The value of natural history collections for conservation science research is increasingly recognized, despite their well‐documented limitations in terms of taxonomic, geographic, and temporal ...coverage. Specimen‐based analyses are particularly important for tropical plant groups for which field observations are scarce and potentially unreliable due to high levels of diversity‐amplifying identification challenges. Specimen databases curated by specialists are rich sources of authoritatively identified, georeferenced occurrence data, and such data are urgently needed for large genera. We compared entries in a monographic database for the large Neotropical genus Myrcia in 2007 and 2017. We classified and quantified differences in specimen records over this decade and determined the potential impact of these changes on conservation assessments. We distinguished misidentifications from changes due to taxonomic remodeling and considered the effects of adding specimens and georeferences. We calculated the potential impact of each change on estimates of extent of occurrence (EOO), the most frequently used metric in extinction‐risk assessments of tropical plants. We examined whether particular specimen changes were associated with species for which changes in EOO over the decade were large enough to change their conservation category. Corrections to specimens previously misidentified or lacking georeferences were overrepresented in such species, whereas changes associated with taxonomic remodeling (lumping and splitting) were underrepresented. Among species present in both years, transitions to less threatened status outnumbered those to more threatened (8% vs 3%, respectively). Species previously deemed data deficient transitioned to threatened status more often than to not threatened (10% vs 7%, respectively). Conservation scientists risk reaching unreliable conclusions if they use specimen databases that are not actively curated to reflect changing knowledge.
Empleo del Potencial de la Sistemática Integrada para la Conservación de Grupos Botánicos Complejos y Megadiversos
Resumen
Cada vez se reconoce más el valor que tienen las colecciones de historia natural para la investigación dentro de la ciencia de la conservación, a pesar de las limitaciones en la documentación adecuada de la cobertura taxonómica, geográfica y temporal. Los análisis con base en especímenes son de particular importancia en los grupos de plantas tropicales, para los cuales las observaciones en el campo son escasas y potencialmente de poca confianza debido la gran cantidad de retos de identificación que amplifican la diversidad. Las bases de datos de especímenes que son curadas por especialistas son fuentes abundantes de datos identificados autoritativamente y de distribución georeferenciada, por lo que es urgente la necesidad de dichos datos para géneros extensos. Comparamos las entradas en una base de datos monográfica para el género neotropical extenso Myrcia en 2007 y en 2017. Clasificamos y cuantificamos las diferencias en los registros de especímenes durante esta década y determinamos el impacto potencial de estos cambios sobre las evaluaciones de conservación. Separamos las identificaciones erróneas de los cambios causados por la remodelación taxonómica y consideramos los efectos de la adición de especímenes y de georeferencias. Calculamos el impacto potencial de cada cambio sobre las estimaciones de la extensión de la distribución (EOO, en inglés), la medida que se utiliza con mayor frecuencia en las valoraciones del riesgo de extinción de las plantas tropicales. Examinamos si los cambios en un espécimen particular estuvieron asociados con especies para las cuales los cambios en la EOO durante la década fueron lo suficientemente amplios para cambiarles la categoría de conservación. Las correcciones hechas a especímenes previamente mal identificados o carentes de georeferencias estuvieron sobre‐representadas en dichas especies, mientras que los cambios asociados con la remodelación taxonómica (agrupamiento y separación) estuvieron sub‐representados. Entre las especies presentes en ambos años, las transiciones hacia un estado de conservación con menor amenaza superaron en cantidad a aquellas hacia un estado de mayor amenaza (8% vs 3%, respectivamente). Las especies que con anterioridad se clasificaban como deficientes de datos tuvieron más transiciones hacia el estado de amenazadas que hacia el estado de no amenazadas (10% vs 7%, respectivamente). Los científicos de la conservación corren el riesgo de llegar a conclusiones poco confiables si utilizan bases de datos de especímenes que no sean actualizadas para reflejar el conocimiento cambiante.
Article impact statement: Digitized natural history collections must be updated as taxonomic knowledge grows so as to maximize their utility for conservation science.
Herbarium specimens provide verifiable and citable evidence of the occurrence of particular plants at particular points in space and time, and are vital resources for assessing extinction risk in the ...tropics, where plant diversity and threats to plants are greatest. We reviewed approaches to assessing extinction risk in response to the Convention on Biological Diversity's Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Target 2: an assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species by 2020. We tested five alternative approaches, using herbarium-derived data for trees, shrubs and herbs in five different plant groups from temperate and tropical regions. All species were previously fully assessed for the IUCN Red List. We found significant variation in the accuracy with which different approaches classified species as threatened or not threatened. Accuracy was highest for the machine learning model (90%) but the least data-intensive approach also performed well (82%). Despite concerns about spatial, temporal and taxonomic biases and uncertainties in herbarium data, when specimens represent the best available evidence for particular species, their use as a basis for extinction risk assessment is appropriate, necessary and urgent. Resourcing herbaria to maintain, increase and disseminate their specimen data is essential to guide and focus conservation action.This article is part of the theme issue 'Biological collections for understanding biodiversity in the Anthropocene'.
A new specialist group for Brazilian fungi Drechsler-Santos, Elisandro Ricardo; Calaça, Francisco J. Simões; Martins-Cunha, Kelmer ...
Oryx,
07/2023, Letnik:
57, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Herbarium specimens are increasingly recognized as an important resource for conservation science and virtual herbaria are making specimens freely available to a wider range of users than ever ...before. Few virtual herbaria are designed with conservation use as a primary driver. Exceptionally, Brazil's Reflora Virtual Herbarium (RVH) was created to increase knowledge and conservation of the Brazilian flora. The RVH is closely integrated with the Flora of Brazil 2020 platform on which Brazil's new national Flora is under construction. Both resources are accessible via the Reflora home page and thousands of users move seamlessly between these Reflora resources. To understand how the Reflora resources are currently used and their impact on conservation science, we conducted a literature review and an online survey. We searched for publications of studies in which Reflora resources were used and publications resulting from Brazilian researchers who were part of Reflora's research and mobility program. The survey contained multiple choice questions and questions that required a written response. We targeted Reflora webpage visitors with the survey to capture a wider range of Reflora users than the literature review. Reflora resources were used for a variety of conservation‐relevant purposes. Half the 806 scientific publications in which Reflora was cited and 81% of the 1069 survey respondents accessing Reflora resources mentioned conservation‐relevant research outputs. Most conservation‐relevant uses of the Reflora resources in scientific publications were research rather than implementation focused. The survey of Reflora users showed conservation uses and impacts of virtual herbaria were more numerous and diverse than the uses captured in the literature review. Virtual herbaria are vital resources for conservation science, but they must document use and impacts more comprehensively to ensure sustainability.
Revalorización del Conocimiento sobre Conservación por Medio de Mayor Acceso a la Información Botánica
Resumen
Los especímenes de los herbarios son reconocidos cada vez más como un recurso importante para la ciencia de la conservación, y, como nunca antes, los herbarios virtuales están poniendo a los especímenes a libre disposición para una gama mucho más amplia de usuarios. Pocos herbarios virtuales están diseñados con el uso para la conservación como conductor primario. Excepcionalmente, se creó el Herbario Virtual Reflora de Brasil (RVH, en inglés) para incrementar el conocimiento y la conservación de la flora brasileña. El RVH está integrado cuidadosamente con la plataforma Flora de Brasil 2020, sobre la cual está bajo construcción la nueva flora nacional de Brasil. Se accede a ambos recursos a través de la página inicial de Reflora y miles de usuarios navegan continuamente entre estos recursos de la página. Para entender cómo se usan actualmente los recursos de Reflora así como su impacto sobre la ciencia de la conservación, realizamos una revisión de la literatura y una encuesta en línea. Buscamos las publicaciones de estudios que usaron los recursos de Reflora y las publicaciones elaboradas por investigadores brasileños que formaron parte del programa de investigación y movilidad de Reflora. La encuesta incluyó preguntas de opción múltiple y preguntas que requerían una respuesta escrita. Enfocamos la encuesta en los visitantes a la página web de Reflora para obtener una gama más amplia de usuarios de Reflora que la que obtendríamos sólo con la revisión de la literatura. Los recursos de Reflora se usaron para una variedad de propósitos relevantes para la conservación. La mitad de las 806 publicaciones científicas en las que se citó a Reflora y el 81% de los 1069 encuestados que acceden a los recursos de Reflora mencionaron resultados de investigación relevantes para la conservación. La mayoría de los usos relevantes para la conservación de los recursos de Reflora en las publicaciones científicas estuvieron más enfocados en la investigación que en la implementación. La encuesta para los usuarios de Reflora mostró que los usos e impactos de los herbarios virtuales fueron más numerosos y diversos que los usos capturados en la revisión de la literatura. Los herbarios virtuales son recursos vitales para la ciencia de la conservación, pero deben documentar su uso y sus impactos exhaustivamente para asegurar su sustentabilidad.
Article impact statement: Virtual herbaria, vital resources for taxonomy, conservation and ecology, must showcase their relevance to gain ongoing support.
The effect of experimental disturbances on the dynamics of a shrub community was studied on a ‘Montado’ ecosystem, in southern Portugal. The evolution of the community physiognomy, composition and ...diversity were monitored after shrub clearing followed by biomass removal, deposition on soil surface and incorporation with the soil, over a 9-year period. Maximum shrub density was recorded in the first year after the disturbances, excepting in mulched plots which showed the greatest number of individuals 1 year later. The increment of shrub leaf biomass was very fast in the first 3 years, whereas wood production was slower but occurred along the whole study period. At the end of the study, leaf and wood biomass was still significantly lower than in the pre-disturbance situation. The variation pattern of leaf area index was similar to that of leaf biomass. The evolution of total plant cover and diversity was similar across treatments. The highest species richness and diversity were recorded 2 years after cutting, decreasing afterwards with the increasing dominance of shrubs. Thus it seems likely that, although a 9 year period is too short for these communities to reach steady equilibrium, they are very resistant and resilient to disturbances, as regeneration was fast and vegetation dynamics was not influenced by differences among treatments. We can conclude that shrub clearing promotes biodiversity and the time of permanence of shrub patches depends on the particular goal we want to achieve.
Herbariumspecimens provide verifiable and citable evidence of the occurrence of particular plants at particular points in space and time, and are vital resources for assessing extinction risk in the ...tropics, where plant diversity and threats to plants are greatest.We reviewed approaches to assessing extinction risk in response to the Convention on Biological Diversity's Global Strategy for Plant Conservation Target 2: an assessment of the conservation status of all knownplant species by 2020.We tested five alternative approaches, using herbarium-derived data for trees, shrubs and herbs in five different plant groups from temperate and tropical regions. All species were previously fully assessed for the IUCN Red List.We found significant variation in the accuracy with which different approaches classified species as threatened or not threatened. Accuracy was highest for the machine learning model (90%) but the least data-intensive approach also performed well (82%). Despite concerns about spatial, temporal and taxonomic biases and uncertainties in herbarium data, when specimens represent the best available evidence for particular species, their use as a basis for extinction risk assessment is appropriate, necessary and urgent. Resourcing herbaria to maintain, increase and disseminate their specimen data is essential to guide and focus conservation action.
This article is part of the theme issue 'Biological collections for understanding biodiversity in the Anthropocene'.
Fungal species are not immune to the threats facing animals and plants and are thus also prone to extinction. Yet, until 2015, fungi were nearly absent on the IUCN Red List. Recent efforts to ...identify fungal species under threat have significantly increased the number of published fungal assessments. The 597 species of fungi published in the 2022-1 IUCN Red List update (21 July 2022) are the basis for the first global review of the extinction risk of fungi and the threats they face. Nearly 50% of the assessed species are threatened, with 10% NT and 9% DD. For regions with a larger number of assessments (i.e., Europe, North America, and South America), subanalyses are provided. Data for lichenized and nonlichenized fungi are also summarized separately. Habitat loss/degradation followed by climate change, invasive species, and pollution are the primary identified threats. Bias in the data is discussed along with knowledge gaps. Suggested actions to address these gaps are provided along with a discussion of the use of assessments to facilitate on-the-ground conservation efforts. A research agenda for conservation mycology to assist in the assessment process and implementation of effective species/habitat management is presented.
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