Spatial Pattern Analysis and Conservation Assessment of Apiaceae in Mongolia

The family Apiaceae, distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, is the largest family of angiosperms. However, little is known about the conservation status, diversity, and distribution of Apiaceae species in Mongolia. This study had two main aims: (1) to assess the national status of Apiaceae species under IUCN Red List Criterion B; (2) to evaluate the species diversity and richness of Apiaceae across Mongolia. We utilized ConR packages to assess the national Red List status of all known Mongolian Apiaceae species by analyzing their most comprehensive occurrence records. The results indicated that 27 species were classified as threatened, including 4 Critically Endangered (CR), 9 Endangered (EN), and 14 Vulnerable (VU) species. Meanwhile, 39 species were assessed as non-threatened, with 2 Near Threatened (NT) species and 37 species of Least Concern (LC). Furthermore, detailed distribution maps for 66 Apiaceae species in Mongolia were presented. We assessed the species diversity and Shannon and Simpson diversity indices of Apiaceae by analyzing all occurrence records using the iNext package. Overall, the Hill diversity estimates indicate that the sampling conducted in Mongolia adequately captured species occurrences. For species pattern analysis, we examined the species richness, weighted endemism, and the corrected weighted endemism index using Biodiverse v.4.1 software. Mongolia was portioned into 715 grid cells based on 0.5° × 0.5° grid sizes (equivalent to approximately 50 × 50 km²). There was a total of 3062 unique occurrences of all Apiaceae species across Mongolia. In the species richness analysis, we identified 10 grids that exhibited high species richness (18-29 species) and 36 grids with 11-17 species. For genus richness, we observed seven grids that exhibited a high genus richness of 16-22 genera. Furthermore, we analyzed species richness with a specific focus on threatened species, encompassing CR, EN, and VU species throughout Mongolia. A total of 92 grids contained at least one threatened species. There were six grids that had two to five threatened species, which were adequately covered by protected areas in western Mongolia. Overall, our results on species richness and conservation status will serve as important foundational research for future conservation and land management efforts in Mongolia.