Do large termite mounds effect woody plant phylogenetic diversity and endemism across African savannas?

• Published in: Diversity & distributions 2022-05, Vol.28 (5), p.894-903
• Main Authors: Muvengwi, Justice, Fritz, Herve, Witkowski, Ed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: African savanna; Altitude; Ecosystems; Endemism; Flowers & plants; Geography; Grasslands; Mounds; phylogenetic diversity; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; phylogeny construction; Plant species; Rainfall; REVIEW ARTICLE; Savannahs; Species diversity; Taxonomy; termite mounds; Termites; Vegetation; vegetation heterogeneity; Woody plants
• ISSN: 1366-9516; 1472-4642
• DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13496

Aim Despite the importance of termite mounds in plant species’ taxonomic diversity, no study has quantified the effect of termite mounds on woody plant species’ phylogenetic diversity and phyloendemism. In order to understand how mounds influence phylogenetic diversity (PD), we had two objectives: (i) to determine the influence of termite mounds on PD and (ii) to determine how this varies with environmental and geographic factors. Location Africa. Method We performed a meta‐analysis on 21 studies that satisfied our selection criteria out of 369 that we initially identified. All these studies sampled woody plants that occurred on Macrotermes mounds and the surrounding savanna matrix. Results Part of our findings shows that termite mounds had higher PD compared with the surrounding savanna plots. We found that phyloendemism (PE) does not respond to the effects of Macrotermes mounds at small scales, that is between mounds and the savanna matrix. However, at continental scales, phyloendemism responded to environmental variables such as altitude, rainfall and temperature. Altitude and latitude acted negatively on both PD and phyloendemism, while temperature had a positive influence on both metrics. Main conclusions We provide the first quantification of the effect of termite mounds on woody plants’ PD in the savannas. Overall, termite mounds contribute, not only to taxonomic diversity in the savanna but also to PD of woody plants. Our analysis shows that termite mounds contribute strongly to overall savanna PD, hence the need to consider them in conservation planning.