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Cross-boundary regions need urgent targeted conservation interventions, says study

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 in the Journal of Cleaner Production, researchers from Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have addressed conservation of biodiversity in the trans-Himalayan region, specifically on understanding spatial distribution of threatened plant species and threats to them.

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

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

"The mountainous, particularly cross-border landscapes, need urgent targeted conservation interventions," said Professor Zhou Fang, one of the corresponding authors of the study and a researcher from XTBG.

Establishing ecological corridors and expanding protected areas are needed to facilitate biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management in the trans-Himalayan region and similar regions, the researchers suggested.