Observing the Observers: How Participants Contribute Data to iNaturalist and Implications for Biodiversity Science

BioScience, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 71(11), С. 1179 - 1188

Опубликована: Авг. 5, 2021

Abstract The availability of citizen science data has resulted in growing applications biodiversity science. One widely used platform, iNaturalist, provides millions digitally vouchered observations submitted by a global user base. These observation records include date and location but otherwise do not contain any information about the sampling process. As result, biases must be inferred from themselves. In present article, we examine spatial temporal iNaturalist platform's launch 2008 through end 2019. We also characterize behavior on platform terms individual activity level taxonomic specialization. found that, at class, users typically specialized particular group, especially plants or insects, rarely made same species twice. Biodiversity scientists should consider whether results systematic their analyses before using data.

Язык: Английский

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The herbarium of the future

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Год журнала: 2022, Номер 38(5), С. 412 - 423

Опубликована: Дек. 20, 2022

The ~400 million specimens deposited across ~3000 herbaria are essential for: (i) understanding where plants have lived in the past, (ii) forecasting they may live future, and (iii) delineating their conservation status. An open access 'global metaherbarium' is emerging as these digitized, mobilized, interlinked online. This virtual biodiversity resource attracting new users who accelerating traditional applications of generating basic applied scientific innovations, including e-monographs floras produced by diverse, interdisciplinary, inclusive teams; robust machine-learning algorithms for species identification phenotyping; collection synthesis ecological genomic trait data at large spatiotemporal phylogenetic scales; exhibitions installations that convey beauty value addressing broader societal issues.

Язык: Английский

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Three-quarters of insect species are insufficiently represented by protected areas

One Earth, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 6(2), С. 139 - 146

Опубликована: Фев. 1, 2023

Язык: Английский

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Digital twins: dynamic model-data fusion for ecology

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Год журнала: 2023, Номер 38(10), С. 916 - 926

Опубликована: Май 18, 2023

Digital twins (DTs) are an emerging phenomenon in the public and private sectors as a new tool to monitor understand systems processes. DTs have potential change status quo ecology part of its digital transformation. However, it is important avoid misguided developments by managing expectations about DTs. We stress that not just big models everything, containing data machine learning. Rather, strength combining data, models, domain knowledge, their continuous alignment with real world. suggest researchers stakeholders exercise caution DT development, keeping mind many strengths challenges computational modelling also apply

Язык: Английский

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Biodiversity conservation in the context of climate change: Facing challenges and management strategies

The Science of The Total Environment, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 937, С. 173377 - 173377

Опубликована: Май 23, 2024

Язык: Английский

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Medicinal plants meet modern biodiversity science

Current Biology, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 34(4), С. R158 - R173

Опубликована: Фев. 1, 2024

Plants have been an essential source of human medicine for millennia. In this review, we argue that a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to the study medicinal plants combines methods and insights from three key disciplines - evolutionary ecology, molecular biology/biochemistry, ethnopharmacology is poised facilitate new breakthroughs in science, including pharmacological discoveries rapid advancements health well-being. Such research leverages data spanning space, time, species associated with plant evolution, genomics, metabolomic trait diversity, all which build heavily on traditional Indigenous knowledge. contrasts sharply most well-funded successful during last half-century, which, despite notable advancements, has greatly oversimplified dynamic relationships between humans, kept hidden larger narratives about these relationships, overlooked potentially important into life-saving medicines. We suggest people should be viewed as partners whose relationship involves complicated poorly explored set (socio-)ecological interactions not only domestication but also commensalisms mutualisms. short, are just chemical factories extraction exploitation. Rather, they may symbiotic shaped modern societies, improved health, extended lifespans.

Язык: Английский

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Plant diversity darkspots for global collection priorities

New Phytologist, Год журнала: 2024, Номер 244(2), С. 719 - 733

Опубликована: Авг. 16, 2024

Summary More than 15% of all vascular plant species may remain scientifically undescribed, and many the > 350 000 described have no or few geographic records documenting their distribution. Identifying understanding taxonomic knowledge shortfalls is key to prioritising future collection conservation efforts. Using extensive data for 343 523 time‐to‐event analyses, we conducted multiple tests related shortfalls, identified 33 global diversity darkspots (those ‘botanical countries’ predicted contain most undescribed not yet recorded species). We defined priority regions according several socio‐economic environmental scenarios. Most are found within biodiversity hotspots, with exception New Guinea. identify Colombia, Myanmar, Guinea, Peru, Philippines Turkey as priorities under conditions considered. Our study provides a flexible framework help accelerate documentation implementation actions. As digitisation world's herbaria progresses, soon be identifiable at finer scales.

Язык: Английский

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Pathogens and planetary change

Опубликована: Янв. 15, 2025

Emerging infectious diseases, biodiversity loss, and anthropogenic environmental change are interconnected crises with massive social ecological costs. In this Review, we discuss how pathogens parasites responding to global change, the implications for pandemic prevention conservation. Ecological evolutionary principles help explain why both pandemics wildlife die-offs becoming more common; land-use loss often followed by an increase in zoonotic vector-borne diseases; some species, such as bats, host so many emerging pathogens. To prevent next pandemic, scientists should focus on monitoring limiting spread of a handful high-risk viruses, especially at key interfaces farms live-animal markets. But address much broader set disease risks associated Anthropocene, decision-makers will need develop comprehensive strategies that include pathogen surveillance across species ecosystems; conservation-based interventions reduce human–animal contact protect health; health system strengthening; improvements epidemic preparedness response. Scientists can contribute these efforts filling gaps data, expanding evidence base disease–driver relationships interventions. This Review explores relationship between diseases connected changes Anthropocene.

Язык: Английский

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Museum Genomics

Annual Review of Genetics, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 55(1), С. 633 - 659

Опубликована: Сен. 23, 2021

Natural history collections are invaluable repositories of biological information that provide an unrivaled record Earth's biodiversity. Museum genomics—genomics research using traditional museum and cryogenic the infrastructure supporting these investigations—has particularly enhanced in ecology evolutionary biology, study extinct organisms, impact anthropogenic activity on However, leveraging genomics has exposed challenges, such as digitizing, integrating, sharing data; updating practices to ensure broadly optimal data extraction from existing new collections; modernizing practices, infrastructure, policies fair, sustainable, genomically manifold uses by increasingly diverse stakeholders. poised address challenges and, with sensitive approaches, will catalyze a future era reproducibility, innovation, insight made possible through integrating genome sciences.

Язык: Английский

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Balancing conservation priorities for nature and for people in Europe

Science, Год журнала: 2021, Номер 372(6544), С. 856 - 860

Опубликована: Май 21, 2021

Priorities to protect nature in Europe There is consensus among conservation scientists that protected areas should be expanded safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem services, but it often difficult prioritize for protection. Considering factors motivate across Europe, an analysis by O'Connor et al. includes the value of species, represented distribution >800 vertebrate species; cultural landscapes, activities such as tourism; services carbon sequestration flood Although these three main features do not coincide landscape, authors found a focus on spatial planning most effective means capturing range nature's values. Science , abc4896, this issue p. 856

Язык: Английский

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