Biodiversity Inventory Research Articles

Structure of the Botanical Diversity of the Utrish–Tuapse Variant of the Crimean-Novorossiysk Orobiom

A regional assessment of the Crimean-Novorossiysk orobiome, which is considered a reference unit for the inventory and analysis of mountainous biodiversity, is based on the concept of ecosystem diversity. The altitudinal zonal structure of the vegetation cover is studied on the example of the Utrish–Tuapse geographic variant of the orobiome associated with the northwestern Caucasus, in accordance with which the spatial differentiation of flora and plant communities is formed. A quantitative substantiation of the biota and abiotic parameters characterizing the botanical and geographical uniqueness of the orobiome is given. The spectrum of altitudinal zonality of vegetation is determined, a quantitative assessment of floristic diversity by zones is given, and some features of the spatial structure of the diversity of communities in the mountainous area are shown.

Identification of Megaselia (Diptera: Phoridae) species using wing vein landmarking

ABSTRACT A semi-automated identification system using wing venation is described for the large, taxonomically challenging genus Megaselia Rondani (Diptera: Phoridae). Wing photographs make two-dimensional images that can be landmarked and analysed to produce transformed (standardised) x–y coordinates, and are well suited for a semi-automated approach. We landmarked wing photographs of individuals of 108 specimens of Megaselia from the ZADBI (Zurqui All Diptera Biodiversity Inventory) project, as well as 262 specimens of Megaselia from the Los Angeles based BioSCAN (Biodiversity Science: City and Nature) project and ran them against libraries of one specimen of each species of the fauna from each site, respectively. Accuracy was about 52–67% for the first identification, with 86–95% of correct identifications in the top 5 candidates list. Expanding the library to include all identified specimens raised the likelihood that the first identification was correct to 93–96% of specimens, with 97–98% correct identifications in the top 5 list. Incorporating major body colour (dark brown vs yellowish) in the identification system increased accuracy to 100% for the ZADBI specimens; other, easily seen characters were used for problematic LA specimens. We suggest that a wing photograph be included in all Megaselia species descriptions to allow this semi-automation of identification based on morphology, and further that this system could provide a bridge to DNA-based species descriptions from old holotypes in collections.

Evaluation of sampling techniques and influence of environmental variables on ants in forest fragments in an oil extraction area in the Amazon

Around the world, urban landscapes are environments modified by man, generally related to low diversity. The efficiency of a biodiversity inventory is linked to the choice of the sampling technique since the taxonomic and ecological responses of the taxons vary between methods. Here we investigate differences in the ant’s composition sampled using three different techniques in two fragments of the urban forest in the Brazilian Amazon. We also assessed whether the different techniques maintained the same ecological responses. We sampled 12 collection points at each fragment, at vegetation, and manual collection and Winkler extractor on the ground. At the same points, soil samples were collected to determine their granulometry, pH, and concentrations of organic matter, sodium, phosphorus, and potassium. We collected 115 taxa and 4720 ants. The Cururu was the richest site with more species in general, as well as in the techniques of manual collection and Winkler. We detected a complementary effect on sampling techniques, which collected different ants’ assemblages. The potassium concentration positively influenced the assemblage’s composition, but its effect varies according to the sampling techniques used. The studied fragments revealed diversity very similar to those registered in continuous Amazonian forests. The use of sampling techniques together improves the representation of the diversity of ants in the studied fragments. Edaphic environmental variables seem to have a predominant effect on ants, affecting their distribution in the landscape even in urban fragments. This highlights the importance of urban forest fragments and their inherent ecological processes.

Development of Protocols and Tools to Manage and Archive Data from Aquatic Biodiversity Surveys

Traditionally the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB 2020) has focused on discovering and publishing taxonomic knowledge of fishes. Continuing work now encompasses a broader taxonomic range, and over the last decade, research in ecology, conservation biology and natural resource management has become more important. The objective of this case study was to elicit the data management requirements of researchers conducting aquatic biodiversity field surveys (or biodiversity inventories, in the broadest sense of the term, including opportunistic sampling). These requirements were used to develop a prototype solution for research data management (data curation and archiving), supported by various tools, templates and protocols. An important motivation was to publish records standardised according to the Darwin Core Event Class (GBIF 2020a). This would enable analysts to infer species absences, a requirement to develop occupancy models. The scope of the case study included: underwater photographic surveys (using baited remote underwater systems, or BRUVs, as well as video and still photography using a remotely-operated vehicle, and scuba-enabled still photography using a tripod-mounted camera); underwater acoustic telemetry surveys; collection of specimens of fish and fish larvae, invertebrates and amphibians (including opportunistic collecting as well as systematic sampling). underwater photographic surveys (using baited remote underwater systems, or BRUVs, as well as video and still photography using a remotely-operated vehicle, and scuba-enabled still photography using a tripod-mounted camera); underwater acoustic telemetry surveys; collection of specimens of fish and fish larvae, invertebrates and amphibians (including opportunistic collecting as well as systematic sampling). An important part of the case study was to test the degree to which the schema and applications of the Specify suite of software (Specify 2020) could be reused to manage data in which the Darwin Core Event class is as important as the Darwin Core Occurrence class GBIF 2020b. Preliminary findings indicate that this software suite is potentially useful to curate and archive data from these kinds of biodiversity surveys in the described context. In this presentation I will discuss my experience in developing a prototype solution to manage and archive data from biodiversity surveys, specifically to publish data standardised according to the Darwin Core Event class.

Caveats of fungal barcoding: a case study in Trametes s.lat. (Basidiomycota: Polyporales) in Vietnam reveals multiple issues with mislabelled reference sequences and calls for third-party annotations

DNA barcoding using the nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) has become prevalent in surveys of fungal diversity. This approach is, however, associated with numerous caveats, including the desire for speed, rather than accuracy, through the use of automated analytical pipelines, and the shortcomings of reference sequence repositories. Here we use the case of a specimen of the bracket fungus Trametes s.lat. (which includes the common and widespread turkey tail, T. versicolor) to illustrate these problems. The material was collected in Vietnam as part of a biodiversity inventory including DNA barcoding approaches for arthropods, plants and fungi. The ITS barcoding sequence of the query taxon was compared against reference sequences in GenBank and the curated fungal ITS database UNITE, using BLASTn and MegaBLAST, and was subsequently analysed in a multiple alignment-based phylogenetic context through a maximum likelihood tree including related sequences. Our results initially indicated issues with BLAST searches, including the use of pairwise local alignments and sorting through Total score and E value, rather than Percentage identity, as major shortcomings of the DNA barcoding approach. However, after thorough analysis of the results, we concluded that the single most important problem of this approach was incorrect sequence labelling, calling for the implementation of third-party annotations or analogous approaches in primary sequence repositories. In addition, this particular example revealed problems of improper fungal nomenclature, which required reinstatement of the genus name Cubamyces (= Leiotrametes), with three new combinations: C. flavidus, C. lactineus and C. menziesii. The latter was revealed as the correct identification of the query taxon, although the name did not appear among the best BLAST hits. While the best BLAST hits did correspond to the target taxon in terms of sequence data, their label names were misleading or unresolved, including [Fungal endophyte], [Uncultured fungus], Basidiomycota, Trametes cf. cubensis, Lenzites elegans and Geotrichum candidum (an unrelated ascomycetous contaminant). Our study demonstrates that accurate identification of fungi through molecular barcoding is currently not a fast-track approach that can be achieved through automated pipelines.Citation: Lucking R., Truong B. V., Huong D. T. T., Le N. H., Nguyen Q. D., Nguyen V. D., Raab-Straube E. von, Bollendorff S., Govers K. & Di Vincenzo V. 2020: Caveats of fungal barcoding: a case study in Trametes s.lat. (Basidiomycota: Polyporales) in Vietnam reveals multiple issues with mislabelled reference sequences and calls for third-party annotations. – Willdenowia 50: 383–403. doi: https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.50.50302Version of record first published online on 15 September 2020 ahead of inclusion in December 2020 issue.

An amplicon sequencing protocol for attacker identification from DNA traces left on artificial prey

Abstract Clay model studies are a popular tool to identify predator–prey interactions that are challenging to observe directly in the field. But despite its wide use, the method's applicability is limited by its low taxonomic resolution. Attack marks on clay models are usually identified visually, which only allows classification into higher taxonomic levels of predators. Thus, the method is often biased, lacks proof and, above all, standardization. Here, we tested whether precise identification of attackers can be provided by amplification and sequencing of mitochondrial DNA left in bite marks on clay models. We validated our approach in a controlled laboratory study as well as in a field experiment using clay models of a common European amphibian, the European fire salamander Salamandra salamandra. DNA‐based taxonomic assignments were additionally compared to visual assessments of bite marks. We show that trace DNA of attackers can be routinely isolated and sequenced from bite marks, providing accurate species‐level classification. In contrast, visual identification alone yielded a high number of unassigned predator taxa. We also highlight the sensitivity of the method and show likely sources of contamination as well as probable cases of secondary and indirect predation. Our standardized approach for species‐level attacker identification opens up new possibilities far beyond the standard use of clay models to date, including food web studies at unprecedented detail, invasive species monitoring as well as biodiversity inventories.

New species of Anthurium Schott (Araceae) from the Kõkõi Eujã Natural Traditional Reserve of the Pacific coast, Cauca Department, Colombia.

The Kõkõi Eujã Natural Traditional Reserve was created in 2019 to protect the golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis Myers, Daly & Malkin, 1978) in the Cauca Department of Colombia. As part of the biodiversity inventory of the reserve a new species of Anthurium with scandent habit was discovered. The new species is endemic to Colombia and it is more similar to A. caldodsonii Croat, A. boekei Croat, and A. scandens (Aubl.) Engl., but differs by having widely lanceolate leaves with acuminate apex, cuneate base, and acrodromous venation with three pairs of basal veins.

Additions to the "Martian Flora": new botanical records from the Mars Desert Research Station, Utah.

The Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) is a Mars-simulation campus set in a Martian planetary analogue in southern Utah. Despite a long history of astrobiology research, collections-based taxonomic inventories of the macro-level biodiversity around the station are relatively new. This study serves to add to the initial vascular plant list published for the station in 2016, where 39 species were recorded for MDRS. Here we report 40 new species, two new taxa recorded only to genus and two species re-identified from our 2016 fieldwork, bringing the total number of taxa in the "Martian" flora to 79 species and two taxa recorded to genus.

The awakening of invertebrates: The daily dynamics of fishes and mobile invertebrates at Rapa Nui's multiple use marine protected area

Abstract On shallow reefs, day‐night activity patterns between fishes and invertebrates are presumed to reflect trade‐offs between feeding and predation; however, quantitative data on daily community dynamics are scarce. Moreover, night surveys may contribute important information for biodiversity inventories or baselines that normally are not considered. This study used standardized day–night visual surveys of fishes and mobile invertebrates on the same transect lines in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and investigated how diel patterns vary between taxonomic and trophic groups. Distinct differences between taxonomic groups were observed, with fishes being more abundant during the day (>twice), whilst invertebrate abundance and richness showed an opposite trend with higher numbers at night (>three times). Analysis of trophic groups showed that herbivorous and planktivorous fishes were more abundant during the day. Carnivorous fishes did not show any trends. Top predators (Apex) were observed only at very low abundances. However, a replacement amongst carnivorous fish species between day and night was found, where labridae fishes were practically absent during nights. Most of the mobile invertebrates remained concealed during the day, probably due to the influence of predation risk (labrid fishes). The results emphasize the need for consideration of nocturnally active invertebrates in biodiversity inventories or baselines of reefs, which focus heavily only on diurnal surveys. Day–night reef surveys should be included in marine protected area planning and monitoring as this provides a better understanding of shallow benthic communities and helps inform proper management decisions.

Advancing biodiversity assessments with environmental DNA: Long-read technologies help reveal the drivers of Amazonian fungal diversity.

Fungi are a key component of tropical biodiversity. However, due to their inconspicuous and largely subterranean nature, they are usually neglected in biodiversity inventories. The goal of this study was to identify the key determinants of fungal richness, community composition, and turnover in tropical rainforests. We tested specifically for the effect of soil properties, habitat, and locality in Amazonia. For these analyses, we used high‐throughput sequencing data of short and long reads of fungal DNA present in soil and organic litter samples, combining existing and novel genomic data. Habitat type (phytophysiognomy) emerges as the strongest factor explaining fungal community composition. Naturally open areas—campinas—are the richest habitat overall. Soil properties have different effects depending on the soil layer (litter or mineral soil) and the choice of genetic marker. We suggest that campinas could be a neglected hotspot of fungal diversity. An underlying cause for their rich diversity may be the overall low soil fertility, which increases the reliance on biotic interactions essential for nutrient absorption in these environments, notably ectomycorrhizal fungi–plant associations. Our results highlight the advantages of using both short and long DNA reads produced through high‐throughput sequencing to characterize fungal diversity. While short reads can suffice for diversity and community comparison, long reads add taxonomic precision and have the potential to reveal population diversity.

Pyrophilous fungi detected after wildfires in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park expand known species ranges and biodiversity estimates

ABSTRACT Following a late fall wildfire in 2016 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, pyrophilous fungi in burn zones were documented over a 2-y period with respect to burn severity and phenology. Nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) barcodes were obtained to confirm morphological evaluations. Forty-one taxa of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were identified from burn sites and categorized as fruiting only in response to fire or fruiting enhanced by fire. Twenty-two species of Pezizales (Ascomycota) were among the earliest to form ascomata in severe burn zones, only one of which had previously been documented in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Nineteen species of Basidiomycota, primarily Agaricales, were also documented. Among these, only five species (Coprinellus angulatus, Gymnopilus decipiens, Lyophyllum anthracophilum, Pholiota carbonicola, and Psathyrella pennata) were considered to be obligate pyrophilous taxa, but fruiting of two additional taxa (Hygrocybe conica and Mycena galericulata) was clearly enhanced by fire. Laccaria trichodermophora was an early colonizer of severe burn sites and persisted through the winter of 2017 and into spring and summer of 2018, often appearing in close association with Pinus pungens seedlings. Fruiting of pyrophilous fungi peaked 4–6 mo post fire then diminished, but some continued to fruit up to 2.5 y after the fire. In all, a total of 27 previously unrecorded taxa were added to the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) database (~0.9%). Most pyrophilous fungi identified in this study are either cosmopolitan or have a Northern Hemisphere distribution, but cryptic endemic lineages were detected in Anthracobia and Sphaerosporella. One new combination, Hygrocybe spadicea var. spadicea f. odora, is proposed.

Inventory statistics meet big data: complications for estimating numbers of species

We point out complications inherent in biodiversity inventory metrics when applied to large-scale datasets. The number of units of inventory effort (e.g., days of inventory effort) in which a species is detected saturates, such that crucial numbers of detections of rare species approach zero. Any rare errors can then come to dominate species richness estimates, creating upward biases in estimates of species numbers. We document the problem via simulations of sampling from virtual biotas, illustrate its potential using a large empirical dataset (bird records from Cape May, NJ, USA), and outline the circumstances under which these problems may be expected to emerge.

An Assessment of Environmental Metabarcoding Protocols Aiming at Favoring Contemporary Biodiversity in Inventories of Deep-Sea Communities

The abyssal seafloor covers more than 50% of planet Earth and is a large reservoir of still mostly undescribed biodiversity. It is increasingly targeted by resource-extraction industries and yet is drastically understudied. In such remote and hard-to-access ecosystems, environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a useful and efficient tool for studying biodiversity and implementing environmental impact assessments. Yet, eDNA analysis outcomes may be biased toward describing past rather than present communities as sediments contain both contemporary and ancient DNA. Using commercially available kits, we investigated the impacts of five molecular processing methods on eDNA metabarcoding biodiversity inventories targeting prokaryotes (16S), unicellular eukaryotes (18S-V4), and metazoans (18S-V1, COI). As the size distribution of ancient DNA is skewed toward small fragments, we evaluated the effect of removingshort DNA fragments via size selection and ethanol reconcentration using eDNA extracted from 10 g of sediment at five deep-sea sites. We also compare communities revealed by eDNA and environmental RNA (eRNA) co-extracted from ∼2 g of sedimen at the same sites. Results show that removing short DNA fragments does not affect alpha and beta diversity estimates in any of the biological compartments investigated. Results also confirm doubts regarding the possibility to better describe live communities using eRNA. With ribosomal loci, eRNA, while resolving similar spatial patterns than co-extracted eDNA, resulted in significantly higher richness estimates, supporting hypotheses of increased persistence of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in the environment and unmeasured bias due to overabundance of rRNA and RNA release. With the mitochondrial locus, eRNA detected lower metazoan richness and resolved fewer spatial patterns than co-extracted eDNA, reflecting high messenger RNA lability. Results also highlight the importance of using large amounts of sediment (≥10 g) for accurately surveying eukaryotic diversity. We conclude that eDNA should be favored over eRNA for logistically realistic, repeatable, and reliable surveys and confirm that large sediment samples (≥10 g) deliver more complete and accurate assessments of benthic eukaryotic biodiversity and that increasing the number of biological rather than technical replicates is important to infer robust ecological patterns.

Study on Urban Trees in Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Nigeria: 1. Structure and Composition

An inventory of tree biodiversity was carried in Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, which is an institution where ecological and economic roles of trees are disseminated. The study involved the use of a stratified sampling technique to carry out a survey of trees species in the University. The campus was divided into four strata - Road side (A), Car parks (B), Office area (C), Student halls/ religion area (D) - and each stratum was further sub-divided into sub-strata. All the trees within each sub-stratum were identified to species level with their scientific, local and family names and they were counted and recorded. The relative frequency, relative density and relative abundance of the identified species were determined. Similarities indices and indices of diversity were determined on the tree species sampled among the strata. The results obtained revealed that a total of 27 tree species, belonging to 17 families were sampled in the campus. The family Caesalpiniaceae has the highest number of species. Some of the identified tree species were found in multiple and dual strata while some occurred in only one stratum. A total of 838 tree individuals were obtained. The most frequently occurring species were T. grandis, G. arborea and P. longifolia with 298, 181 and 149 individuals respectively. The indices of similarities among the strata were low. However Strata A and B as well as A and C appeared to be similar in tree composition. Strategies that would improve and maintain tree composition in the University campus were proposed

Drawn out of the shadows: Surveying secretive forest species with camera trap distance sampling

Abstract With animal species disappearing at unprecedented rates, we need an efficient monitoring method providing reliable estimates of population density and abundance, critical for the assessment of population status and trend. We deployed 160 camera traps (CTs) systematically over 743 locations covering 17,127 km2 of evergreen lowland rainforest of Salonga National Park, block South, Democratic Republic of the Congo. We evaluated the applicability of CT distance sampling (CTDS) to species different in size and behaviour. To improve precision of estimates, we evaluated two methods estimating species' availability (‘A’) for detection by CTs. We recorded 16,700 video clips, revealing 43 different animal taxa. We estimated densities of 14 species differing in physical, behavioural and ecological traits, and extracted species‐specific availability from available video footage using two methods (a) ‘ACa’ (Cappelle et al. [2019] Am. J. Primatol., 81, e22962) and (b) ‘ARo’ (Rowcliffe et al. [2014] Methods Ecol. Evol. 5, 1170). With sample sizes being large enough, we found minor differences between ACa and ARo in estimated densities. In contrast, low detectability and reactivity to the camera were main sources of bias. CTDS proved efficient for estimating density of homogenously rather than patchily distributed species. Synthesis and applications. Our application of camera trap distance sampling (CTDS) to a diverse vertebrate community demonstrates the enormous potential of this methodology for surveys of terrestrial wildlife, allowing rapid assessments of species' status and trends that can translate into effective conservation strategies. By providing the first estimates of understudied species such as the Congo peafowl, the giant ground pangolin and the cusimanses, CTDS may be used as a tool to revise these species' conservation status in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Based on the constraints we encountered, we identify improvements to the current application, enhancing the general applicability of this method.

Transdisciplinary Bioblitz: Rapid biotic and abiotic inventory allows studying environmental changes over 60 years at the Biological Field Station of Paimpont (Brittany, France) and opens new interdisciplinary research opportunities.

BackgroundThe Biological Field Station of Paimpont (Station Biologique de Paimpont, SBP), owned by the University of Rennes and located in the Brocéliande Forest of Brittany (France), has been hosting student scientific research and field trips during the last 60 years. The study area of the SBP is a landscape mosaic of 17 ha composed of gorse moors, forests, prairies, ponds and creeks. Land use has evolved over time. Historical surveys by students and researchers focused on insects and birds. With this study, we aimed to increase the range of taxa observations, document changes in species composition and landscape and provide a basis for interdisciplinary research perspectives. We gathered historical data, implemented an all-taxon biodiversity inventory (ATBI) in different habitats of the SBP study area, measured abiotic factors in the air, water and soil and performed a photographical landscape observation during the BioBlitz held in July 2017.New informationDuring the 24 h BioBlitz, organised by the SBP and the EcoBio lab from the University of Rennes and the French National Center of Scientific Research (CNRS), different habitats were individually sampled. Seventy-seven experts, accompanied by 120 citizens and 12 young people participating in the European Volunteer Service, observed, identified and databased 660 species covering 5 kingdoms, 8 phyla, 21 classes, 90 orders and 247 families. In total, there were 1819 occurrences including records identified to higher taxon ranks, thereby adding one more kingdom and four more phyla. Historical data collection resulted in 1176 species and 4270 occurrences databased. We also recorded 13 climatic parameters, 10 soil parameters and 18 water parameters during the BioBlitz. Current habitats were mapped and socio-ecological landscape changes were assessed with a diachronic approach using 32 historical photographs and historical maps. The coupling of historical biodiversity data with new biotic and abiotic data and a photographic comparison of landscape changes allows an integrative understanding of how the SBP changed from agriculturally-used land to a managed natural area within the last 60 years. Hence, this BioBlitz represents an important holistic sampling of biodiversity for studies on trophic webs or on trophic interactions or on very diverse, but connected, habitats. The integration of social, biotic and abiotic data opens innovative research opportunities on the evolution of socio-ecosystems and landscapes.

A reference DNA barcode library for Austrian amphibians and reptiles.

In the last few years, DNA barcoding became an established method for species identification in biodiversity inventories and monitoring studies. Such studies depend on the access to a comprehensive reference data base, covering all relevant taxa. Here we present a comprehensive DNA barcode inventory of all amphibian and reptile species native to Austria, except for the putatively extinct Vipera ursinii rakosiensis and Lissotriton helveticus, which has been only recently reported for the very western edge of Austria. A total of 194 DNA barcodes were generated in the framework of the Austrian Barcode of Life (ABOL) initiative. Species identification via DNA barcodes was successful for most species, except for the hybridogenetic species complex of water frogs (Pelophylax spp.) and the crested newts (Triturus spp.), in areas of sympatry. However, DNA barcoding also proved powerful in detecting deep conspecific lineages, e.g. within Natrix natrix or the wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), resulting in more than one Barcode Index Number (BIN) per species. Moreover, DNA barcodes revealed the presence of Natrix helvetica, which has been elevated to species level only recently, and genetic signatures of the Italian water frog Pelophylax bergeri in Western Austria for the first time. Comparison to previously published DNA barcoding data of European amphibians and reptiles corroborated the results of the Austrian data but also revealed certain peculiarities, underlining the particular strengths and in the case of the genus Pelophylax also the limitations of DNA barcoding. Consequently, DNA barcoding is not only powerful for species identification of all life stages of most Austrian amphibian and reptile species, but also for the detection of new species, the monitoring of gene flow or the presence of alien populations and/or species. Thus, DNA barcoding and the data generated in this study may serve both scientific and national or even transnational conservation purposes.

Completing Linnaeus's inventory of the Swedish insect fauna: Only 5,000 species left?

Despite more than 250 years of taxonomic research, we still have only a vague idea about the true size and composition of the faunas and floras of the planet. Many biodiversity inventories provide limited insight because they focus on a small taxonomic subsample or a tiny geographic area. Here, we report on the size and composition of the Swedish insect fauna, thought to represent roughly half of the diversity of multicellular life in one of the largest European countries. Our results are based on more than a decade of data from the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative and its massive inventory of the country's insect fauna, the Swedish Malaise Trap Project The fauna is considered one of the best known in the world, but the initiative has nevertheless revealed a surprising amount of hidden diversity: more than 3,000 new species (301 new to science) have been documented so far. Here, we use three independent methods to analyze the true size and composition of the fauna at the family or subfamily level: (1) assessments by experts who have been working on the most poorly known groups in the fauna; (2) estimates based on the proportion of new species discovered in the Malaise trap inventory; and (3) extrapolations based on species abundance and incidence data from the inventory. For the last method, we develop a new estimator, the combined non-parametric estimator, which we show is less sensitive to poor coverage of the species pool than other popular estimators. The three methods converge on similar estimates of the size and composition of the fauna, suggesting that it comprises around 33,000 species. Of those, 8,600 (26%) were unknown at the start of the inventory and 5,000 (15%) still await discovery. We analyze the taxonomic and ecological composition of the estimated fauna, and show that most of the new species belong to Hymenoptera and Diptera groups that are decomposers or parasitoids. Thus, current knowledge of the Swedish insect fauna is strongly biased taxonomically and ecologically, and we show that similar but even stronger biases have distorted our understanding of the fauna in the past. We analyze latitudinal gradients in the size and composition of known European insect faunas and show that several of the patterns contradict the Swedish data, presumably due to similar knowledge biases. Addressing these biases is critical in understanding insect biomes and the ecosystem services they provide. Our results emphasize the need to broaden the taxonomic scope of current insect monitoring efforts, a task that is all the more urgent as recent studies indicate a possible worldwide decline in insect faunas.

Bats in Three Protected Areas of The Central Amazon Ecological Corridor in Brazil

Bats have the second highest mammalian species richness globally, and account for about half of the mammal species diversity in tropical forests. In the Neotropical region, Brazil is the second most bat species-rich country, and the Brazilian Amazonia harbours most of the Brazilian bat diversity. However, many areas of the Amazon have sampling gaps in biodiversity inventories, and this is the situation of most Protected Areas (PAs) of the Central Amazon Ecological Corridor (CAEC) of Brazil. In the CAEC, there are PAs that are relatively intact, globally relevant for biodiversity, having high priority for conservation at the regional scale, but are greatly deficient in faunal inventories. In this sense, species inventories are the first step to consolidate management plans for PAs, as well as the conservation of the species occurring there. Thus, in this study we survey the bat assemblages in three PAs in the CAEC of Brazil: Jutai River Extractive Reserve (JRER), Jutai-Solimoes Ecological Station (JSES) and Auati-Parana Extractive Reserve (APER). In addition, we compared the bat diversity of these three areas with a compilation of data from 44 localities in the Amazon biome in two different biogeographic contexts. The first involves three geographic regions separated by large Amazonian rivers (Eastern Amazonia, Western Amazonia and the Guiana Shield) and the second based on three biogeographic dominions (Boreal Brazilian, Southeastern Amazonia and South Brazilian). We recorded 36 species at JRER in ten nights of sampling, 33 species at JSES in nine nights, and 55 species at APER in 17 nights. Of the total number of species, 20 were captured exclusively at APER, seven at JSES and only four at JRER, with 21 species being common to the three PAs. One species (Artibeus bogotensis) was recorded for the first time in Brazil. In a biogeographic context, species composition differed among biogeographic regions. This suggests that when designing strategies of conservation to protect the rich diversity of the large-scale bat fauna of the Amazon, considering the location of PAs, as well as the biogeographic regions is key. Although there have been major efforts in Brazil to identify priority conservation areas, for most priority areas of Amazon, bat surveys have not been performed, highlighting the urgent need for further studies.

«Vakalivsky slopes» - projected local nature reserve in Sumy region

The article presents the scientific substantiation of the ravine complex near the Vakalivshchyna village (Sumy district of Sumy region) as a landscape reserve of local significance "Vakalivsky slopes" and the nature protection regime of this territory is proposed. According to the public Ukrainian cadastral map the territories of the projected landscape reserve are listed as reserve lands. The area of the projected reserve "Vakalivsky slopes" is 52.37 hectares. The studies of biodiversity were conducted from 2014 to 2020. The route-field method was used to study flora and lichen biota as well standard entomological methods were used to study entomofauna. The inventory of floristic biodiversity showed the presence of 128 species of higher vascular plants. Four species from that list are regionally rare (Campanula persisifolia L., Muscari neglectum Guss. Ex Ten., Ranunculus illyricus L., Jurinea arachnoidea Bunge.) and one species (Adonis vernalis L.) is presented in the Red Book of Ukraine and the International List of Nature Conservation.Rare lichen species Sarcosagium campestre (Fr.) Poetsch & Schied and Peltigera didactyla (With.) J. R. Laundon were found on the territory of the designated reserve. The latter one is a candidate for the Red List of the Sumy region. The habitats in which these lichen species grow need to be preserved. As a result of entomological research, six insects species are registered in the Red Book of Ukraine (Papilio machaon (L.), Iphiclides podalirius (L.), Parnassius mnemosyne (L.), Zerynthia polyxena (Den. & Schiff), Aglia tau ( L.), Catocala fraxini (L.)) and twenty insects species are included in the list of regionally rare species. To ensure the effective conservation of biodiversity and natural complexes of this area, a nature protection regime of its territory has been developed in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine".Ravive system with meadow-steppe phytocoenosis has a special environmental, scientific, aesthetic and educational significance. A promising protected area should be created in order to preserve landscape and biological diversity, the gene pool of fauna and flora, maintain the overall ecological balance in the region and ensuremonitoring of the environment.