MSc Student
Advisor: Konrad Fiedler
Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of Vienna
Abstract
Biodiversity is multidimensional and extends beyond species richness alone. Phylogenetic diversity represents one of these dimensions and incorporates evolutionary relationships among species, capturing the amount of evolutionary history represented within communities. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of phylogenetic diversity,phylogenetic endemism, phylogenetic community structure, and trait-environment relationships of European Ennominae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), a species-rich subfamily of geometrid moths.
For the phylogenetic diversity analyses, digitised distribution data and a reconstructed phylogeny of all European Ennominae were used at a resolution of 50x50 km to calculate several metrics, including Faith’s phylogenetic diversity (PD), the Net Relatedness Index (NRI), the Nearest Taxon Index (NTI), phylogenetic endemism (PE), CANAPE and Evolutionary Distinctiveness (ED). These metrics were analysed in relation to climate, latitude, topography and ecological traits, such as diet breadth and range size.
Species richness and phylogenetic diversity were strongly positively correlated and broadly followed a latitudinal gradient. However, the highest concentrations of evolutionary history were found in the Alps and Pyrenees, which emerged as major hotspots shaped by long-term persistence in glacial refugia, repeated colonization from multiple southern refugial areas, and recent diversification. In contrast, northern Europe contained fewer species and lower phylogenetic diversity, indicating postglacial recolonization by a limited subset of coldtolerant lineages. A decline in diversity was observed in the arid regions of southern Europe, likely reflecting the limited suitability of dry and open habitats for many Ennominae lineages.
Phylogenetic endemism was concentrated in the Mediterranean region, on islands, and in mountain systems. Southern Europe thus represents an important centre of long-term lineage persistence, while the Alps constitute a particular hotspot of recent diversification. Measures of phylogenetic structure revealed clustering in environmentally harsh regions, particularly northern Fennoscandia and arid southern Spain, consistent with environmental filtering,whereas overdispersion in Mediterranean and temperate regions reflected the coexistence of lineages from multiple evolutionary origins. Trait analyses further demonstrated geographic variation in diet breadth and range size, indicating additional ecological responses to climatic gradients.
A comparison with a previous phylogenetic diversity study on Sterrhinae, another subfamily of Geometridae, shows that biodiversity patterns are influenced by lineage-specific traits and are not universal even within Geometridae. Overall, this study demonstrates that phylogenetic approaches provide important insights beyond species richness alone and offer a powerful framework for understanding biodiversity patterns and identifying regions of high evolutionary and conservation value.
