Marginality indices for biodiversity conservation in forest trees

Marginal and peripheral populations are important for biodiversity conservation. Their original situation in a species’ geographic ecological space often confers them genetic diversity traits of high adaptive value. Yet theoretical hypotheses related to marginality difficult test because confounding factors that influence marginality, namely environment, geography, history. There is an urgent need develop metrics disentangle these factors. We designed nine quantitative indices peripherality define where margins lie within species distributions, from geographical, environmental historical perspective. Using the distribution maps eight European forest tree species, we assessed whether were idiosyncratic or they conveyed redundant information. database on marginal based expert knowledge, capacity predict status population. was no consistent pattern correlation between across confirming different information specific geometry distributions. Contrasting with this heterogeneity patterns relative importance species. However, there still significant country effect status, showing variation opinion vis-á-vis distribution. The developed entirely can be used any They pave way testing peripherality, implications ecology, genetics,