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The identification of priority conservation areas (PCA) plays an important role in biodiversity conservation, but uncertainties create challenges for conservation planning. The objective was to test a method based on 'taxonomic distinctness' (TD) and to identify PCA to quantify the heritage value of a territory and establish the most appropriate conservation measures. The researchers performed a systematic and phytogeographical analysis of ten islands in northeastern Algeria, a biological hotspot with heterogeneous ecosystem types and subject to socio-economic pressures. The biological diversity represented by 223 species in these environments reflects a high rate of endemicity (13%).