Biodiversity of Pantepui. The Pristine “Lost World” of the Neotropical Guiana Highlands

Cover
Biodiversity of Pantepui
Copyright
List of contributors
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
	Aims and scope
	General aspects
	The photosynthetic world
	Animal diversity
	Biodiversity conservation
	References
Part I: General Aspects
1 Definition and characterization of the Pantepui biogeographical province
	Introduction
	History of the Pantepui biogeographical concept
	Phytogeographical Pantepui
		Physical setting
		Climatic conditions
		The biotic component
	Pantepui floristic subdivisions
		Eastern district
		Jaua-Duida district (Central district)
		Western district
		Southern district
		Other tepuis
	Zoogeographical insights
	Conclusions and final remarks
	References
2 Climatic and ecological history of Pantepui and surrounding areas
	Introduction
	Regional paleoclimatic trends
	Paleoecology of Pantepui and adjacent areas
		The Last Glacial Maximum
		The Late Glacial
		The Holocene
		The last millennium
	Final remarks
	References
3 Pantepui as a dynamic biogeographical concept
	Introduction
	Hypotheses and approaches
	The Pantepui components
		The orographic Pantepui
		The climatic Pantepui
		The biotic Pantepui
	The Pantepui oscillator
	The future
	Conclusions and further research
	Acknowledgments
	References
4 Origin and evolution of the Pantepui biota
	Introduction
	Evolutionary inferences from biogeography
		The pioneers
		The followers
		The outsiders
		Vicariance versus dispersal
	Paleoecological contributions and geological insights
		Quaternary paleoecology
		Pre-Quaternary diversification
	Molecular phylogenetics and phylogeography
		Neotropical diversification
		Pantepui
			Plants
			Amphibians
			Birds
			Mammals
	General conclusions
	Further research
	Acknowledgments
	References
Part II: The Photosynthetic World
5 Algae
	Introduction
		Algae and extreme environments
		Endemism of algae and other microorganisms
	Phycological studies on Pantepui
		Major groups of algae represented on tepuis
		Cyanobacteria
		Diatoms (phylum Bacillariophyta)
		Green algae (phyla Charophyta and Chlorophyta)
		Other algal groups represented on tepuis
	Tepuis and algal endemics
	References
6 Vascular plants and bryophytes
	Introduction
	Main patterns of diversity in vascular plants
		Overall flora richness and endemism
		Taxonomic diversity across main plant groups
		Diversity patterns across tepuis
	Pantepui bryophytes
	Current phylogenetic knowledge and biogeographic implications
		Pteridophytes
		Angiosperms
	Future perspectives on phylogeography
	References
7 Plant communities
	Introduction
	The table-mountain landscape of the Guiana Shield
		Overview
		Main plant habitats
	Vegetation types
		Forest formation (types 1–12)
		Shrubland formation (types 13–22)
		Herbaceous formation (types 23–40)
			Grasslands
			Meadows
		Pioneer formations
	Endemic vegetation types in Pantepui
		Asteraceae
			Chimantaea colonies
		Bromeliaceae
			Brewcaria colonies
			Brocchinia colonies
		Sarraceniaceae
			Heliamphora colonies
	Phytosociological studies
	Final remarks
	References
Part III: Animal Diversity
8 Aquatic insects
	Introduction
	Mayflies (Ephemeroptera)
	Stoneflies (Plecoptera)
	Caddisflies (Trichoptera)
	Orthopterans (Orthoptera)
	Dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata)
	Dobsonflies (Megaloptera)
	Beetles (Coleoptera)
	True bugs (Heteroptera)
	True flies (Diptera)
	Origin and evolution of Pantepui aquatic insects
	Recommendations for conservation of the aquatic insects of Pantepui and ideas for future research
	References
9 Butterflies
	Introduction
	The biogeographic Pantepui
	Exploration, discovery, and taxonomic studies of butterflies in the tepuis
	Endemic butterflies of Pantepui
	Biogeographic significance and conclusions
		Pantepui province
			Synonymy
	References
10 Scorpions
	Introduction
	First explorations
	Gonzalez-Sponga’s contributions
	Expeditions in the Guiana region
	Recent years
	Pattern of diversity and endemism of scorpions
	Endemism
	Distribution patterns
	References
	Appendix 10.1 Total list of scorpion species from Pantepui and the surrounding areas in the Guiana region, with the name of...
11 Land snails
	Introduction
	Material and methods
	Systematics
	Species of Pantepui sensu stricto (≥1500m)
		Species from Eastern Pantepui District
			Roraima subdistrict
			Chimantá subdistrict
		Species from Central Pantepui District
		Species from Western Pantepui District
		Species from Southern Pantepui District
	Species of the uplands and lowlands (below 1500m)
		Species from the Southern Pantepui region
	Ecology
	Biogeography
	Further avenues for research
	References
12 Amphibians and reptiles
	Introduction
	Defining Pantepui for amphibians and reptiles
	Amphibians and reptiles of the Guiana Highlands
		State of knowledge
		Richness
		Endemism
		Patterns of species richness and geographical distribution
	Insights on the origin and evolution of the Pantepui herpetofauna
	Final remarks
	References
	Appendix 12.1 Amphibians and reptiles of the Guiana Highlands (≥1200m asl)
13 Birds
	Introduction
	A definition of Pantepui
	Patterns of diversity and endemism
		Endemism in Pantepui and its geographical distribution
		Ecological and geographical factors correlated with patterns of diversity and endemism
		The role of sampling biases in studying patterns of diversity and endemism
	Historical explanations for diversity and endemism in Pantepui
		Geographical differentiation and diversification within Pantepui
		Origin of Pantepui birds
	Future prospects and conservation
	References
	Appendix I List of the 141 species included in previous analyses of Pantepui avifauna and this study. Category: PE, Pantepu...
	Appendix II Changes in the taxonomy of Pantepui birds since Mayr and Phelps (1967). Current names are based on the South Am...
	Appendix III Endemic species from Pantepui and its distribution based on biogeographic sectors as defined by Berry et al. (...
14 Mammals
	Introduction
	Mammalian richness of the Guianas
	Elevational occurrence
	Pantepui mammals
		Altitudinal distribution
		Geographic distribution
		Species composition of massifs and tepuis
	Biogeography
	References
	Appendix 14.1 Species of mammals documented from the Guianas by altitudinal categories (lowlands, uplands, and highlands), ...
15 Vertebrate parasites
	Introduction
	Historical expeditions
	Recent collections
	Preliminary conclusions
	References
Part IV: Biodiversity Conservation
16 Conservation of Pantepui: between complex emergency and climate change
	Introduction
	Antecedents in the conservation of Pantepui
	Failure of natural resource management institutions
	Complex crisis
	Climate change
	Final reflection
	References
17 Pantepui and global warming
	Introduction
	Current extinction estimates
	Conservation insights
		In situ actions
		Some ex situ possibilities
	Weaknesses and future research
		Environmental factors driving species range shifts
		Influence of topography and substrate
		Autoecological features of the involved species
		Latest IPCC estimates and warming acceleration
	Bureaucratic constraints
	Conclusions and recommendations
	References
Taxonomic Index
Subject Index
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