Priority Areas for Preserving Angiosperm Evolutionary History in the Iberian Peninsula

Aim To identify areas with a high concentration of threatened evolutionary history and to evaluate how effectively the current network of protected areas encompasses them, focusing on the global conservation relevance of angiosperms native to a regional biodiversity hotspot. Location The area of study comprises the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, one of the most angiosperm‐rich areas within the Mediterranean hotspot. We have studied all native angiosperms (5411 species) using a high resolution (10 × 10 km grid) occurrence dataset. Methods We have used the evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) metric to combine phylogenetic singularity with extinction risk and identify taxa that represent unique evolutionary history under threat. Individual EDGE scores were used to identify regions harbouring higher values of threatened evolutionary history, as well as to delineate areas that optimally preserve angiosperm evolutionary history. Results Our findings reveal that threatened angiosperm evolutionary history is primarily concentrated in mountainous and coastal regions. We identified a set of 22 complementary EDGE zones—areas containing unique and endangered evolutionary lineages—whose protection would secure preserving more than 90% of threatened evolutionary history. While several EDGE zones overlap with existing protected areas, particularly in mountains, others harbouring few but evolutionarily unique and highly threatened taxa remain largely unprotected. This study highlights the value of applying global conservation metrics such as EDGE at regional scales. Our results provide a foundation for integrating evolutionary history into conservation prioritisation in the Iberian Peninsula and offer a replicable framework for implementing the EDGE approach in other biodiversity‐rich regions.