Taxonomic Uncertainty and Its Conservation Implications in Management, a Case from Pyrus hopeiensis (Rosaceae)

Diversity

Jun Wu¹  Jiang Wu²  Xian-Yun Mu³ 

[1] Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China;College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;College of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China;

关键词: endangered species;    integrative evidence;    Pyrus hopeiensis;    Pyrus ussuriensis;    taxonomic uncertainty;    biodiversity conservation;   

DOI  :  10.3390/d14060417

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Improved taxonomies and phylogenies are essential for understanding the evolution of organisms, the development of conservation plans, and the allocation of funds and resources, especially for threatened species with uncertain identities. Pears are an economically and nutritionally important fruit, and wild pear species are highly valued and protected because of their utility for the development of cultivars. Pyrus hopeiensis is an endangered species endemic to North China, which is sympatric with and difficult to distinguish from the widely distributed and morphologically similar species P. ussuriensis. To clarify its taxonomic identity, principal coordinate analysis was performed using 14 quantitative and qualitative characters from P. hopeiensis, P. ussuriensis, and P. phaeocarpa, and phylogenomic analysis was performed based on whole-genome resequencing and whole plastome data. Pyrus hopeiensis was synonymized with P. ussuriensis based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence, as well as our long-term field studies. Pyrus hopeiensis is proposed to be excluded from the list of local key protected wild plants. Given that the holotype of P. ussuriensis was not designated, a lectotype was designated in this work. Integrative evidence-based taxonomic study including museomics is suggested for organisms with uncertain identities, which will contribute to biodiversity conservation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown