title: The impact of species concept on biodiversity studies.
abstract: Species are defined using a variety of different operational techniques. While discussion of the various methodologies has previously been restricted mostly to taxonomists, the demarcation of species is also crucial for conservation biology. Unfortunately, different methods of diagnosing species can arrive at different entities. Most prominently, it is widely thought that use of a phylogenetic species concept may lead to recognition of a far greater number of much less inclusive units. As a result, studies of the same group of organisms can produce not only different species identities but also different species range and number of individuals. To assess the impact of different definitions on conservation issues, we collected instances from the literature where a group of organisms was categorized both under phylogenetic and nonphylogenetic concepts. Our results show a marked difference, with surveys based on a phylogenetic species concept showing more species (48%) and an associated decrease in population size and range. We discuss the serious consequences of this trend for conservation, including an apparent change in the number of endangered species, potential political fallout, and the difficulty of deciding what should be conserved.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University College London, Darwin Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom. p.agapow@ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Paul-Michael
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Agapow
authors.forename: Olaf R
authors.initials: OR
authors.lastname: Bininda-Emonds
authors.forename: Keith A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Crandall
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gittleman
authors.forename: Georgina M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Mace
authors.forename: Jonathon C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Purvis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity