Phylogeny and Conservation

[MAGarland]

May I add my two cents to this thread? For the last four years I've worked for
the largest conservation land-buying program in the U.S. (Florida's
Conservation and Recreation Lands program).  We don't much think about the
phylogenetic relationships of organisms we're trying to protect.   We use
information on the relative rarity and endangerment of species, and their
habitat requirements, but that's all.  And we tend to focus on buying the
largest, most intact chunks of land in the hope that this will protect the
natural world of Florida most efficiently.  Phylogenetic considerations are
rather a luxury when we don't even know, for most species, how many
populations in which spatial arrangements will be most viable.

Mark A. Garland
Office of Environmental Services
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Mail Station 140
Tallahassee, Florida 32399