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A Comparative Study of the Floras of China and Canada

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A Comparative Study of the Floras of China and Canada Núm. 24, pp. 25-51, ISSN 1405-2768; México, 2007 A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE FLORAS OF CHINA AND CANADA Zhiyao Su College of Forestry, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642 - P. R. China J. Hugo Cota-Sánchez Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2 - Canada E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT at the generic and specific levels that are correlated with more recent geological and In this study, we investigated the floristic climatic variations and ecoenvironment relationships between China and Canada diversity, resulting in differences in floristic based on comparative analysis of their composition. Overall, western and eastern spermatophyte floras. Floristic lists were Canada have a similar number of shared compiled from standard floras and then genera, which suggests multiple migration subjected to cluster analysis using UPGMA events of floristic elements via the Atlantic and NMS ordination methods. Our data and Pacific connections and corridors that demonstrate that the Chinese spermatophyte existed in past geological times. flora is considerably more diverse than that of Canada and that the taxonomic richness Keywords: China, Canada, floristic rela- of seed plants in the floras of China and tionships, taxonomic richness, shared taxa, Canada shows significant variation at the intercontinental disjunction. specific and generic levels. China contains 272 families, 3 318 genera, and 27 078 RESUMEN species (after taxonomic standardization), whereas the spermatophyte flora of Canada En este estudio se investigaron la relaciones includes 145 families, 947 genera, and florísticas entre Canadá y China basados 4 616 species. The results indicate that out en análisis comparativos de las floras de of 553 genera shared by the Chinese and espermatofitas de ambos países. Los listados Canadian floras, 60 of them have an eastern florísticos se compilaron de una extensa Asia-North American disjunct distributional revisión de literatura con respecto a inventa- pattern. These disjunct genera show a simi- rios florísticos, floras y trabajos relacionados lar geographic distribution in both eastern a la fitogeografía y vegetación de China y and western Canada. There is a higher de- Canadá. Esto incluyó también varios sitios gree of similarity at higher taxonomic levels de Internet que contienen información re- between the two intercontinental floras, ferente a este tema. La riqueza florística en which suggests ancient floristic relations- las diferentes regiones políticas de China y hips, but there are significant differences 25 Núm. 24: 25-51 Noviembre 2007 Canadá se obtuvo a partir de una serie de contribuido a las diferencias florísticas entre hipótesis nulas usando G-test, con las cuales China y Canadá. Éstos son: clima, migra- se evaluaron las diferencias taxonómicas a ción de especies de regiones circunvecinas, niveles ordinales, genéricos y específicos. stasis, y efectos de refugio. Las listas florísticas se organizaron en taxa compartidos en las diferentes categorías A pesar de que la diferencia en extensión taxonómicas entre ambos países y se tabu- territorial entre China y Canadá no es ex- laron en una matriz de datos binaria. tremadamente marcada, la diversidad en relieve topográfico y tipos climáticos de Posteriormente, después de estandarizar los China han favorecido la existencia de una aspectos nomenclaturales, los datos se so- gran variedad de regiones ecogeográficas metieron a análisis de UPGMA (Unweighted y ambientales en ese país. Estas variables Pair-Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) han contribuido a la formación de patrones y NMS (non-metric multidimensional sca- de vegetación geográficos de distribución ling) para estimar y comparar los índices de y composición taxonómicas más comple- similitud florística entre estos países. jas. En general, la diversidad taxonómica, composición florística y regiones fitogeo- Nuestros resultados indican que la flora gráficas de Canadá son mucho más simples espermatofita de China es mucho más di- que aquellas existentes en ese país oriental. versa que la flora canadiense. Además, la De hecho, China es el único país del mundo riqueza taxonómica de estas floras exhibe donde aún existe una conexión continua diferencias significativas a niveles espe- entre los bosques tropicales, subtropicales, cíficos y genéricos. La flora de China es templados y boreales. De la misma mane- aproximadamente seis veces más rica que su ra, las floras adyacentes del centro, norte contraparte canadiense. China incluye 272 y sur de Asia tienen gran influencia en la familias, 3 318 géneros, y 27 078 especies, composición florística de China dado que mientras que la flora de Canadá abarca 145 eventos migratorios pasados y presentes familias, 947 géneros y 4 616 especies. Estas han permitido el intercambio de elementos estadísticas representan una contribución a florísticos, divergencia de especies y casos nivel mundial estimada en 12% para China y de especiación. A su vez, stasis ha tenido un 1.4-1.5% de Canadá. Asimismo, el número papel importante en los complejos procesos de géneros distribuidos en ambos países es de especiación y diversidad de especies, de 533. Este número representa un valor es decir, que los niveles taxonómicos más estimado de 5.4 veces más elevado en la altos representan los linajes filogenéticos cantidad de especies en la flora de China más ancestrales. Finalmente, la noción de (12 967) comparada con 2 384 en Canadá. áreas de refugio también han contribuido En general, existen 123 taxa que exhiben en los niveles de diversidad y diferencias distribución disjunta entre China y Canadá. taxonómicas así como la existencia de Las provincias de la región este de Canadá especies actuales poco comunes pero con comparten un número de especies más alta distribución disjunta. Esto a su vez sugiere con China, y por lo tanto tienen mayor grado que la ruta migratoria florística de elementos de afinidad florística, comparadas con las a través del Estrecho de Bering contribuyó provincias del lado oeste del país. Conside- significativamente a la distribución de espe- ramos que cuatro factores principales han cies en ambos países. En conclusión, nuestro 26 Zhiyao Su and J.H. Cota-Sánchez: A comparative study of the Floras of China and Canada estudio confirma que un buen número de 1972; Wood, 1972), ecological (Ricklefs and especies comunes entre China y Canadá Latham, 1992;), geological (Wu, 1983), and tienen distribución vicariante o disjunta phylogenetic (Wen and Stuessy, 1993; Xiang y comparten historia biogeográfica como et al., 1998) perspectives. The temperate resultado de eventos geológicos pasados, y floristic elements exhibiting intercontinental que las floras de estos países han evolucio- disjunct distribution are considered Tertiary nado independientemente a consecuencia de relicts that were once widely distributed aislamiento geográfico y factores climáticos across Laurasia (Li, 1952; Wolfe and y geológicos, entre otros. Leopold, 1967; Xiang et al., 1998). Other references (Kruckeberg, 1983; Wu, 1983, Palabras claves: China, Canadá, relaciones 1991; Ricklefs and Latham, 1992; Wen, florísticas, riqueza taxonómica, taxa 1999) have focused on compiling taxonomic compartidos, disjunción intercontinental. lists of species with disjunct distribution in eastern Asia and North America, particularly INTRODUCTION China and the United States. The study of the floristic relationships In order to address the floristic relationship between eastern Asia and North America of eastern Asia and North America, previous is an example of long-standing research studies (Cheng, 1983; Hou, 1983; Hsu, focusing on biogeograpical floristic affinities 1983; Wu, 1983; Ying, 1983; Xiang et and intercontinental disjunctions. According al., 1998; Qian, 1999) have compared to Wood (1972), the eastern Asia North the flora of China with that of the United American floristic relationships were first States as representative elements of eastern mentioned by Linnaeus in 1750 and later Asia and North America, respectively. in a series of publications between 1840 The geographical and environmental and 1878 by Asa Gray, who brought this similarities and the remarkable interest topic to the attention of other American in plant disjunctions between China and and European scientists. More recently, a the United States have justified such number of sources (Li, 1952; Boufford and comparisons (Qian, 1999). In spite of Spongberg, 1983; White, 1983; Wu, 1983; the progress made in understanding the Tiffney, 1985; Guo et al., 1998; Xiang et intercontinental disjunctions between al., 1998; Qian, 1999, 2001) have provided eastern Asia and North America, additional evidence that the two floras have similarities floristic and monographic work is needed to in taxonomic diversity and geographic complete a catalogue of species. The Flora distribution patterns. of China project is an ongoing collaborative study with completion estimated in 2010 The occurrence of intercontinental (reviewed in Heywood, 2001; see also Flora disjunction in plants stands as one of the of China Website available at: http://flora. most intriguing circumstances regarding the huh. harvard.edu/china/). floristic relationships between eastern Asia and North America. In fact, the distributional The flora of Canada, on the other hand, has pattern and affinities of the North American received relatively little attention despite and eastern Asia floristic elements has been the historical floristic migrations and extant explained from
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