Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
agricultural and biological sciences
The partitioning of Africa: Statistically defined biogeographical regions in sub-Saharan Africa
Journal of Biogeography, Volume 39, No. 7, Year 2012
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Aim To test whether it is possible to establish a common biogeographical regionalization for plants and vertebrates in sub-Saharan Africa (the Afrotropical Region), using objective multivariate methods. Location Sub-Saharan Africa (Afrotropical Region). Methods We used 1° grid cell resolution databases for birds, mammals, amphibians and snakes (4142 vertebrate species) and c.13% of the plants (5881 species) from the Afrotropical Region. These databases were analysed using cluster analysis techniques to define biogeographical regions. A β(sim) dissimilarity matrix was subjected to a hierarchical classification using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA). The five group-specific biogeographical regionalizations were compared against a regionalization developed from a combined database, and a regionalization that is maximally congruent with the five group-specific datasets was determined using a consensus classification. The regionalizations were interpreted against measures of spatial turnover in richness and composition for the five datasets as well as the combined dataset. Results We demonstrate the existence of seven well-defined and consistent biogeographical regions in sub-Saharan Africa. These regionalizations are statistically defined and robust between groups, with minor taxon-specific biogeographical variation. The proposed biogeographical regions are: Congolian, Zambezian, Southern African, Sudanian, Somalian, Ethiopian and Saharan. East Africa, the West African coast, and the transitions between the Congolian, Sudanian and Zambezian regions are unassigned. The Cape area in South Africa, Afromontane areas and the coastal region of East Africa do not emerge as distinct regions but are characterized by high neighbourhood heterogeneity, rapid turnover of species and high levels of narrow endemism. Main conclusions Species distribution data and modern cluster analysis techniques can be used to define biogeographical regions in Africa that reflect the patterns found in both vertebrates and plants. The consensus of the regionalizations between different taxonomic groups is high. These regions are broadly similar to those proposed using expert opinion approaches. Some previously proposed transitional zones are not recognized in this classification. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Authors & Co-Authors
Linder, H. Peter Peter
Switzerland, Zurich
Universität Zürich
de Klerk, Helen Margaret
South Africa, Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch University
Born, Julia
Switzerland, Zurich
Institute of Systematic Botany
Switzerland, Birmensdorf
Eidgenössische Forschungsanstalt Für Wald, Schnee Und Landschaft Wsl
Burgess, Neil David
Denmark, Copenhagen
Københavns Universitet
United States, Washington, D.c.
Conservation Science Program
Fjeldsã, Jon
Denmark, Copenhagen
Statens Naturhistoriske Museum
Rahbek, Carsten
Denmark, Copenhagen
Københavns Universitet
Statistics
Citations: 324
Authors: 6
Affiliations: 7
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1111/j.1365-2699.2012.02728.x
e-ISSN:
13652699
Research Areas
Genetics And Genomics
Study Locations
Multi-countries
South Africa