'Hotspots' of endemism (biodiversity found only in NZ)
Northern offshore islands can be hotspots for endemic species (David Wardle).
Herbarium records are increasingly available electronically. This, and the development of new computer programmes (e.g., Biodiverse) capable of quantifying areas and types of endemism, has enabled us to identify important priorities for conservation planning and management, and environmental reporting.
In a proof-of-concept project, we used Biodiverse to analyse georeferenced spatial data for the taxonomically diverse indigenous fern, conifer and flowering plant genera and species from the entire New Zealand archipelago of over 700 islands. We also developed a DNA phylogeny showing relationships of all genera so that phylogenetic metrics could be analysed in conjunction with the spatial data. The scale of the project is unique.
The results confirmed previously identified ‘hotspots’ (with greater accuracy and detail than previous studies) and also revealed important new centres and patterns of endemism. Some of these hotspots are under-recognised and poorly protected, but this new scientific evidence should enable more targeted use of limited conservation resources and enable conservation initiatives to be focused on the most important areas.