Unveiling how herpetofauna cope with land‐use changes—Insights from forest‐cashew‐rice landscapes in West Africa DOI

Francisco dos Reis‐Silva,

Cristian Pizzigalli,

Sambú Seck

et al.

Biotropica, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 57(1)

Published: Dec. 13, 2024

Abstract Agricultural induced land‐use change comprises a key driver of biodiversity loss across tropical forests. Guinea‐Bissau, among Afrotropical West Africa, was formerly occupied by native forest‐savanna mosaics. While savannas have long given place to traditional rice agroecosystems, forests are now being transformed into cashew monocultures at unprecedented rates. The ecological impact such rapid is largely unknown. Here, we examined how rarefied species richness, encounters, and composition amphibians reptiles varied forest remnants, orchards, paddies in northern Guinea‐Bissau. To do so, visual encounter surveys were carried 21 standardized sampling sites, seven each habitat type. A total 703 amphibian 266 reptile encounters recorded from nine 14 taxa, respectively. results show class‐specific responses Amphibian richness similar types, but held more distinct compared remnants. Reptile lower than orchards had the most different Overall, our not support expected detrimental impacts expansion, which might be due still high heterogeneity types within landscape. Rice proved particularly important for amphibians, open‐habitat reptiles, boosting landscape‐scale diversity. In face eminent conversion, maintaining heterogeneous landscapes, including persistence both remnants paddies, critical minimize Africa.

Language: Английский

A phylogeny-informed characterisation of global tetrapod traits addresses data gaps and biases DOI Creative Commons
Mario R. Moura, Karoline Ceron, Jhonny J. M. Guedes

et al.

PLoS Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 22(7), P. e3002658 - e3002658

Published: July 11, 2024

Tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) are model systems for global biodiversity science, but continuing data gaps, limited standardisation, ongoing flux in taxonomic nomenclature constrain integrative research on this group potentially cause biased inference. We combined harmonised taxonomic, spatial, phylogenetic, attribute with phylogeny-based multiple imputation to provide a comprehensive resource (TetrapodTraits 1.0.0) that includes values, predictions, sources body size, activity time, micro- macrohabitat, ecosystem, threat status, biogeography, insularity, environmental preferences, human influence, all 33,281 tetrapod species covered recent fully sampled phylogenies. assess gaps biases across taxa space, finding shared missing values increased taxon-level completeness richness clades. Prediction of using revealed substantial changes estimated macroecological patterns. These results highlight incurred by nonrandom missingness strategies best address them. While there is an obvious need further collection updates, our phylogeny-informed database traits can support more representation their attributes ecology, evolution, conservation research.

Language: Английский

Citations

9
Drivers of species knowledge across the tree of life DOI Creative Commons
Stefano Mammola, Martino Adamo, Dragan Antić

et al.

eLife, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 12

Published: Oct. 17, 2023

Knowledge of biodiversity is unevenly distributed across the Tree Life. In long run, such disparity in awareness unbalances our understanding life on Earth, influencing policy decisions and allocation research conservation funding. We investigated how humans accumulate knowledge by searching for consistent relationships between scientific (number publications) societal views Wikipedia) interest, species-level morphological, ecological, sociocultural factors. Across a random selection 3019 species spanning 29 Phyla/Divisions, we show that factors are most important correlates interest biodiversity, including fact useful or harmful to humans, has common name, listed International Union Conservation Nature Red List. Furthermore, large-bodied, broadly distributed, taxonomically unique receive more attention, whereas colorfulness phylogenetic proximity correlate exclusively with attention. These results highlight favoritism toward limited branches Life, priorities align. This suggests may be missing out key agenda simply because they not cultural radar.

Language: Английский

Citations

20
How taxonomic change influences forecasts of the Linnean shortfall (and what we can do about it)? DOI
Thainá Lessa, Juliana Stropp, Joaquín Hortal

et al.

Journal of Biogeography, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 51(8), P. 1365 - 1373

Published: March 8, 2024

Abstract The gap between the number of described species and that actually exist is known as Linnean shortfall fundamental importance for biogeography conservation. Unsurprisingly, there have been many attempts to quantify its extent different taxa regions. In this Perspective , we argue such forecasts remain highly problematic because does depend not only on rates exploration (sampling undescribed taxa) which estimates commonly based but also taxonomic change (lumping splitting). These changes concepts adopted information methods used delimit species. Commonly estimating unknown (e.g. discovery curves, taxon ratios) can underestimate or overestimate if they do effectively account trends change. A further complication history well documented most typically available in biodiversity databases. Moreover, wide geographic variation adoption delimitation mean comparison even same regions may be unreliable. Given high likelihood future major taxa, propose two main strategies consider influence species: (i) a conservative approach shortfall, restricting analysis groups where taxonomies are relatively stable (ii) explicitly incorporating metrics into models estimates. short, relevant will achieved by accounting dynamic nature process itself.

Language: Английский

Citations

8
Logistical and preference bias in participatory science butterfly data DOI Creative Commons
Benjamin R. Goldstein, Sara Stoudt, Jayme M. M. Lewthwaite

et al.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 22(8)

Published: July 23, 2024

The volume of and interest in unstructured participatory science data has increased dramatically recent years. However, contain taxonomic biases—encounters with some species are more likely to be reported than encounters others. Taxonomic biases driven by human preferences for different logistical factors that make observing certain challenging. We investigated bias reports butterflies characterizing differences between a dedicated semi‐structured dataset, eButterfly, popular iNaturalist, spatiotemporally explicit models. Across 194 butterfly species, we found 53 were overreported 34 underreported opportunistic data. Ease identification feature diversity significantly associated overreporting sampling, strong patterns family also detected. Quantifying not only helps us understand how humans engage nature but is necessary generate robust inference from

Language: Английский

Citations

6
Drivers of species knowledge across the tree of life DOI Creative Commons
Stefano Mammola, Martino Adamo, Dragan Antić

et al.

eLife, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 12

Published: Aug. 15, 2023

Knowledge of biodiversity is unevenly distributed across the Tree Life. In long run, such disparity in awareness unbalances our understanding life on Earth, influencing policy decisions and allocation research conservation funding. We investigated how humans accumulate knowledge by searching for consistent relationships between scientific (number publications) societal views Wikipedia) interest, species-level morphological, ecological, sociocultural factors. Across a random selection 3019 species spanning 29 Phyla/Divisions, we show that factors are most important correlates interest biodiversity, including fact useful or harmful to humans, has common name, listed International Union Conservation Nature Red List. Furthermore, large-bodied, broadly distributed, taxonomically unique receive more attention, whereas colorfulness phylogenetic proximity correlate exclusively with attention. These results highlight favoritism toward limited branches Life, priorities align. This suggests may be missing out key agenda simply because they not cultural radar.

Language: Английский

Citations

11
Microendemism can be the rule in the Brazilian Caatinga: evidence from flat lizards of the Tropidurus semitaeniatus group (Squamata: Tropiduridae) DOI
Elaine Ferreira, Iuri Ribeiro Dias, Miguel Tréfaut Rodrigues

et al.

Systematics and Biodiversity, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 23(1)

Published: Jan. 21, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Six-decade research bias towards fancy and familiar bird species DOI
Silas E. Fischer, Joshua G. Otten, Andrea M. Lindsay

et al.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 292(2044)

Published: April 1, 2025

Human implicit biases towards visually appealing and familiar stimuli are well documented rooted in our brains’ reward systems. For example, humans drawn to charismatic, organisms, but less is known about whether such permeate research choices among biologists, who strive for objectivity. The factors driving effort, as aesthetics, logistics species’ names, poorly understood. We report that, from 1965 2020, nearly half of the variation publication trends 293 North American male passerine near-passerine birds was explained by three subject human bias: aesthetic salience (visual appeal), range size (familiarity) number universities within ranges (accessibility). also demonstrate that endangered featured on journal covers had higher salience, with eponymous names were studied much those not named after humans. Thus, ornithological knowledge, decisions based thereon, heavily skewed fancy, species. This knowledge disparity feeds a cycle public interest, environmental policy, conservation, funding opportunities scientific narratives, shrouding potentially important information proverbial plumage drab, distant, disregarded unintended consequences biologists’ may exacerbate organismal inequalities amid biodiversity declines limit inquiry.

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Open and FAIR data sharing are building blocks to bolster biodiversity conservation in Southeast Asia DOI
Krizler C. Tanalgo

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 307, P. 111192 - 111192

Published: April 24, 2025

Language: Английский

Citations

0
Global shortfalls of knowledge on anuran tadpoles DOI Creative Commons
Florencia Vera Candioti, Diego Baldo, Stéphane Grosjean

et al.

npj Biodiversity, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 2(1)

Published: Oct. 30, 2023

Despite the amount of data on different aspects biodiversity, such as species distributions, taxonomy, or phylogenetics, there are still significant gaps and biases in available information. This is particularly true for life history traits, with fragmentary most taxa, especially those complex cycles. Anurans (frogs toads) show larval (premetamorphic) stages that general radically decoupled from adult forms biological aspects. Our understanding this group highly uneven, main wide-scope investigations focus specimens remain unknown a part anuran tree. The purpose work was to estimate extent knowledge regarding diversity tadpoles, interpret their geographical patterns, discuss possible explanations implications other large-scale analyses. findings more than half described date lack information embryonic/larval stages. Furthermore, varies among taxonomic groups, ecomorphological guilds, world ecoregions. Description percentages generally decrease lineages higher proportion known suspected have endotrophic development. Also, geographic areas highest levels ignorance biology (Tropical Andes New Guinea) coincide guilds. Among exotrophic larvae, generalized lentic-lotic tadpoles widest distribution knowledge, whereas specialized lotic, fossorial, terrestrial taxonomically geographically restricted. Further analyses tadpole crucial impact varied scientific disciplines including conservation. At conceptual level, discussion biphasic cycle pertinent context shortfalls biodiversity interrelationships.

Language: Английский

Citations

10
Linnean shortfall and space‐time patterns in species description of New World coralsnakes (Serpentes: Elapidae) DOI
Lívia Estéfane Fernandes Frateles, Nelson Jorge da Silva, Levi Carina Terribile

et al.

Zoologica Scripta, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 53(3), P. 299 - 311

Published: Jan. 5, 2024

Abstract The magnitude of life on Earth and human limitations hinder the understanding even most basic aspects biodiversity, such as identity species inhabiting Earth, so‐called Linnean shortfall. Evaluating patterns in description dates their relationship with macroecological variables can help guide where taxonomic efforts should be focused. Therefore, we aim to assess shortfall knowledge New World coralsnake biodiversity. We modelled estimated that approximately one‐third diversity remains unknown. undescribed are evolutionarily closely related already described species. Moreover, recently group have more restricted geographic ranges tend small‐bodied. western Amazon dry diagonal (i.e. Caatinga, Cerrado, Chaco) areas oldest dates. However, assemblages these largest average distances type locality species, suggesting little effort has been dedicated intrinsically regions. suggest allocating use integrative techniques for better delimitation imperative fill coralsnakes.

Language: Английский

Citations

3