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Trees play a key role in the structure and function of many ecosystems worldwide. In the Mediterranean Basin, forests cover approximately 22% of the total land area hosting a large number of endemics (46 species). Despite its particularities and vulnerability, the biodiversity of Mediterranean trees is not well known at the taxonomic, spatial, functional, and genetic levels required for conservation applications. The WOODIV database fills this gap by providing reliable occurrences, four functional traits (plant height, seed mass, wood density, and specific leaf area), and sequences from three DNA-regions (rbcL, matK, and trnH-psbA), together with modelled occurrences and a phylogeny for all 210 Euro-Mediterranean tree species. We compiled, homogenized, and verified occurrence data from sparse datasets and collated them on an INSPIRE-compliant 10 × 10 km grid. We also gathered functional trait and genetic data, filling existing gaps where possible. The WOODIV database can benefit macroecological studies in the fields of conservation, biogeography, and community ecology., Measurement(s) occurrence • Trait • DNA Technology Type(s) Sampling • digital curation • DNA sequencing assay Sample Characteristic - Organism Viridiplantae • trees Sample Characteristic - Environment forest biome Sample Characteristic - Location Mediterranean Region • Europe Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data: 10.6084/m9.figshare.13553519

Here we present relevant records of nine species of the genus Carex (Cyperaceae) new for Peru: C. amicta, C. brehmeri, C. camptoglochin, C. enneastachya, C. livida, C. maritima, C. ownbeyi, C. ruth-satzae, and C. vallis-pulchrae. We perform the lectotypification of the names Carex camptoglochin, C. amicta and C. confertospicata, En este estudio se reconocen nueve registros nuevos de especies del género Carex (Cyperaceae) para la flora del Perú: C. amicta, C. brehmeri, C. camptoglochin, C. enneastachya, C. livida, C. maritima, C. ownbeyi, C. ruthsatzae y C. vallis-pulchrae. También hemos realizado la lectotipificación de los nombres Carex camptoglochin, C. amicta y C. confertospicata, This project has been funded through a “Beca Iberoamérica Jóvenes Profesores e Investigadores del Programas de movilidad del Banco Santander” fellowship towards ME, and a postdoctoral fellowship of the Smithsonian Institution towards PJ-M. MSMF and JJAO would like to acknowledge Patronato de la Reserva Paisajística “Nor Yauyos Cochas” for funding support

Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed for Carex helodes (Cyperaceae), a western Mediterranean endemic that is locally distributed in southern Portugal and southwestern Spain and rare in northern Morocco. Methods and Results: One hundred nine nuclear microsatellite markers were developed using a shotgun pyrosequencing method, resulting in 91 polymorphic and 18 monomorphic loci when tested using 19 individuals sampled from five populations from Portugal, Spain, and Morocco. Loci averaged 3.23 alleles per locus (SD = 1.15). In a single population (Cortelha population, Portugal), the 34 most polymorphic loci showed a mean observed heterozygosity of 0.357 (SD = 0.292) and mean expected heterozygosity of 0.384 (SD = 0.255). Conclusions: Next-generation sequencing allowed us to develop a high number of genetic markers with levels of polymorphism adequate to study gene flow among populations. However, when genotyping the individuals within a population, we found low levels of variation.

Carex helodes Link (sect. Spirostachyae (Drejer) L. H. Bailey, Cyperaceae) is a diploid, wind-pollinated, perennial herb with a minimum generation time of two years. The species is endemic to the western Mediterranean, being locally distributed in southern Portugal and southwestern Spain, and rare in northern Morocco ( Escudero et al., 2008a ). This sedge occurs in temporarily inundated acidic soils in open cork oak woodlands. Despite its well-characterized morphology, C. helodes has been misidentifi ed as C. laevigata Sm. by some authors (see Luceño et al., 2009 ). Recent cytotaxonomic and nuclearand plastid-based phylogenetic studies have revealed the monophyly of C. helodes populations and its taxonomic independence within sect. Spirostachyae ( Escudero et al., 2008a , 2008b ; Escudero and Luceño, 2009 ). Carex helodes is an endangered species in Spain because the extent of its severely fragmented occurrence is less than 100 km 2 , with continued loss of area and habitat quality ( Moreno, 2008 ; Bañares et al., 2010 ). Our aim is to develop molecular markers for further studies of gene fl ow among and within populations. Nuclear microsatellites have been proven to be highly variable and very suitable to the study of recent gene fl ow between populations ( Ouborg et al., 1999 ). To accomplish our task, we isolated and characterized 109 nuclear microsatellites

Aim The genetic structure of many plant species is heavily dependent on their pollinators and seed dispersers, and can thus be altered if either of the associated mutualistic interactions is disrupted. In this study we assess the genetic diversity and structure and infer the seed/pollen gene-flow patterns among insular populations of Daphne rodriguezii, a shrub pollinated and dispersed by animals that has lost its only disperser (the lizard Podarcis lilfordi) in most of its populations. Location The island of Menorca and the islet of Colom (Balearic Islands, Western Mediterranean). Methods To assess the contribution of gene flow via pollen and seeds to the genetic structure of D.rodriguezii we used amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs; seeds and pollen) and plastid DNA sequences (cpDNA; seeds). We sampled individuals from all population nuclei of the species (12-19 adults per population): one population in Colom, where the plant-lizard interaction persists, and four in Menorca, where the seed dispersal mutualism disappeared with the extinction of the lizard. Results The highest heterozygosity values were found in Colom and in its closest population (Favàritx), whereas values were lower in the smallest Menorcan populations, which also had higher relatedness among individuals. We found distinct genetic signals between AFLP and cpDNA analyses. While AFLP markers showed low differentiation between populations, cpDNA showed a clear differentiation between them. Main conclusions Our results point to negative impacts of the disperser loss on genetic diversity and relatedness in the smaller and more isolated populations. They also suggest an old isolation by seeds, probably occurring well before the extinction of the lizard (c.2000years ago). Gene flow was maintained via pollination; however, the seed disperser loss may ultimately hinder pollinator-mediated gene flow, as a result of reduced probabilities of effective pollination among increasingly distant and scarce individuals. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd., The study was partially financed by projects BOS2011-0610 and GL2004-04884-C02-01/BOS from the Spanish Government and by a satellite project from the Consell Insular de Menorca (LIFE 2000 NAT/E/7355) financed to A.T., and by grant FP-2001-1819 (Dirección General de Investigación Científica y Técnica, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia) to J.R.P. G.V.-A. is currently supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Portuguese Fundaçao para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (Ref: SFRH/BPD/74834/2010). M.C.-C. was supported by an Isidro Parga Pondal contract (Xunta de Galicia)

Carex helodes Link fue durante muchos años una especie ignorada por la inmensa mayoría de los autores debido a su confusión con C. laevigata. Más recientemente se realizaron estudios biosistemáticos que no dejan lugar a dudas sobre el valor taxonómico de C. helodes . Su área de distribución conocida se restringía al sur de Portugal y a la localidad sevillana de El Ronquillo (Luceño, 1992); sin embargo, recientemente se han hallado algunas pequeñas poblaciones próximas entre sí en el norte de Marruecos.

The tropical African monophyletic group of Carex subsect. Elatae (sect. Spirostachyae) is distributed in continental tropical Africa, Madagascar, the Mascarene archipelago, and Bioko Island (32 km off the coast of West Africa, in the Gulf of Guinea). The first monographic treatment of this Carex group, as well as of the tribe Cariceae, was published by Kükenthal (as sect. Elatae Kük.). Recently, the first molecular (nrDNA, cpDNA) phylogeny of Carex sect. Elatae has been published, which also included the species of sect. Spirostachyae. In the resulting consensus trees, most species of sect. Elatae were embedded within core Spirostachyae and so this section was joined with sect. Spirostachyae as subsect. Elatae. Within subsect. Elatae, several groups were described, one of which was termed the “tropical African group”. Here we present a taxonomic revision of this group, based on more than 280 vouchers from 29 herbaria as well as in field trips in Tropical Africa. In the revision, we recognise 12 species (16 taxa) within the tropical African group, and so have somewhat modified our previous view, in which 10 species, 12 taxa were listed. One new species from Tanzania is included in this treatment, C. uluguruensis Luceño & M. Escudero. Several combinations are made, C. cyrtosaccus is treated as a synonym of C. vallis-rosetto and, finally, the binomial C. greenwayi has been recognised.Las especies de la subsección Elatae (sección Spirostachyae) del género Carex que se distribuyen por África tropical continental, Madagascar, el archipiélago de las Mascareñas y la isla de Bioko (a 32 km del litoral de África occidental, en el golfo de Guinea) forman un grupo monofilético. El primer tratamiento taxonómico de este grupo de cárices, así como de la tribu Cariceae en su conjunto, fue elaborado por Kükenthal (sección Elatae Kük.); recientemente, se ha publicado el primer estudio de filogenia molecular (nrDNA, cpDNA) de los táxones de este grupo, junto con la inmensa mayoría de las restantes especies que Kükenthal incluyó en las secciones Elatae y Spirostachyae. Salvo escasas excepciones, los táxones incluidos se agruparon en un clado (“core Spirostachyae”) que contiene las especies de las dos secciones antes aludidas. En congruencia con estos resultados, la sección Elatae fue incluida en la sección Spirostachyae como susbsección Elatae. Dentro de dicha subsección se observaron varios clados; uno de ellos, el denominado “grupo de África tropical”, es el objeto del presente trabajo, en el que presentamos una revisión taxonómica basada en el estudio de más de 280 pliegos conservados en 29 herbarios, así como en trabajos de campo llevados a cabo en África tropical. Como resultado del análisis de dichos materiales hemos realizado una profunda reorganización taxonómica, fruto de la cual admitimos 12 especies (16 táxones) dentro del grupo de África tropical. Se describe además una nueva especie del NE de Tanzania, C. uluguruensis Luceño & M. Escudero. Asimismo, se llevan a cabo varias combinaciones nomenclaturales, el nombre de C. cyrtosaccus es considerado sinónimo de C. vallis-rosetto, y se reconoce el binomio C. grennwayi.

We produced the first time-calibrated phylogeny of all 64 native tree genera occurring on the European side of the Mediterranean Basin. This phylogeny is based on 3 plastid DNA sequences (rbcL matK and trnH-psbA), 4 recognized fossil dates and 10 secondary calibrations. Based on the inferred topology, we then tested whether the investigated tree flora exhibits phylogenetic clustering in both life-history traits known to influence reproduction and species’ vulnerability to extinction. Our topology and the estimated dates mostly conform to published partial phylogenies and are highly congruent with the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification except for some minor incongruences including the still debated phylogenetic position of Magnoliids. The four strictly endemic genera of the Mediterranean Basin (Chamaerops, Phillyrea, Spartium and Tetraclinis) all showed emergence dates (11–72 Ma) long before the onset of the Mediterranean climate. We did not find any imprints of phylogenetic sorting processes on the life-history traits we studied, except for the mode of seed dispersal, which showed a clustered distribution across our topology. The presence of species at risk of potential extinction within a given genus was randomly distributed along the phylogenetic tree. Species with deficient data were significantly nested within a few of the most recently evolved angiosperm genera. Our analysis closes knowledge gaps and provides a valuable basis for studying the biogeographical and ecological processes that have generated the Mediterranean tree flora. It can also inform conservation planning strategies that aim at broadening traditional taxonomy-focused perspectives with components of evolutionary history and phylogenetic singularity.

We produced the first time-calibrated phylogeny of all 64 native tree genera occurring on the European side of the Mediterranean Basin. This phylogeny is based on 3 plastid DNA sequences (rbcL matK and trnH-psbA), 4 recognized fossil dates and 10 secondary calibrations. Based on the inferred topology, we then tested whether the investigated tree flora exhibits phylogenetic clustering in both life-history traits known to influence reproduction and species’ vulnerability to extinction. Our topology and the estimated dates mostly conform to published partial phylogenies and are highly congruent with the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification except for some minor incongruences including the still debated phylogenetic position of Magnoliids. The four strictly endemic genera of the Mediterranean Basin (Chamaerops, Phillyrea, Spartium and Tetraclinis) all showed emergence dates (11–72 Ma) long before the onset of the Mediterranean climate. We did not find any imprints of phylogenetic sorting processes on the life-history traits we studied, except for the mode of seed dispersal, which showed a clustered distribution across our topology. The presence of species at risk of potential extinction within a given genus was randomly distributed along the phylogenetic tree. Species with deficient data were significantly nested within a few of the most recently evolved angiosperm genera. Our analysis closes knowledge gaps and provides a valuable basis for studying the biogeographical and ecological processes that have generated the Mediterranean tree flora. It can also inform conservation planning strategies that aim at broadening traditional taxonomy-focused perspectives with components of evolutionary history and phylogenetic singularity.