V	V	Logger a pterodonta	ASTERACEAE	0.054
PGR-V	V	Lepidagathis filifolia	ACANTHACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Micrargeria barteri	SCROPHULARIACEAE	0.004
PGR-V	V	Mitracarpus villosus	RUBIACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Psorospermum senegalense	HYPERICACEAE	0.005
PGR-V	V	Rytigynia neglecta	RUBIACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Saba florida	APOCYNACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Sapium ellipticum	EUPHORBIACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Scleria atrovierensis	CYPERACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Steganotaenia araliacea	APIACEAE	0.004
PGR-V	V	Synaptolepis retusa	THYMELAEACEAE	0.004
PGR-V	V	Trochomeria atacorensis	CUCURBITACEAE	0.002
PGR-V	V	Vernonia glaberrima	ASTERACEAE	0.003
PGR-V	V	Vernonia nestor	ASTERACEAE	0.004
PGR-V	V	Vernonia plumbaginifolia	ASTERACEAE	0.001
PGR-V	V	Vernonia poskeana	ASTERACEAE	0.009
PGR-V	V	Vernonia pumila	ASTERACEAE	0.008
PGR-V	V	Vigna nigritia	FABACEAE	0.000
PGR-VI	VI	Brachiara villosa	POACEAE	0.003
PGR-VI	VI	Capparis corymbosa	CAPPARACEAE	0.010
PGR-VI	VI	Cassia sengueana	FABACEAE	0.001
PGR-VI	VI	Glyricidia sepium	FABACEAE	0.002
PGR-VI	VI	Ipomea coscinosperma	CONVOLVULACEAE	0.003
PGR-VI	VI	Maeuria angolensis	CAPPARACEAE	0.003
PGR-VI	VI	Mukia maderaspatena	CUCURBITACEAE	0.001
PGR-VI	VI	Munechma ciliatum	ACANTHACEAE	0.002
PGR-VII	VII	Acacia laeta	FABACEAE	0.048
PGR-VII	VII	Acacia raddiana	FABACEAE	0.021
PGR-VII	VII	Aervajavanica	AMARANTHACEAE	0.060
PGR-VII	VII	Aristida funiculata	POACEAE	0.097
PGR-VII	VII	Aristida mutabilis	POACEAE	0.032
PGR-VII	VII	Aristida sieberiana	POACEAE	0.133
PGR-VII	VII	Bergia suffruticosa	ELATPNACEAE	0.046
PGR-VII	VII	Boerhavia coccinea	NYCTAGPNACEAE	0.043
PGR-VII	VII	Boerhavia repens	NYCTAGPNACEAE	0.069
PGR-VII	VII	Boscia senegalensis	CAPPARACEAE	0.039
PGR-VII	VII	Caralluma retrospiciens	APOCYNACEAE	0.031
PGR-VII	VII	Cenchrus prieurii	POACEAE	0.060
PGR-VII	VII	Chloris prieurii	POACEAE	0.038
PGR-VII	VII	Chrozophora brocchiana	EUPHORBIACEAE	0.040
PGR-VII	VII	Citrullus vulgaris	CUCURBITACEAE	0.049
PGR-VII	VII	Cleome scaposa	CAPPARACEAE	0.099
PGR-VII	VII	Cleome violacea	CAPPARACEAE	0.019
PGR-VII	VII	Crotalaria arenaria	FABACEAE	0.057
PGR-VII	VII	Cucumis ficifolius	CUCURBITACEAE	0.053
PGR-VII	VII	Cyperus conglomeratus	CYPERACEAE	0.002
PGR-VII	VII	Dalbergia melanoxylon	FABACEAE	0.096
PGR-VII	VII	Euphorbia aegyptiaca	EUPHORBIACEAE	0.030
PGR-VII	VII	Gisekia pharnacioides	GISEKIACEAE	0.039
PGR-VII	VII	Grangea maderaspatana	ASTERACEAE	0.077
PGR-VII	VII	Grewia tenax	TILIACEAE	0.040
PGR-VII	VII	Hybanthus thesiifolius	VIOLACEAE	0.297
PGR-VII	VII	Indigofera diphylla	FABACEAE	0.014
PGR-VII	VII	Ipomoea coptica	CONVOLVULACEAE	0.007
PGR-VII	VII	Leptadenia pyrotechnica	APOCYNACEAE	0.016
PGR-VII	VII	Limeum pterocarpum	MOLLUGINACEAE	0.059
PGR-VII	VII	Limeum viscosum	MOLLUGINACEAE	0.032
PGR-VII	VII	Maerua crassifolia	CAPPARACEAE	0.171
PGR-VII	VII	Merremia pinnata	CONVOLVULACEAE	0.029
PGR-VII	VII	Mollugo cerviana	MOLLUGINACEAE	0.055
PGR-VII	VII	Momordica balsamina	CUCURBITACEAE	0.051
PGR-VII	VII	Pennisetum fallax	POACEAE	0.029
PGR-VII	VII	Pergularia tomentosa	APOCYNACEAE	0.113
PGR-VII	VII	Phyla nodiflora	VERBENACEAE	0.042
PGR-VII	VII	Rogeria adenophylla	PEDALIACEAE	0.304
PGR-VII	VII	Sesamum alatum	PEDALIACEAE	0.047
PGR-VII	VII	Tephrosia lupinifolia	FABACEAE	0.013
PGR-VII	VII	Tephrosia uniflora	FABACEAE	0.049
PGR-VII	VII	Tetrapogon cenchriformis	POACEAE	0.118
PGR-VII	VII	Tragus berteronianus	POACEAE	0.036
PGR-VII	VII	Trianthema pentandra	AIZOACEAE	0.002