Number Of Species Research Articles

Cities in nature.

More than half of the world's population live in cities, and they have benefitted from the ecosystem services provided by urban biodiversity. International conventions like the Convention on Biological Diversity have provided recommendations on how to engage local governments and cities in the implementation of their strategic plans. In parallel, recognizing this, cities conserve, restore and enhance biodiversity in many practical ways. A list of general strategies adopted by cities is presented. The rich and diverse experiences of eleven cities, i.e. Abu Dhabi, Auckland, Durban, Edinburgh, Edmonton, Hyderabad, Los Angeles, São Paulo, Singapore, Toluca and Vitoria-Gasteiz, which have successfully conserved biodiversity in urbanized landscape across the globe, are shared. These cities have all applied the Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity as an evaluation and monitoring tool for biodiversity conservation efforts, in addition to using it innovatively for other purposes. Cities can play a pivotal role in ensuring that Target 12 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will be achieved. Upscaling cities' models of success would require a worldwide concerted effort involving everyone, i.e. all levels of stakeholders. Mainstreaming of biodiversity into all sectors, including commercial, economic, financial, industrial and technological, and the incorporation of biodiversity into decision-making in urban planning and management would be a game-changer. This article is part of the theme issue 'Bringing nature into decision-making'.

The loss of forest gaps, changes of vegetation and wild bee communities from 1975 to 2020 – increasing numbers of endangered wild bee species despite negative habitat trends in the Danube valley

This study investigated how structural changes of a historical traditionally used forest landscape in Central Europe have affected traits of vegetation and wild bee communities. We compared the extent of gaps in the forest using aerial photographs between 1945 and 2020. And we found historic vegetation and bee surveys from 1975 and 1990, which we repeated in 2010 and 2020. We characterised the vegetation of the closed forest, the forest gaps and the small-scale meadows adjacent to the forest as well as the wild bee community by traits and investigated trait changes with Kruskal-Wallis tests. By NMDS we characterised sample plots and transect walks of timepoints with traits and species. Area of forest gaps decreased by 88% from 1945 to 2020 and by 74% from 1975 to 2020. In the traits of vegetation, Ellenberg Indicator Values (EIV) for moisture and soil nutrients significantly increased in closed forest, forest gaps and meadows adjacent to forest. The EIVs for light and temperature, and the number of red list species decreased. The number of wild bee species that specialise in visiting flowers with long tubes and hylophilic species declined. The number of eremophilic species, species with longer phenologies, and recently Red list species increased. In the NMDS figure of forest gaps and of adjacent meadows, different species and traits characterised more recent and older sample plots of vegetation and confirm the results of the Kruskal Wallis tests. Wild bee communities of 2010 and 2020 were characterised by frequent species, while those of 1975 and 1990 were not characterised by any species. The traits characterised the wild bee communities of the older and younger transect walks in accordance with the results of the Kruskal Wallis tests. In addition, oligolectic bees characterised the older transect walks. The loss of forest gaps represents a direct loss of habitat for many plant and wild bee species. In addition, the qualitative changes in vegetation indicate a deterioration in habitat quality for plants of open forests and wild bees. Among wild bees, specialists were negatively affected by the changes described. These developments were reflected in the initial downward trend in Red List bee species. The increase in bee species with longer phenology, in eremophilic species, the decrease in hylophilic species, and the recent increase in red-listed species can indicate climate change. Therefore, this study underlines the importance of the preservation and development of ecologically valuable forest gaps, particularly in historical traditionally used forests with a typical species composition.

Contaminated Gibbs-Type Priors

Gibbs-type priors are combinatorial processes widely used as key components in several Bayesian nonparametric models. By virtue of their flexibility and mathematical tractability, they turn out to be predominant priors in species sampling problems and mixture modeling. We introduce a new family of processes which extends the Gibbs-type one, by including a contaminant component in the model to account for an excess of observations with frequency one. We first investigate the induced random partition, the associated predictive distribution, the asymptotic behavior of the total number of blocks and the number of blocks with a given frequency: all the results we obtain are in closed form and easily interpretable. A remarkable aspect of contaminated Gibbs-type priors relies on their predictive structure, compared to the one of the standard Gibbs-type family: it depends on the additional sampling information on the number of observations with frequency one out of the observed sample. As a noteworthy example we focus on the contaminated version of the Pitman-Yor process, which turns out to be analytically tractable and computationally feasible. Finally we pinpoint the advantage of our construction in different applications: we show how it helps to improve predictive inference in a species-related dataset exhibiting a high number of species with frequency one; we also discuss the use of the proposed construction in mixture models to perform density estimation and outlier detection.

Genome size data for eight endemic plant species from the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (Western Himalaya).

The Himalaya harbors a large number of plant endemics but information on their genome size is largely lacking. This study aims to fulfill this gap by reporting genome sizes for 8 endemic Himalayan plant species (Impatiens devendrae Pusalkar, Impatiens scabrida DC., Impatiens sulcata Wall., Geranium robertianum L., Geranium wallichianum D.Don ex Sweet, Thalictrum cultratum Wall., Thalictrum elegans Wall. ex Royle, Thalictrum foliolosum DC.) from the Western Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. The study involved collecting leaf tissues from each of the 8 plant species, chopping, staining and estimating nuclear DNA content using CyFlow Cube 8 flow cytometer with 532 nm laser light source and an orange-red fluorescence emission (>590 nm). The CyFlow Cube 13 programme was utilised to obtain the median fluorescence value from PI-stained G0/G1 (quiescent phase/first growth phase) nuclei, devoid of cellular debris. The DNA 2C value of each sample was then estimated by comparing the median fluorescence intensity values of both sample and standard (Solanum lycopersicum L.) using the standard scientific formula. The highest DNA 2C-values were observed in Geranium, which ranged from 5.29 ± 0.02 pg to 2.49 ± 0.02 pg. The genome size of Impatiens species varied from 1.49 ± 0.08 pg to 3.14 ± 0.04 pg while the three species of genus Thalictrum had nearly similar genome sizes varying between 1.53 ± 0.01 pg to 1.96 ± 0.06 pg. The coefficient of variation among nuclei varied from 3.52 % to 5.38 % with 103 to 1811 numbers of stained nuclei. The results and framework presented in the current study can serve as a template for future studies that attempt to estimate the genome sizes of endemic plant species in the Himalaya, a global biodiversity epicentre and one of the least studied biodiversity hotspots of the world.

Diversity, utility and communities of weed in wheat of Nowshera, Pakistan

Weeds are disregarded for their competitive nature and difficulties during harvesting and threshing. Categorizing them by economic use classes enables effective management. Weed ecological studies in wheat crop fields were conducted to evaluate the floristic diversity, ecological characteristics, community structures and economic uses of weeds in District Nowshera, Pakistan. Different wheat crop fields were surveyed for the collection and identification of plant species growing as weed. Total 50 plant species from 47 genera and 20 families were recorded in the study area. Asteraceae had the highest number of species (10), followed by Poaceae (9). Therophytes were more with 42 species, followed by geophytes and Hemicryptophytes each with 3 species. Most species had mesophyllous leaf size (15), while nanophyllous (12) and microphyllous (11). Simple leaves were more common (28) than dissected leaves (22). Nonspiny species were (44) while only 6 had spines. Maximum plant species were fodder (35) and medicinal (10). In the study, four distinct weed communities were identified using quadrate method i.e. Cynodon-Anagallis-Melilotus, Arenaria-Anagallis-Cannabis, Cynodon-Parthenium-Coronopus and Rumex-Arenaria-Oxalis. These findings provide a valuable starting point for future in-depth investigations on the entire flora and vegetation of Nowshera, Pakistan.

Interspecific grafting of Pinus patula

Objective: To evaluate the compatibility of Pinus patula grafts on rootstocks of seven pine species. Design/Methodology/Approach: P. patula scions were grafted on P. greggii, P. teocote, P. pseudostrobus, P. cembroides, P. ayacahuite, P. hartwegii, and P. patula rootstocks. The seven treatments were established in a randomized complete four block design; survival and growth were evaluated and recorded during the experiment. Results: At eight months, P. patula and P. teocote rootstocks recorded the highest survival rate (35%), while no P. cembroides graft survived. . Study Limitations/Implications: The rootstocks of P. cembroides, P. hartwegii, and P. ayacahuite were not compatible with P. patula grafting. This situation reduces the number of potential species that can be used to clone P. patula genotypes.Finding/Conclusions: The survival and graft growth were more successful on rootstocks of species phylogenetically closer to P. patula.

A scoping review on the use of traditional medicine and oral health in Africa.

This review aimed to chart the landscape of literature concerning the precise applications of traditional medicine in managing specific oral diseases and, in doing so, to pinpoint knowledge gaps surrounding the use of traditional medicine for oral disease management in the African context. A systematic search of the literature was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL. The search was conducted from the inception of the database till September 2023. A search of related citations and references was also carried out. Only English language publications were included. A summary of studies that met the inclusion criteria was conducted. Of the 584 records identified, 11 were duplicates and 12 studies, published between 2006 and 2021, met the inclusion criteria. The studies were published from eight countries located in the five sub-regions on the continent. All the studies were either experimental designs or ethnobotanical surveys and they all utilized plant-based remedies. The five experimental studies aimed to assess the impact of whole plants or plant extracts on the three microorganisms responsible for dental caries and seven responsible for periodontal diseases. The number of plant species identified by the seven ethnobotanical surveys ranged from 29 to 62 while the number of plan families ranged from 15 to 29. The remedies were either topical applied, use as mouth rinses, gargled, or chewed. The systemic routes of administration identified were inhalation and drinking. The remedies were used for the treatment of hard such as dental caries and tooth sensitivity, to soft tissue lesions such as mouth ulcers, gingival bleeding, and mouth thrush. Other oral disorders managed include halitosis, jaw fracture, and oral cancer. Given the increasing prevalence of oral diseases within the region, the shortage of oral healthcare professionals and limited access to financial resources, it becomes imperative to support the generation of empirical evidence to enhance the provision of traditional medicine for oral healthcare in Africa.

First record of African Dusky Flycatcher on Robben Island

An African Dusky Flycatcher Muscicapa adusta was observed on 23 May 2024 on Robben Island, Table Bay, South Africa. This brings the total number of bird species recorded on Robben Island to 166; the number reported since 2000 is 135.

Spatio-Temporal Variation in Cyanobacteria and Epiphytic Algae of Thalassia testudinum in Two Localities of Southern Quintana Roo, Mexico

The leaves of Thalassia testudinum provide an ideal substrate for the establishment of small-sized algae with different morphologies that are abundant and diverse. There are few studies on epiphytism in Mexico, and most of them are floristic lists. The objective of this study was to analyze the taxonomic and morphofunctional composition of epiphytes in three climatic seasons, and their relationship with the phorophyte T. testudinum in two localities, El Uvero and Santa Rosa, in the south of Quintana Roo; three transects and fifteen quadrants were set in June and December (2014) and April (2015). A total of 84 epiphytic species were identified: 27 corresponded to Cyanobacteria, 10 to Phaeophyceae, 9 to Chlorophyta, and 38 to Rhodophyta. The highest specific richness was observed in Santa Rosa (73 species). The dry and summer rains seasons share a higher number of species compared to the winter rainy season. The crusty algae Hydrolithon farinosum was the dominant and most persistent species; in addition, filamentous algae presented great specific richness and coverage due to their morphology and reproductive strategies, which allowed them to successfully establish themselves on the phorophyte. This is related to the ecological succession of the epiphytes and seagrass phenology.

Alien plant species distribution in Romania: a nationwide survey following the implementation of the EU Regulation on Invasive Alien Species

Biological invasions pose an increasing risk to nature, social security and the economy, being ranked amongst the top five threats to biodiversity. Managing alien and invasive species is a priority for the European Union, as outlined in the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Alien plant species are acknowledged to impact the economy and biodiversity; thus, analysing the distribution of such species provides valuable inputs for the management and decision-making processes. The database presented in the current study is the first consolidated checklist of alien plant species that are present in Romania, both of European Union concern and of national interest. This database complements a prior published distribution, based only on records from literature, bringing new information regarding the occurrence of alien plants in Romania, as revealed by a nationwide field survey. We consider this database a valuable instrument for managing biological invasions at both national and regional levels, as it can be utilised in further research studies and in drafting management and action plans, assisting stakeholders in making informed decisions and implementing management actions. We present the results of the first nationwide survey of alien plant species in Romania, conducted between 2019 and 2022, in the framework of a national project coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests and the University of Bucharest. The present database complements and updates the database published by Sirbu et. al (2022), which included occurrence records published until 2019. The new database includes 98323 occurrence records for 396 alien plant species in 77 families, with most species belonging to the Asteraceae family. One alien plant species in our database, the black locust Robinia pseudoacacia L., had more than 10,000 occurrence records. The distribution database also includes information on newly-reported invasive alien plant species of European Union concern in Romania (i.e. the floating primrose-willow Ludwigia peploides (Kunth) P.H.Raven) and documents the presence of plants in 44 additional families compared to Sirbu et al. (2022). Each entry includes information on species taxonomy, location, year, person who recorded and identified the alien plant, geographical coordinates and taxon rank.

Dominance structure and constancy of spiders in the Indian Thar desert

BackgroundThe knowledge about the species of a habitat (both resident and transient/dominant and rare) is a vital step to plan the conservation measures. Being generalist predators, spiders help controlling the population of their prey and maintain ecosystem stability. This makes spiders excellent bio-indicators for assessing the impact of anthropogenic disturbance factors on natural ecosystems (De, Siliwal, Uniyal and Hussain in Trop. Ecol. 63: 1–7, 2021). The aim of this study was to assess the dominance structure and constancy of spiders in three different habitats (Sand dunes, Riparian and Rocky) of the Thar desert. Study was conducted from March 2017 to February 2019 covering all seasons.ResultsThe eudominant species in sand dunes and rocky desert belonged to the family Thomisidae. These species were Tmarus sp. 1 and Tmarus kotigeharus Tikader, 1963, respectively. There were two eudominants in Riparian habitat (Oecobius putus O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1876 and Menemerus bivittatus (Dufour, 1831)). Through the analysis of constancy of all the species in the Thar desert, it was revealed that three species were constant in all the three habitats. The number of accessory and accidental species was far higher than constant species in all the habitats.ConclusionsThe number of accessory and accidental spider species in all habitats was far higher than constants due to the unstability of spider population. Therefore, this study highlights the necessity for conservation of these habitats of the Thar desert.

Assessing the impact of preventative measures to limit the spread of Toxoplasma gondii in wild carnivores of Madagascar.

Novel multihost pathogens can threaten endangered wildlife species, as well as humans and domestic animals. The zoonotic protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is transmitted by members of Felidae and can infect a large number of animal species, including humans. This parasite can have significant health consequences for infected intermediate hosts and could further endanger wild carnivore populations of Madagascar. Building on an empirical characterization of the prevalence of the pathogen in local mammals, we used mathematical models of pathogen transmission in a multihost community to compare preventative measures that aim to limit the spread of this parasite in wild carnivores. Specifically, we examined the effect of hypothetical cat vaccination and population control campaigns on reducing the risk of infection by T. gondii in wild Eupleridae. Our model predicted that the prevalence of exposure to T. gondii in cats would be around 72% and that seroprevalence would reach 2% and 43% in rodents and wild carnivores, respectively. Reducing the rodent population in the landscape by half may only decrease the prevalence of T. gondii in carnivores by 10%. Similarly, cat vaccination and reducing the population of definitive hosts had limited impact on the prevalence of T. gondii in wild carnivorans of Madagascar. A significant reduction in prevalence would require extremely high vaccination, low turnover, or both in the cat population. Other potential control methods of T. gondii in endangered Eupleridae include targeted vaccination of wild animals but would require further investigation. Eliminating the threat entirely will be difficult because of the ubiquity of cats and the persistence of the parasite in the environment.

Projected future climatic forcing on the global distribution of vegetation types.

Most emissions scenarios suggest temperature and precipitation regimes will change dramatically across the globe over the next 500 years. These changes will have large impacts on the biosphere, with species forced to migrate to follow their preferred environmental conditions, therefore moving and fragmenting ecosystems. However, most projections of the impacts of climate change only reach 2100, limiting our understanding of the temporal scope of climate impacts, and potentially impeding suitable adaptive action. To address this data gap, we model future climate change every 20 years from 2000 to 2500 CE, under different CO2 emissions scenarios, using a general circulation model. We then apply a biome model to these modelled climate futures, to investigate shifts in climatic forcing on vegetation worldwide, the feasibility of the migration required to enact these modelled vegetation changes, and potential overlap with human land use based on modern-day anthromes. Under a business-as-usual scenario, up to 40% of terrestrial area is expected to be suited to a different biome by 2500. Cold-adapted biomes, particularly boreal forest and dry tundra, are predicted to experience the greatest losses of suitable area. Without mitigation, these changes could have severe consequences both for global biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. This article is part of the theme issue 'Ecological novelty and planetary stewardship: biodiversity dynamics in a transforming biosphere'.

A new species of the Tetramorium meridionale species-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Iran

Tetramorium flavocostatum sp. nov., a member of the T. meridionale species-group, is described from central-west Iran (Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari and Isfahan Provinces). It is well characterized by a yellow body, thick and regular longitudinal rugae on the whole surface of the head and mesosoma, and occipital head with rugae arching posterolaterally. The number of Tetramorium species known to Iran is estimated at 23, but the number is expected to change following the discoveries and verification of historical records. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EF2DC819-4F0B-4897-A816-7D7DA4A1EA43

Floristic Diversity and Green-Tree Retention in Intensively Managed Temperate Forests: A Case Study in Puebla, Mexico

Clearcutting has tended to simplify forest structure and species composition, with potential negative consequences for biodiversity. Retention forestry emerged as an alternative to minimize this concern in intensively managed forests. In central Mexico, this approach was first implemented a decade ago in temperate forests, but an examination of its effects on floristic diversity and composition is non-existent. We evaluated and compared richness, diversity, and floristic composition among harvested, retention, and conserved areas in a conifer-dominated forest of central Mexico, with various parametric and non-parametric analyses. Species’ ecological and structural importance was also evaluated. We recorded 138 species, 95 genera, and 44 families of plants. Harvested areas listed the most species (99) with herb dominance, tree homogeneity, and the highest number of exotics. Retention and conserved areas’ floristic composition was similar, with the presence of epiphytes and terrestrial orchids, considered indicators of conservation. The retention areas recorded rare and endangered species, tree heterogeneity, and juveniles of structural species of temperate forests. Conserved areas showed a greater number of structural mature elements and exclusive species, though there was a smaller species number (75). We demonstrated that retention forestry is achieving its goal by maintaining the structural elements, habitats, and plant diversity of the temperate forests analyzed.

Phytochemical Analysis, Antioxidant Potential and Antibacterial Activities of Different Anatomical Parts of Hypericum cordifolium Choisy

The genus Hypericum comprises a large number of species. The flower, leaf, stem, and root of the Hypericum species are widely used in traditional medicine in different cultures. Many Hypericum species have been well investigated phytochemically and pharmacologically. However, only a few reports are available on the H. cordifolium native to Nepal. The present study aims to evaluate the phytochemical composition of different extracts, qualitative analysis of methanol extract of the flower and leaf using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and the antioxidant properties of components by the TLC-DPPH. assay. The phenolic and flavonoid contents were estimated in different extracts of the leaf and stem, and their antioxidant and antibacterial activities were evaluated. In the phytochemical screening, phenolics and flavonoids were present in ethyl acetate, methanol, and 50% aq methanol extracts of both the leaf and stem. In TLC analysis, the methanol extract of flowers showed the presence of 11 compounds and the leaf extract showed the presence of 8 compounds. Both extracts contained chlorogenic acid and mangiferin. Hyperoside and quercetin were present only in the flower extract. In the TLC-DPPH. assay, almost all of the flower extracts and 5 compounds of the leaf extract showed radical scavenging potential. Estimation of phenolics and flavonoids showed that all the leaf extracts showed higher amounts of phenolics and flavonoids than stem extracts. Among leaf extracts, greater amounts of phenolics were detected in 50% aqueous methanol extract (261.25 ± 1.66 GAE/g extract) and greater amounts of flavonoids were detected in methanol extract (232.60 ± 10.52 CE/g extract). Among stem extracts, greater amounts of flavonoids were detected in the methanol extract (155.12 ± 4.30 CE/g extract). In the DPPH radical scavenging assay, the methanol extract of the leaf showed IC50 60.85 ± 2.67 µg/ml and 50% aq. methanol extract of the leaf showed IC50 63.09 ± 2.98 µg/ml. The methanol extract of the stem showed IC50 89.39 ± 3.23 µg/ml, whereas ethyl acetate and 50% aq. methanol extract showed IC50 > 100 µg/ml. In the antibacterial assay, the methanol extract of the leaf showed the inhibition zone of 12-13 mm and the stem extract showed the inhibition zone of 7–11 mm against S. aureus, E. coli, and S. sonnei, whereas both extracts were inactive against S. typhi. The findings of this study support the traditional use of this plant in Nepal for the treatment of diseases associated with bacterial infections. The present study revealed that the underutilized anatomical parts of H. cordifolium could be the source of various bioactive phytochemicals like other Hypericum species.

Impact of Parthenium hysterophorus L. on floristic diversity in Dhauladhar foothills of Himachal Pradesh.

Parthenium hysterophorus L. has become a weed of global concern owing to its fast expansion and invasive character. In order to study the status of this noxious weed and its impact on floristic diversity in Dhauladhar foothills, the study was conducted during the year 2021-2022 in culturable wastelands of Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. The impact of Parthenium hysterophorus L. on associated species at different altitudes and aspects was observed. Our observations depicted that Parthenium hysterophorus L. has been growing more vigorously in the northern aspect than the southern aspect with the density of 37.78m-2 and 21.62m-2, respectively. The highest density of this noxious weed was recorded in the altitudinal range of 600-1200m (34.32m-2) while it was not observed beyond 1805m above sea level. The invasion of Parthenium hysterophorus L. significantly affected the plant density of other species. The descending order of the species as per dominance was observed as Cynodon dactylon, Trifolium repens, Oxalis latifolia, Parthenium hysterophorus L., and Ageratum houstonianum. The average number of species and species density were observed more in non-invaded sites (9.35 and 27.67m-2) than in invaded sites (7.10 and 20.60m-2). Species abundance and plant cover were observed more in non-invaded sites (28.73 and 657.90 m2ha-1) than in invaded sites (22.70 and 322.30 m2ha-1). Species diversity, richness, and evenness were reported to decline in invaded sites (1.56, 0.95, and 0.81, respectively) with respect to the non-invaded sites (1.94, 1.16, and 0.88, respectively). The study highlights the significant concerns associated with the invasive weed within the plant communities. Understanding its invasive status holds considerable implications for local afforestation initiatives, forest management strategies, and conservation policies. Furthermore, this investigation lays a foundational groundwork for implementing effective measures to get rid of this alien weed.

Spatial patterns and climatic drivers of phylogenetic structure of regional liverwort assemblages in China.

Latitudinal diversity gradients have been intimately linked to the tropical niche conservatism hypothesis, which posits that there has been a strong filter due to the challenges faced by ancestral tropical lineages to adapt to low temperatures and colonize extra-tropical regions. In liverworts, species richness is higher towards the tropics, but the centers of diversity of the basal lineages are distributed across extra-tropical regions, pointing to the colonization of tropical regions by phylogenetically clustered assemblages of species of temperate origin. Here, we test this hypothesis through analyses on the relationship between macroclimatic variation and phylogenetic diversity in Chinese liverworts. Phylogenetic diversity metrics and their standardized effect sizes for liverworts in each of the 28 regional floras at the province level in China were related to latitude and six climate variables using regression analysis. We conducted variation partitioning analyses to determine the relative importance of each group of climatic variables. We find that the number of species decreases with latitude, whereas phylogenetic diversity shows the reverse pattern, and that phylogenetic diversity is more strongly correlated with temperature-related variables, compared with precipitation-related variables. We interpret the opposite patterns observed in phylogenetic diversity and species richness in terms of a more recent origin of tropical diversity coupled with higher extinctions in temperate regions.

What remains to be discovered: A global assessment of tree species inventory completeness

AbstractAimRecent unprecedented efforts to digitise and mobilise biodiversity data have resulted in the generation of ‘biodiversity big data’, enabling ecological research at scales previously not possible. However, gaps, biases and uncertainties in these data influence analytical outcomes and the validity of scientific research and conservation actions. Here, we estimated tree species inventory completeness globally and identified where future surveys should focus to maximise regional inventories.LocationGlobal.MethodsWe analysed spatial patterns in sampling effort of tree species occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity and Information Facility (GBIF) and estimated global tree species inventory completeness for 100 × 100 km grid cells (sampling units) and ecoregions. We also identified forested areas for future botanical exploration, by examining the spatial overlap between inventory completeness, remaining natural habitat and protected areas and degrees of forest modification by anthropogenic pressure (forest integrity).ResultsSpatial patterns in sampling effort and tree species inventory completeness were unevenly distributed around the world. Only 35% of ecoregions and 18% of sampling units can be considered well surveyed, most of which were concentrated in the Global North, including Europe, North America and Australia. Large areas in species‐rich tropical regions, especially in Southeast Asia, remained poorly documented. Moreover, our results showed that many areas with low inventory completeness overlapped with ecoregions retaining less than 50% of natural habitat and protected land area, as well as sampling units with low forest integrity.Main ConclusionsDue to limitations in biodiversity data, simply sampling more will not necessarily lead to increasing knowledge. We illustrated how gaps in these data can be used to improve existing knowledge by identifying priority areas for future surveys. With ongoing anthropogenic impacts and escalating rates of biodiversity loss, limited resources should be allocated to strategically survey regions likely to yield new knowledge and improve biodiversity representativeness.

Spontaneous and Chemically Induced Genome Doubling and Polyploidization in Vegetable Crops

Plant ploidy manipulation is often required for breeding purposes. However, there is no comprehensive review covering genome doubling in vegetable crops despite the abundance of data for a large number of vegetable species. Similar to other species, genome doubling is required in vegetable crops to obtain doubled haploids (DHs). It is also utilized for the production of polyploids to overcome interspecific hybrid sterility and improve agricultural traits. Spontaneous haploid genome duplication (SHGD) occurs in many Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Solanaceae crops, allowing for the laborious treatment with antimitotic agents to be bypassed. SHGD mechanisms are not fully understood, but existing data suggest that SHGD can occur via nuclear fusion, endoreduplication, or other mechanisms during microspore or ovule early embryogenic development. Other studies show that SHGD can occur at later developmental stages during extended plant growth in vitro or ex vitro, possibly due to the presence of phytohormones in the medium and/or diploid cell competitive advantage. For unresponsive accessions and species with rare SHGD, such as onion (Allium cepa L.) and beet cultivars (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris L.), antimitotic agent treatment has to be applied. Antimitotic agent application efficiency depends on the treatment conditions, especially the agent concentration and exposure time. Also, plant developmental stage is critical for agent accessibility and plant survival. The existing methods can be used to further improve genome doubling methodology for major vegetable crops and other species.