The ECAT dataset: expert-validated distribution data of endemic and sub-endemic trees of Central Africa (Dem. Rep. Congo, Rwanda, Burundi).

In this data paper, we present a specimen-based occurrence dataset compiled in the framework of the Conservation of Endemic Central African Trees (ECAT) project with the aim of producing global conservation assessments for the IUCN Red List. The project targets all tree species endemic or sub-endemic to the Central African region comprising the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Rwanda, and Burundi. The dataset contains 6361 plant collection records with occurrences of 8910 specimens from 337 taxa belonging to 153 genera in 52 families.

Historical biogeography and diversification of ringless Amanita (section Vaginatae) support an African origin and suggest niche conservatism in the Americas.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) sustain nutrient recycling in most terrestrial ecosystems, yet we know little about what major biogeographical events gave rise to present-day diversity and distribution patterns. Given the strict relationship between some ECM lineages and their hosts, geographically well-sampled phylogenies are central to understanding major evolutionary processes of fungal biodiversity patterns. Here, we focus on Amanita sect.