ArticlePublisher preview available

Bridging global knowledge gaps in biodiversity databases: A comprehensive data synthesis on tree diversity of India

Authors:
Muzamil Ahmad Mugal at University of Kashmir
Muzamil Ahmad Mugal
Sajad Ahmad Wani at University of Kashmir
Sajad Ahmad Wani
Firdous Ahmad Dar at University of Kashmir
Firdous Ahmad Dar
Tajamul Islam at University of Kashmir
Tajamul Islam
Show all 8 authorsHide
Read publisher preview
Download citation
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract and Figures

Majority of global biodiversity databases lack sufficient coverage from the developing world and thus severely limiting their worldwide applicability. Bridging these knowledge gaps in global databases merits urgent research priority in biodiversity science. Here, we present Trees of India (ToI), Version-I, a comprehensive database assembled from an extensive literature synthesis of 313 studies published from 1872 to 2022. Based on the ToI database, we aimed to investigate the patterns of diversity, distribution, endemic and threat status of the tree flora of India. We recorded 3708 tree species across India, which raises the number by more than one-third (1199 species) previously reported for this mega- biodiverse country in GlobalTreeSearch (GTS). We found 93 species erroneously included for India as tree lifeform in the GTS. The distribution of the tree flora considerably varied across the states in India, with southern and eastern parts harbouring the highest tree diver- sity. We found evidence of distance decay in compositional similarity among the states in India. Our results reveal that 609 tree species are endemic to the country and 347 species are currently threatened. We also found a linear positive correlation between the endemic and threatened tree species pool of the country. Our data synthesis on the trees of India has huge policy and management implications in guiding biodiversity conservation, ecosys- tem restoration and climate change mitigation in this most populous country of the world. Looking ahead, our study showcases a model with learnings for other countries/regions/ taxa to bridge the existing knowledge gaps in global biodiversity databases.
Figures - available from: Biodiversity and Conservation
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
A preview of this full-text is provided by Springer Nature.
Learn more
Content available from Biodiversity and Conservation
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
Vol.:(0123456789)
Biodiversity and Conservation (2023) 32:3089–3107
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-023-02659-y
1 3
REVIEW PAPER
Bridging global knowledge gaps inbiodiversity databases:
acomprehensive data synthesis ontree diversity ofIndia
MuzamilAhmadMugal1· SajadAhmadWani1· FirdousAhmadDar1·
TajamulIslam1· RuquiaGulzar1· AkhtarHussainMalik1· ChintalaSudhakarReddy2·
AnzarAhmadKhuroo1
Received: 10 February 2023 / Revised: 27 May 2023 / Accepted: 13 June 2023 /
Published online: 27 June 2023
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2023
Abstract
Majority of global biodiversity databases lack sufficient coverage from the developing
world and thus severely limiting their worldwide applicability. Bridging these knowledge
gaps in global databases merits urgent research priority in biodiversity science. Here, we
present Trees of India (ToI), Version-I, a comprehensive database assembled from an
extensive literature synthesis of 313 studies published from 1872 to 2022. Based on the
ToIdatabase, we aimed to investigate the patterns of diversity, distribution, endemic and
threat status of the tree flora of India. We recorded 3708 tree species across India, which
raises the number by more than one-third (1199 species) previously reported for this mega-
biodiversecountry in GlobalTreeSearch (GTS). We found 93 species erroneously included
for India as tree lifeform in the GTS. The distribution of the tree flora considerably varied
across thestates in India, with southern and eastern parts harbouring the highest tree diver-
sity. We found evidence of distance decay in compositional similarity among the states in
India. Our results reveal that 609 tree species are endemic to the country and 347 species
are currently threatened. We also found a linear positive correlation between the endemic
and threatened tree species pool of the country. Our data synthesis on thetrees of India has
huge policy and management implications in guiding biodiversity conservation, ecosys-
tem restoration and climate change mitigation in this most populous country of the world.
Looking ahead, our study showcases a model with learnings for other countries/regions/
taxa to bridge the existing knowledge gaps in global biodiversity databases.
Keywords Developing world· India· Trees· Endemics· Threatened species·
Conservation
Communicated by Mukunda Dev Behera.
* Anzar Ahmad Khuroo
anzarak@uok.edu.in
1 Centre forBiodiversity & Taxonomy, Department ofBotany, University ofKashmir, Srinagar,
JammuandKashmir190006, India
2 Forest Biodiversity andEcology Division, National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space
Research Organisation, Balanagar, Hyderabad, Telangana500037, India
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... Of course, endemic tree species will be the first to be affected by anthropogenic drivers, thus making them vulnerable to risks of extinction. Our results showed a significant and strong correlation between the number of endemic and threatened tree species, which supports the widely held notion that the number of threatened species is commonly used as an indicator for priority setting in the conservation of biodiversity (Gillespie et al., 2014;Keppel et al., 2021;Mugal et al., 2023). ...
... Integrating tree biodiversity data has numerous applications and can help in better understanding of macroecological patterns of tree diversity, distribution, and the underlying processes (Keppel et al., 2021). The present study, by assembling tree species inventories including data on endemic and threat status, holds great promise for identifying the key conservation hotspots at the regional (e.g., the Himalaya) level with implications for informing global biodiversity conservation priorities (Carrero et al., 2022;Mugal et al., 2023). Our study highlights that bridging the knowledge gaps in biodiversity databases from developing countries, especially from the mountainous and hotspot regions has wide policy and management implications. ...
Biodiversity data synthesis on trees of Indian Himalayan Region: Policy and management implications
Article
Full-text available
  • Oct 2023
The recent adoption of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires empirical synthesis of biodiversity data spanning across broad biogeographic scales to inform conservation policy and management. Although the availability and access to biodiversity databases have recently improved, yet majority of these databases lack sufficient geographic coverage, especially from the biodiversity hotspot regions of developing countries, thereby severely limiting their utility and generalizability across the globe. Here, we present a comprehensive tree database (2199 species) of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) – home to two global biodiversity hotspots – collated from a quantitative synthesis of 234 studies published over the last one century. Taking leverage of this novel database, we unravel the patterns of diversity, distribution, and drivers of the trees of IHR. We found that the species richness, compositional similarity, distribution patterns, and biome affiliation of the tree diversity vary significantly across the IHR, with nearly half of the tree species affiliated with the wet tropical biome. Of the 10 climatic and environmental drivers used, the annual mean temperature and elevation width in combination best predicted the variation in tree diversity across the IHR. We also document 117 endemic and 88 threatened tree species in the IHR, which merit conservation priority. Our findings have significant utility in formulating management and restoration strategies for biodiversity conservation across the IHR. Overall, our study showcases a model biodiversity database with wide policy implications in the planning and management of tree-focussed environmental programs to restore the degraded forest landscapes and plantation-specific climate change mitigation strategies in the region.
View
... The present checklist culminated in the documentation of a total of 353 taxa (340 species, nine subspecies and four varieties) belonging to 202 genera and 61 families (Appendix 1). Remarkably, the current study comprises a significant proportion of 45% of trees species of the total 783 trees (Mugal et al., 2023) in Maharashtra. Among the families represented Leguminosae (34) stands first followed by Moraceae (23), Rubiaceae (22) and Malvaceae (19) (Fig. 2). ...
Exploring the Forest Trees of the Northern Western Ghats: A Comprehensive Checklist and An Analysis of Their Geographic Distribution and Endemism.
Chapter
  • Oct 2024
The Northern Western Ghats and Konkan region of Maharashtra (NWGK) is a distinct region within the Western Ghats, characterized by unique climatic, geological, and topographical features and by its open landscapes interspersed with fragmented forest patches. It exhibits distinctive attributes in terms of tree diversity. In this study, we conducted an extensive tree survey across NWGK, covering a range of forest types, and compiled a comprehensive checklist of forest trees. The final checklist comprises 353 taxa belonging to 202 genera and 61 families, with Leguminosae, Moraceae, Rubiaceae, and Malvaceae being the most represented families. Notably, 45% of the tree species were deciduous, while 55% were evergreen. Our investigation revealed distinct tree species distributions in the north and south sectors of NWG, with 295 taxa common to both regions. Our study also unveiled the presence of 60 endemic taxa, with 65% being endemic to the Western Ghats. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the arboreal diversity of NWG, shedding light on the unique characteristics and endemism of the region. This checklist provides valuable insights for conservation efforts and the sustainable management of NWGK’s forests in Maharashtra.
View
... Among different plant lifeforms, trees are the main components of terrestrial biodiversity and essential elements of forest ecosystems. They serve as structural cornerstones supporting a diverse range of biodiversity, such as other plant species, animals, fungi, and microbes (Beech et al., 2017;Mugal et al., 2023). They are essential for preserving ecological balance and mitigating climate change due to their long lifespan, substantial biomass, and role in carbon sequestration (Carrero et al., 2023;Keppel et al., 2021). ...
Meeting Linnean, Wallacean, and Darwinian shortfalls in global biodiversity hotspots: A model study from the Indian Himalayan Region
Article
  • Sep 2024
  • ECOL RES
Despite recent efforts to make large-scale biodiversity datasets available, several data shortfalls still exist that preclude our progress in achieving global conservation and sustainability goals. In this study, we present a comprehensive native tree dataset (1689 species) from the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR)—home to two global biodiversity hotspots— assembled from an extensive data synthesis. Based on this database, we investigate the geographic patterns and drivers of α- and β-taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of the native trees among 13 different provinces of IHR. Our results revealed a considerable variation in the α- and β-taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity among the provinces of IHR, with the highest values in eastern provinces. We found phylogenetic clustering mostly in the western provinces, and phylogenetic dispersion in the eastern provinces. We found a positive correlation between the taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimilarity across the IHR. Also, the different sets of explan- atory variables explained the variation of tree species richness, standardized effect size of phylogenetic diversity, net relatedness index, and nearest taxon index, with maximum contribution by temperature seasonality (Bio4). Furthermore, temperature-related climatic distance individually explained most of the variation in the taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimi- larity between the provinces of IHR. Overall, our findings unveil the patterns of taxonomic, biogeographic, and phylogenetic dimensions of tree flora in the IHR, which in turn can help in formulating scientific data-based regional policy and conservation strategies. Looking forward, we presented a model study for bridging the Linnean, Wallacean, and Darwinian short- falls in the globally data-deficient biodiversity-rich regions.
View
... It is also important to note that the GTS is not a static database, and mistakes in taxonomy, distribution and lifeforms have been identified. For instance, non-tree species were erroneously included as tree lifeforms, hundreds of species names were synonyms and a few thousands tree species in national and regional botanical literature have not been included, particularly in developing countries (Mugal et al., 2023;Qian et al., 2019). ...
What remains to be discovered: A global assessment of tree species inventory completeness
Article
Full-text available
Aim Recent 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. Location Global. Methods We 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). Results Spatial 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 Conclusions Due 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.
View
Disentangling the veil line for Brazilian biodiversity: An overview from two long-term research programs reveals huge gaps in ecological data reporting
Article
  • Jul 2024
  • SCI TOTAL ENVIRON
The lack of synthesized information regarding biodiversity is a major problem among researchers, leading to a pervasive cycle where ecologists make field campaigns to collect information that already exists and yet has not been made available for a broader audience. This problem leads to long-lasting effects in public policies such as spending money multiple times to conduct similar studies in the same area. We aim to identify this knowledge gap by synthesizing information available regarding two Brazilian long-term biodiversity programs and the metadata generated by them. Using a unique dataset containing 1904 metadata, we identified patterns of metadata distribution and intensity of research conducted in Brazil, as well as where we should concentrate research efforts in the next decades. We found that the majority of metadata were about vertebrates, followed by plants, invertebrates, and fungi. Caatinga was the biome with least metadata, and that there's still a lack of information regarding all biomes in Brazil, with none of them being sufficiently sampled. We hope that these results will have implications for broader conservation and management guiding, as well as to funding allocation programs.
View
Data synthesis for biodiversity science: a database on plant diversity of the Indian Himalayan Region
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2024
  • BIODIVERS CONSERV
In an era of global environmental change, empirical synthesis of biodiversity data across geographic scales and taxonomic groups is urgently required. Recently, with an upsurge in data synthesis, substantial progress has been made in making massive biodiversity data available on a global scale. However, most of these databases lack sufficient geographic coverage, particularly from biodiversity hotspot regions of developing countries. Here, we present a comprehensive and curated plant database of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) – home to two global biodiversity hotspots. The database, currently comprising 11,743 native plant species, has been collated from an extensive quantitative synthesis of 324 floristic studies published between 1872 and 2022. Based on this database, we investigate the patterns of species richness, distribution, life-history traits, endemic and threat status of the native flora of the IHR, and the results revealed that these patterns vary considerably among the 12 states of the IHR. Sikkim harbours the highest number of plant species (5090), followed by Arunachal Pradesh (4907). We found a total of 1123 species (ca. 10%) endemic to India and 157 threatened species occurring in the IHR. The life-history traits (growth form and lifespan) were unequally represented between the Himalaya and the Indo-Burma hotspots. We found herbs as the dominant growth form across the IHR. Also, maximum species similarity was found between Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh (Cs = 0.66), and minimum between the former and Meghalaya (Cs = 0.13). Overall, our study represents a significant step forward in filling the knowledge gaps from the global biodiversity hotspots in India, with immense management and policy implications.
View
Insufficient yet improving involvement of the global south in top sustainability science publications
Article
Full-text available
The creation of global research partnerships is critical to produce shared knowledge for the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sustainability science promotes the coproduction of inter- and transdisciplinary knowledge, with the expectation that studies will be carried out through groups and truly collaborative networks. As a consequence, sustainability research, in particular that published in high impact journals, should lead the way in terms of ethical partnership in scientific collaboration. Here, we examined this issue through a quantitative analysis of the articles published in Nature Sustainability (300 papers by 2135 authors) and Nature (2994 papers by 46,817 authors) from January 2018 to February 2021. Focusing on these journals allowed us to test whether research published under the banner of sustainability science favoured a more equitable involvement of authors from countries belonging to different income categories, by using the journal Nature as a control. While the findings provide evidence of still insufficient involvement of Low-and-Low-Middle-Income-Countries (LLMICs) in Nature Sustainability publications, they also point to promising improvements in the involvement of such authors. Proportionally, there were 4.6 times more authors from LLMICs in Nature Sustainability than in Nature articles, and 68.8–100% of local Global South studies were conducted with host country scientists (reflecting the discouragement of parachute research practices), with local scientists participating in key research steps. We therefore provide evidence of the promising, yet still insufficient, involvement of low-income countries in top sustainability science publications and discuss ongoing initiatives to improve this.
View
Scientists' warning to humanity on tree extinctions
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2022
Societal Impact Statement Trees play vital roles in many of the world's ecosystems while providing many benefits to people. New evidence indicates that a third of tree species are threatened with extinction, representing a tree extinction crisis. Here we demonstrate how tree species extinction will lead to the loss of many other plants and animals and significantly alter the world's ecosystems. We also show how tree extinction will negatively affect billions of people through loss of livelihoods and benefits. We highlight a series of urgent actions needed to avert an ecological, cultural and socio‐economic catastrophe caused by widespread extinction of tree species. Summary Trees are of exceptional ecological importance, playing a major functional role in the world's ecosystems, while also supporting many other plants, animals and fungi. Many tree species are also of direct value to people, providing a wide range of socio‐economic benefits. Loss of tree diversity could lead to abrupt declines in biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services and ultimately ecosystem collapse. Here we provide an overview of the current knowledge regarding the number of tree species that are threatened with extinction, and the threats that affect them, based on results of the Global Tree Assessment. This evidence suggests that a third of the world's tree species are currently threatened with extinction, which represents a major ecological crisis. We then examine the potential implications of tree extinctions, in terms of the functioning of the biosphere and impacts on human well‐being. Large‐scale extinction of tree species will lead to major biodiversity losses in other species groups and substantially alter the cycling of carbon, water and nutrients in the world's ecosystems. Tree extinction will also undermine the livelihoods of the billions of people who currently depend on trees and the benefits they provide. This warning to humanity aims to raise awareness of the tree extinction crisis, which is a major environmental issue that requires urgent global attention. We also identify some priority actions that need to be taken to reduce the extinction risk of tree species and to avert the ecological and socio‐economic catastrophe that will result from large‐scale extinction of tree species.
View
Data sharing for conservation: A standardized checklist of US native tree species and threat assessments to prioritize and coordinate action
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2022
Societal Impact Statement Understanding the current state of trees within the United States is imperative for protecting those species, their habitats, and the countless communities they support, as well as the ecosystem services they provide. We present an updated checklist of all tree species native to the contiguous United States, their state distribution, extinction risk, and most common threats. Knowledge of national threat “hotspots” and conservation priorities facilitates efficient conservation efforts and the allocation of resources to safeguard the 11–16% of US tree species that are threatened. These results lay the groundwork for tree and ecosystem conservation efforts in the United States that contribute to achieving critical international conservation goals, including the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration and the Global Tree Assessment. Summary The Global Tree Assessment aims to complete threat assessments for all the world's ~60,000 tree species, but most species native to the continental United States had either never been assessed or were outdated on the two most widely used threat assessment platforms in the United States, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List and NatureServe. There was also no coordinated mechanism for sharing data between these platforms, resulting in missing, duplicated, or outdated information. We (1) created an updated checklist of all tree species native to the contiguous United States based on the standardized Global Tree Assessment tree definition, (2) created over 700 new or updated IUCN Red List assessments and NatureServe Global Ranks, and (3) developed a replicable assessment data sharing process. We present an updated checklist of native US trees that includes 881 species from 269 genera, with Quercus and Crataegus as the most species‐rich tree genera. We present the first country‐wide analysis of tree extinction risk, patterns of geographic and taxonomic diversity, and leading threats. An estimated 11–16% of US tree species are threatened with extinction, with the most common threat being invasive and problematic pests and diseases. We introduce a “crosswalk” process for efficient, large‐scale data sharing between the IUCN Red List and NatureServe, using IUCN Red List Species Information Service (SIS) Connect, which can be applied to other taxonomic groups in North America. The checklist, threat assessments, and crosswalk methodology represent a significant advancement in prioritizing conservation action for at‐risk tree species and restoration of forests in the United States, supporting the global goals of the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration and the Global Tree Assessment effort.
View
Patterns and drivers of the global diversity of non‐native macrofungi
Article
Full-text available
Aim To uncover the biogeography of non‐native macrofungal diversity worldwide, by analysing patterns and drivers of (1) regional variation in species richness, (2) compositional similarity between regional species assemblages and (3) the spatiotemporal trends of first records. Location Global. Methods We used a database providing 1608 distribution records of 554 non‐native macrofungal species in 167 national and sub‐national regions worldwide. Regression models accounting for regional levels of recording capacity were used to relate spatial variation of non‐native macrofungal richness and of regional compositional similarities to variables representing geographical, socio‐economic and biophysical characteristics of regions. Temporal trends of first records were assessed at the global and continental scales and for distinct ecofunctional groups. Results Regions reporting higher diversity of non‐native species occur mainly in Europe, the Americas and Oceania. Regression models showed that regions with greater gross domestic product per capita, areal extent and in the Southern Hemisphere have higher non‐native species richness, while regions with similar mean temperatures and latitudinal position share higher compositional similarities. Numbers of first records of non‐native macrofungi have grown quasi‐exponentially between 1753 and 2018, reflecting not only improved recording capacities but also likely an increasing number of introductions. Main Conclusions We find that many regions of the world already harbour a high diversity of non‐native macrofungi, with economic, climatic and introduction pathway‐related factors explaining a relevant portion of the geographical patterns formed by these taxa. Given that socio‐economic activity has increased strongly in recent decades, the global anthropogenic redistribution of macrofungi is likely to intensify further in the near future.
View
Diversity, Distribution and Drivers of Alien Flora in the Indian Himalayan Region
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2022
The Himalaya – a global biodiversity hotspot – harbours diverse flora and fauna, but increasingly beset with multiple threats, including biological invasion by invasive alien species. Here, we aimed to investigate the diversity, distribution, and drivers of alien flora in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), a region spread across 12 states/union territories in India. We developed a comprehensive checklist on alien flora of IHR based on review of 141 studies published from 1934-2022, and further disentangled the key environmental (average annual rainfall, total area, protected area, forest area, total plant richness) and socioeconomic (total population, traffic length) correlates that better explain regional alien and naturalizd plant richness. We recorded 771 alien plant species, including 375 cultivated and 396 naturalized species. We found the species native to Southern America and those with perennial life span and herbaceous growth form were most represented in the IHR. Similarly, the annual herbs native to Southern American had a higher probability to become naturalized in the IHR. Based on the species composition of the total alien and naturalised flora distributed across different parts of the IHR, we found evidence of distance decay of floristic similarity. The total alien plant richness was best explained by the average annual rainfall, while the naturalized plant richness was best predicted by total traffic length. Our results identify the key environmental (i.e., average annual rainfall) and socioeconomic (i.e., total traffic length) drivers that determine the diversity and distribution patterns of alien and naturalized plants in the IHR. Our findings have practical applications in developing a scientifically-informed management and policy framework to mitigate the impacts of plant invasions and to predict the potential future plant invaders in the Himalaya. Overall, the checklist of alien flora of the IHR represents a step forward in filling the knowledge gaps on biological invasions from the Himalaya – a globally data-deficient region.
View
vegan community ecology package version 2.6-2 April 2022
Book
Full-text available
  • Mar 2022
The vegan package provides tools for descriptive community ecology. It has most basic functions of diversity analysis, community ordination and dissimilarity analysis. Most of its multivariate tools can be used for other data types as well. The functions in the vegan package contain tools for diversity analysis, ordination methods and tools for the analysis of dissimilarities. Together with the labdsv package, the vegan package provides most standard tools of descriptive community analysis. Package ade4 provides an alternative comprehensive package, and several other packages complement vegan and provide tools for deeper analysis in specific fields. Package https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=BiodiversityR provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for a large subset of vegan functionality. The vegan package is developed at GitHub (https://github.com/vegandevs/vegan/). GitHub provides up-to-date information and forums for bug reports. Most important changes in vegan documents can be read with news(package="vegan") and vignettes can be browsed with browseVignettes("vegan"). The vignettes include a vegan FAQ, discussion on design decisions, short introduction to ordination and discussion on diversity methods. A tutorial of the package at http://cc.oulu.fi/~jarioksa/opetus/metodi/vegantutor.pdf provides a more thorough introduction to the package. To see the preferable citation of the package, type citation("vegan").
View
Dissecting the difference in tree species richness between Africa and South America
Article
Full-text available
  • Apr 2022
Significance Our full-scale comparison of Africa and South America’s lowland tropical tree floras shows that both Africa and South America’s moist and dry tree floras are organized similarly: plant families that are rich in tree species on one continent are also rich in tree species on the other continent, and these patterns hold across moist and dry environments. Moreover, we confirm that there is an important difference in tree species richness between the two continents, which is linked to a few families that are exceptionally diverse in South American moist forests, although dry formations also contribute to this difference. Plant families only present on one of the two continents do not contribute substantially to differences in tree species richness.
View
The number of tree species on Earth
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2022
Significance Tree diversity is fundamental for forest ecosystem stability and services. However, because of limited available data, estimates of tree diversity at large geographic domains still rely heavily on published lists of species descriptions that are geographically uneven in coverage. These limitations have precluded efforts to generate a global perspective. Here, based on a ground-sourced global database, we estimate the number of tree species at biome, continental, and global scales. We estimated a global tree richness (≈73,300) that is ≈14% higher than numbers known today, with most undiscovered species being rare, continentally endemic, and tropical or subtropical. These results highlight the vulnerability of global tree species diversity to anthropogenic changes.
View
Tree diversity, congruence and endemism: Himalaya ‘The land of diversity’
Article
Full-text available
  • Aug 2021
  • BIODIVERS CONSERV
Trees are acknowledged as most valued gift of nature and saviour of earth, enhancing and protecting landscapes, ecosystems and production systems. An authentic database of tree flora missing from local to global scale has immense value. Formulation of conservation and management policies are difficult owing to huge variation in number of species, lack of tree cover and quantification of tree diversity. To endow with a pragmatic groundwork for quantification of tree diversity of IHR, we had published an inventory of 1466 tree species (Angiosperms and Gymnosperms) along with their taxonomically vetted scientific name, distributional range, phenological attributes (leaf persistence and flower colour), use value, congruence, endemism and threatened species. One more database on tree diversity of Western Himalaya was also published with an annotated list of tree flora compiled from unrestricted literature and e-floras related to the regions. The present paper is an attempt to bring out the overall representation of tree flora of IHR, its distributional pattern, congruence, and endemism criterion in Western and Eastern Himalaya along with correlation between the regions as well as states.
View
Bridging the research-implementation gap in IUCN Red List assessments
Article
  • Jan 2022
  • TRENDS ECOL EVOL
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species is central in biodiversity conservation, but insufficient resources hamper its long-term growth, updating, and consistency. Models or automated calculations can alleviate those challenges by providing standardised estimates required for assessments, or prioritising species for (re-)assessments. However, while numerous scientific papers have proposed such methods, few have been integrated into assessment practice, highlighting a critical research–implementation gap. We believe this gap can be bridged by fostering communication and collaboration between academic researchers and Red List practitioners, and by developing and maintaining user-friendly platforms to automate application of the methods. We propose that developing methods better encompassing Red List criteria, systems, and drivers is the next priority to support the Red List.
View