Hidden Diversity in the Ibera Wetlands: Fern and Lycophyte Richness and Biogeographic Boundaries.

ABSTRACT: The Iberá Wetlands in northeastern Argentina constitute the second largest wetland system in South America, yet the fern and lycophyte flora of this region remains poorly documented. The aims of this work were to update the species richness of these plant groups, evaluate the intensity of collecting efforts, identify conservation priorities, estimate the potential true species richness, and make biogeographical inferences. We compiled a database of species from multiple sources, and the study area (21,853 km²) was divided into 19 grid cells for analysis. Sampling effort and species richness were quantified, and non-parametric estimators (Chao2, ICE, Jack2) were used to evaluate inventory completeness. Several similarity analyses were performed using the Jaccard index, incorporat

SUBMITTER: Meza-Torres EI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12899944 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature