Jan Hackel’s research while affiliated with Philipps University of Marburg and other places

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Publications (42)


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January 2025

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A nuclear phylogenomic tree of grasses (Poaceae) recovers current classification despite gene tree incongruence

January 2025

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603 Reads

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1 Citation

Grasses (Poaceae) comprise c . 11 800 species and are central to human livelihoods and terrestrial ecosystems. Knowing their relationships and evolutionary history is key to comparative research and crop breeding. Advances in genome‐scale sequencing allow for increased breadth and depth of phylogenomic analyses, making it possible to infer a new reference species tree of the family. We inferred a comprehensive species tree of grasses by combining new and published sequences for 331 nuclear genes from genome, transcriptome, target enrichment and shotgun data. Our 1153‐tip tree covers 79% of grass genera (including 21 genera sequenced for the first time) and all but two small tribes. We compared it to a newly inferred 910‐tip plastome tree. We recovered most of the tribes and subfamilies previously established, despite pervasive incongruence among nuclear gene trees. The early diversification of the PACMAD clade could represent a hard polytomy. Gene tree–species tree reconciliation suggests that reticulation events occurred repeatedly. Nuclear–plastome incongruence is rare, with very few cases of supported conflict. We provide a robust framework for the grass tree of life to support research on grass evolution, including modes of reticulation, and genetic diversity for sustainable agriculture.


Figure 4: Habitats and uses of Erica in Madagascar. (a) Erica sp. in a mosaic with 836 grassland, Andringitra National Park, Southeast, c. 2,000 m elevation. Lorna MacKinnon, 837 Diana Rabeharison, Nantenaina Rakotomalala, and Fenitra Randrianarimanana 2022. (b) 838 Erica sp. on coastal sand, Manombo Special Reserve, Southeast. Nina Lester Finley 2023 839 (CC BY 4.0), https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/186728736. (c) Tree heathers, 840 probably corresponding to Philippia cauliflora subsp. gigas H.Perrier (now included in Erica 841 goudotiana (Klotzsch) Dorr & E.G.H.Oliv), at campsite Beanjavidy ("the big heathers"), 842 Tsaratanana Reserve, North, c. 2,300 m elevation. Andry Rakotoarisoa 2022. (d) Erica sp. 843 colonising an opening dominated by the flammable grass Aristida cf. rufescens in 844 Tsaratanana Reserve, at c. 2,000 m elevation. Jan Hackel 2022. (e-f) Cut bundles of two 845 unidentified Erica species near Anfanifotsy, just outside Andringitra National Park, c. 1,500 846 m elevation. Vincent Porcher 2020 (CC BY), 847 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/95638300. 848
Figures 808
Heathers (Erica, Ericaceae) of Madagascar: taxonomy, evolution, ecology and uses

November 2024

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159 Reads

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1 Citation

Madagascar is a regional diversity centre of the plant genus Erica L. (heathers; anjavidy in Malagasy), with 35 species currently recognised. There is no modern taxonomic treatment of the group, and many collections remain unidentified. We review the taxonomic history of Malagasy Erica , built largely on the 1927 revision by Perrier de la Bâthie, who treated them as Philippia . We summarise diagnostic species descriptions and incorporate them into the Erica Identification Aid. There is clearly morphological variation that is poorly reflected in current species concepts and requires further study. Malagasy Erica most likely form a single radiation also encompassing species from the Mascarenes, according to published and new phylogenetic data. However, resolution within the group is poor, and most species remain unsequenced. Literature and specimen records show that Erica is found in all regions of Madagascar except the dry west and southwest, with the highest species richness on the high mountains. Habitats include the high-altitude “ericoid thickets”, shrubland–grassland mosaics in the central highlands and on the eastern coast, and Uapaca bojeri (tapia) savanna. The ecology of individual Erica species is insufficiently known. There may be both wind- and (currently undocumented) insect-pollinated species. Many Erica species are likely to be part of dynamic ecosystems with infrequent fire regimes. The paleorecord indicates a more widespread ericoid shrub vegetation during the last glacial period. Erica is mainly used as fuelwood, but local uses as tools and medicine have also been reported. None of the Malagasy species has had its conservation status assessed, but estimates suggest at least one-fifth of the species may be threatened. Taxonomic revision of the group, coupled with phylogenomics, is an urgent priority. This would also enable better assessments of ecological variation, local uses and conservation priorities.


Predicted relationships between grass genome size and (a–c) climatic/edaphic niche and (d–f) relative growth rate (RGR; rate of growth proportional to size) under controlled experimental treatments (reduced levels (dashed line) from controls (solid line)).
Genome size relationships with the climatic and edaphic niche of grass species. Climate/soil characteristics are means of values extracted across each species range. Figures for the same niche variable (i.e., a, d; b, e; c and f) show results from the same model but are separated out to show photosynthetic pathway and life history effects. Fitted lines indicate significant relationships when phylogeny is accounted for using generalised linear mixed models. GS, genome size (expressed as 1C‐values); LH, life history; ns, not significant; PP, photosynthetic pathway. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001.
Genome size relationships with relative growth rate (RGR) under different environmental conditions in grasses. Data are from a comparative growth experiment on grass seedlings grown in a controlled environment chamber. ‘Control’ treatment conditions are tropical temperatures with nonlimiting water and nutrient supply. Other treatments have reduced temperature, soil nitrogen, or watering. Figures for the same treatment (i.e., a, e; b, f; c, g; d and h) show results from the same model but are separated out to show photosynthetic pathway and life history effects. Fitted lines indicate significant relationships when phylogeny is accounted for using generalised linear mixed models. GS, genome size (expressed as 1C‐values); LH, life history; ns, not significant; PP, photosynthetic pathway. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001.
Distribution of genome size across 851 grass species. Genome size (expressed as 1C‐values, i.e. the amount of DNA contained within a unreplicated gametophytic nucleus given in picograms (pg)) shows a strong phylogenetic signal in grasses (Pagel's lambda = 0.80 (95% confidence interval = 0.74, 0.86)), with larger values seen in the BOP (Bambusoideae, Oryzoideae, and Pooideae) clade but not in the other major clade, PACMAD (Panicoideae, Arundinoideae, Chloridoideae, Micrairoideae, Aristidoideae and Danthonioideae). Species included are those with available phylogenetic, genome size and photosynthetic pathway information.
Constraints on genome size in grasses. Genome size (GS; expressed as 1C‐values in pg) is restricted to being smaller in both C3 and C4 species in the PACMAD (Panicoideae, Arundinoideae, Chloridoideae, Micrairoideae, Aristidoideae and Danthonioideae) clade, but not in the C3‐only BOP (Bambusoideae, Oryzoideae, and Pooideae) clade (a). GS is significantly larger in perennial compared with annual grass species (b); however, GS is not limited by life history (i.e. the range of GS in annual and perennial species is similar). Figures are kernel density plots which display the distribution of values using one continuous curve, and therefore density is a proxy of species richness. Legends indicate line colours and where significant differences exist in mean GS between named groups (once phylogeny is accounted for using generalised linear mixed models). *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01.
Bigger genomes provide environment‐dependent growth benefits in grasses

October 2024

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135 Reads

Increasing genome size (GS) has been associated with slower rates of DNA replication and greater cellular nitrogen (N) and phosphorus demands. Despite most plant species having small genomes, the existence of larger GS species suggests that such costs may be negligible or represent benefits under certain conditions. Focussing on the widespread and diverse grass family (Poaceae), we used data on species' climatic niches and growth rates under different environmental conditions to test for growth costs or benefits associated with GS. The influence of photosynthetic pathway, life history and evolutionary history on grass GS was also explored. We found that evolutionary history, photosynthetic pathway and life history all influence the distribution of grass species' GS. Genomes were smaller in annual and C4 species, the latter allowing for small cells necessary for C4 leaf anatomy. We found larger GS were associated with high N availability and, for perennial species, low growth‐season temperature. Our findings reveal that GS is a globally important predictor of grass performance dependent on environmental conditions. The benefits for species with larger GS are likely due to associated larger cell sizes, allowing rapid biomass production where soil fertility meets N demands and/or when growth occurs via temperature‐independent cell expansion.


Figure 1: Phylogeny of 1,153 Poaceae accessions inferred from 331 nuclear genes, including paralogs, using a multi-species coalescent approach. Branch colours reflect local posterior support for the quartet configuration displayed. Hollow circles indicate supported conflict among nuclear gene trees at 48 internal branches, where two alternative quartet configurations each have >1/3 local posterior support. Subfamilies and larger tribes (abbreviated) are labelled according to the most recent Poaceae classification (Soreng et al., 2022). The coloured lines link taxonomic outliers at tribe to subfamily level to their nominal taxa. Silhouettes show representatives for large subfamilies (from top): Maize or corn, Zea mays (Panicoideae); Dactyloctenium radulans (Chloridoideae); oat, Avena sativa (Pooideae); Bambusa textilis (Bambudoideae); rice, Oryza sativa (Oryzoideae). See Fig. S5 for a detailed version of the tree.
Figure 3: Comparison of nuclear and plastome topologies for the Poaceae. The 1,153-tip nuclear tree is shown on the left, the 910-tip plastome tree on the right. Plastome support (transfer bootstrap expectation, TBE) was summarised for branches present in both trees (814 shared species). Grey branches in the nuclear tree had no equivalent for comparison in the plastome tree. Hollow circles indicate strong signals of conflict, i.e. high support in the nuclear tree (local posterior probability > 0.8) but poor support (TBE < 0.3) in the plastome tree. Tribes are matched between the two in both trees, and larger tribes are labelled for orientation. The inset plots plastome support against a measure of conflict between nuclear gene trees (local posterior support for the second-most supported quartet per branch), which are negatively correlated. The blue line is a simple linear trend line.
Taxonomic discrepancies in the nuclear tree at subfamily to tribe level. Taxa listed here will need follow-up studies to validate their placement. An asterisk (*) denotes genera whose type species was sampled.
Nuclear phylogenomics of grasses (Poaceae) supports current classification and reveals repeated reticulation

May 2024

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1,074 Reads

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1 Citation

Grasses (Poaceae) comprise around 11,800 species and are central for human livelihoods and terrestrial ecosystems. Knowing their relationships and evolutionary history is key to comparative research and crop breeding. Advances in genome-scale sequencing allow for increased breadth and depth of phylogenomic analyses, making it possible to infer a new reference species tree of the family. We inferred a comprehensive species tree of grasses by combining new and published sequences for 331 nuclear genes from genome, transcriptome, target enrichment and shotgun data. Our 1,153-tip tree covers 79% of grass genera (including 21 genera sequenced for the first time) and all but two small tribes. We compared it to a 910-tip plastome tree. The nuclear phylogeny matches that of the plastome at most deep branches, with only a few instances of incongruence. Gene tree–species tree reconciliation suggests that reticulation events occurred repeatedly in the history of grasses. We provide a robust framework for the grass tree of life to support research on grass evolution, including modes of reticulation, and genetic diversity for sustainable agriculture.


Phylogenomics and the rise of the angiosperms

April 2024

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4,169 Reads

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83 Citations

Nature

Angiosperms are the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and human livelihoods1,2. A robust understanding of angiosperm evolution is required to explain their rise to ecological dominance. So far, the angiosperm tree of life has been determined primarily by means of analyses of the plastid genome3,4. Many studies have drawn on this foundational work, such as classification and first insights into angiosperm diversification since their Mesozoic origins5–7. However, the limited and biased sampling of both taxa and genomes undermines confidence in the tree and its implications. Here, we build the tree of life for almost 8,000 (about 60%) angiosperm genera using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes⁸. This 15-fold increase in genus-level sampling relative to comparable nuclear studies⁹ provides a critical test of earlier results and brings notable change to key groups, especially in rosids, while substantiating many previously predicted relationships. Scaling this tree to time using 200 fossils, we discovered that early angiosperm evolution was characterized by high gene tree conflict and explosive diversification, giving rise to more than 80% of extant angiosperm orders. Steady diversification ensued through the remaining Mesozoic Era until rates resurged in the Cenozoic Era, concurrent with decreasing global temperatures and tightly linked with gene tree conflict. Taken together, our extensive sampling combined with advanced phylogenomic methods shows the deep history and full complexity in the evolution of a megadiverse clade.


Phylogenomic analysis reveals five independently evolved African forage grass clades in the genus Urochloa

February 2024

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148 Reads

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1 Citation

Annals of Botany

Background and Aims The grass genus Urochloa (Brachiaria) sensu lato includes forage crops that are important for beef and dairy industries in tropical and sub-tropical Africa, South America, and Oceania/Australia. Economically important species include U. brizantha, U. decumbens, U. humidicola, U. mutica, U. arrecta, U. trichopus, U. mosambicensis, and Megathyrsus maximus, all native to the African continent. Perennial growth habits, large, fast growing palatable leaves, intra- and interspecific morphological variability, apomictic reproductive systems, and frequent polyploidy are widely shared within the genus. The combination of these traits likely favoured the selection for forage domestication and weediness, but trait emergence across Urochloa cannot be modelled, as a robust phylogenetic assessment of the genus has not been conducted. We aim to produce a phylogeny for Urochloa that includes all important forage species, and identify their closest wild relatives (crop wild relatives). Finally, we will use our phylogeny and available trait data to infer the ancestral states of important forage traits across Urochloa s.l. and model the evolution of forage syndromes across the genus. Methods Using a target enrichment sequencing approach (Angiosperms353), we inferred a species level phylogeny for Urochloa s.l., encompassing 54 species (~40% of the genus) and outgroups. Phylogenies were inferred using a multispecies coalescent model and maximum likelihood method. We determined the phylogenetic placement of agriculturally important species and identified their closest wild relatives, or crop wild relatives, based on well-supported monophyly. Further, we mapped key traits associated with Urochloa forage crops to the species tree and estimated ancestral states for forage traits along branch lengths for continuous traits and at ancestral nodes in discrete traits. Key Results Agricultural species belong to five independent clades, including U. brizantha and U. decumbens lying in a previously defined species complex. Crop wild relatives were identified for these clades supporting previous sub-generic groupings in Urochloa based on morphology. Using ancestral trait estimation models, we find that five morphological traits that correlate with forage potential (perennial growth habits, culm height, leaf size, a winged rachis, and large seeds) independently evolved in forage clades. Conclusions Urochloa s.l. is a highly diverse genus that contains numerous species with agricultural potential, including crop wild relatives that are currently underexploited. All forage species and their crop wild relatives naturally occur on the African continent and their conservation across their native distributions is essential. Genomic and phenotypic diversity in forage clade species and their wild relatives needs to be better assessed both to develop conservation strategies, and exploit the diversity in the genus for improved sustainability in Urochloa cultivar production.


Scale-Dependent Coherence of Terrestrial Vertebrate Biodiversity with Environment

January 2024

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43 Reads

Disentangling contributions from environmental variables is crucial for explaining global biodiversity patterns. We use wavelet power spectra to separate wavelength-dependent trends across Earth’s surface. Spectra reveal scale- and location-dependent coherence between species richness and topography ( E ), annual precipitation ( Pn ), temperature ( Tm ) and temperature range ( ΔT ). >97% of richness of carnivorans, bats, songbirds, hummingbirds and amphibians resides at wavelengths >~10 km. 30-69% is generated at scales >~10 km. At these scales, richness across the Americas is anti-correlated with E and ΔT , and positively correlated with Pn and Tm . Carnivoran richness is incoherent with ΔT , suggesting insensitivity to temperature seasonality. Conversely, amphibian richness is anti-correlated with ΔT at large scales. At scales <~10 km, richness is highest within the tropics. Terrestrial plateaux exhibit coherence between carnivoran richness and E at scales ~10 km, reflecting contributions of orogeny/epeirogeny to biodiversity. Similar findings result from transects across other continents. Scale-dependent sensitivities of vertebrate populations to climate are revealed.


Representatives of 12 Poales families. (a) Tillandsia tovarensis (Bromeliaceae), epiphytic in cloud forest, Kuelap, N Peru. (b) Insect‐pollinated Rhynchospora colorata (Cyperaceae), in forest gaps, S Ecuador. (c) Ecdeiocolea rigens (Ecdeiocoleaceae), arid heath, SW Australia. (d) Paepalanthus ensifolius (Eriocaulaceae), in cloud forest, Podocarpus National Park, S Ecuador. (e) Flagellaria indica (Flagellariaceae), rocky savannah, NW Australia. (f) Mayaca fluviatilis (Mayacaceae), wetlands, Singapore. (g) Micraira sp. Purnululu (Poaceae), a rapid‐resurrection species from sandstone pavements in NW Australia. (h) Guacamaya superba (Rapataceae) in a sedge and grass swamp in E Colombia. (i) Lepidobolus preissii (Restionaceae) from sandy heath, SW Australia. (j) Prionium serratum (Thurniaceae) in fynbos, Cape Province, South Africa. (k) Sparganium japonicum (Typhaceae) from wetlands in E Russia. (l) Xyris complanata (Xyridaceae) from an ephemeral wetland in savannah, NW Australia. Photos by Russell Barrett; except for (f, h, j, k), all posted on iNaturalist as CC‐BY‐NC; (f) by CheongWeei Gan; (h) by Carlos Eduardo; (j) by Linda Hibbin; (k) by Sergei Prokopenko.
Global phylogenetic patterns of regionalisation in Poales. ( a) Phylogenetic regionalisation of the six largest families of Poales. Graphs represent the logarithmic species richness of the six families through time within each of the 13 phyloregions identified using the elbow and K‐means approach, where dotted lines represent open habitat lineages and solid lines indicate closed habitat lineages. A geological timeline is located in the inset in the far left‐hand corner, with the following abbreviations: Cretaceous (C: 66–56 Myr); Paleocene (P: 66–56 Myr); Eocene (E: 56–33.9 Myr); Oligocene (O: 33.9–23 Myr) and Miocene (M: 23–5.3 Myr). Inset to the right of the geological timeline shows nestedness of the 13 regions based on non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), where each colour dot represent a phyloregion and the three clusters each with similar colour dots represent the three major botanical kingdoms (Temperate, Neotropics, Palaeotropics). (b) Phylogenetic diversity (PD) of the six most speciose families of Poales, with red and dark blue indicating botanical countries with relatively high and low PD values, respectively. Botanical regions indicated by grey in (b) lack species for the respective family.
Ancestral area reconstruction within Poales based on seven regions, obtained using the dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis (DEC) model in BioGeoBEARS (a). A global map showing colours corresponding to the seven defined areas for the BioGeoBEARS analysis is in the centre of the phylogenetic reconstruction. The crown nodes of the families within Poales are shown with black circles, whereas dark grey squares are used to depict lineages important for the study's interpretations. Concentric light grey/white rings underlying the phylogeny indicate time slots of 20 Myr intervals. Note that Joinvilleaceae and Ecdeiocoleaceae are depicted together for visual purposes. Number of dispersal events between the seven regions inferred using Biogeographical Stochastic Mapping on the DEC model (b), and (c) number of transitions between open and closed habitats inferred to have occurred within each of the seven areas, calculated through comparison of best fitting corHMM models and historical biogeographical estimates. The colours of row and column labels in (b) and row in (c) correspond to those on inset map in (a).
Ancestral states of open/closed habitats based on Generalized Hidden Markov models, with hidden rates model with two categories and asymmetric rates, implemented with the corHMM package in R. The crown nodes of the families within Poales are shown with black circles, whereas dark grey squares are used to depict lineages important for the study's interpretations. Concentric light grey/white rings underlying the phylogeny indicate time slots of 20 Myr intervals. Detailed transition rates between the states and rate are given in Table S5.
Biodiversity patterns in Poales represented by Faith's phylogenetic diversity (PD) for open habitat species (a) and PD for closed habitat species (b); (c) Rosauer's phylogenetic endemism (PE) and (d) PE significance; and (e) centres of palaeo‐ and neo‐endemism determined using CANAPE for all Poales (left) and the six most speciose families (right). High PE significance indicates that the region has an overrepresentation of short, rare branches. Low PE significance indicates that short, rare branches are underrepresented. ns, not significant.
Global analysis of Poales diversification – parallel evolution in space and time into open and closed habitats

November 2023

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701 Reads

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17 Citations

Poales are one of the most species‐rich, ecologically and economically important orders of plants and often characterise open habitats, enabled by unique suites of traits. We test six hypotheses regarding the evolution and assembly of Poales in open and closed habitats throughout the world, and examine whether diversification patterns demonstrate parallel evolution. We sampled 42% of Poales species and obtained taxonomic and biogeographic data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants database, which was combined with open/closed habitat data scored by taxonomic experts. A dated supertree of Poales was constructed. We integrated spatial phylogenetics with regionalisation analyses, historical biogeography and ancestral state estimations. Diversification in Poales and assembly of open and closed habitats result from dynamic evolutionary processes that vary across lineages, time and space, most prominently in tropical and southern latitudes. Our results reveal parallel and recurrent patterns of habitat and trait transitions in the species‐rich families Poaceae and Cyperaceae. Smaller families display unique and often divergent evolutionary trajectories. The Poales have achieved global dominance via parallel evolution in open habitats, with notable, spatially and phylogenetically restricted divergences into strictly closed habitats.


State of the World's Plants and Fungi 2023

October 2023

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3,208 Reads

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75 Citations

What grows where? Knowledge about where to find particular species in nature must have been key to the survival of humans throughout our evolution. Over time, and as people colonised new land masses and habitats, interactions with the local biota led to a wealth of combined traditional and scientific wisdom about the distributions of species and their many uses. Fast-forward to the present day, and much of our current scientific knowledge of global plant and fungal diversity comes from specimens hosted by the world’s herbaria and fungaria, of which there are more than 3,000. But despite this wealth of knowledge and collections, one might be surprised to learn that, to date, we have not been able to answer one of the most fundamental questions in plant and fungal diversity with confidence – namely, how many species are there globally and in different parts of the world? The consequences of our insufficient knowledge on biodiversity and distribution are manifold. Scientists may have drawn biased – or possibly even incorrect – conclusions on the patterns and underlying drivers of diversity. Beyond the impacts of knowledge gaps and inaccuracies on efforts to answer fundamental scientific questions, there are serious implications for conservation given that several targets in the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, such as those related to protecting and restoring biodiverse habitats, rely on having robust biodiversity data. To tackle this challenge, this fifth edition of State of the World’s Plants and Fungi, from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew), focuses on the latest knowledge on the diversity and geographical distribution of plants and fungi. It relies on two major advances. The first is the release of the World Checklist of Vascular Plants complete with geographical distributions for all known species – a landmark achievement, led by RBG Kew’s Rafaël Govaerts, which took more than 35 years of meticulous and highly collaborative work. And the second is the extraction of a wealth of new information on fungal diversity from analyses of environmental DNA in soil samples across the world, combined with morphological and molecular evidence from fungarium specimens. In the following chapters, we present compelling stories demonstrating what we have learned from these and related sources of data, and how this understanding can help us foster future research and conservation. This report is based on groundbreaking research papers from many international teams of scientists. They are co-released in a collection of open-access articles titled ‘Global Plant Diversity and Distribution’ from the journals New Phytologist and Plants, People, Planet, and a review of global fungal diversity in the Annual Review of Environment and Resources. We are grateful to the Sfumato Foundation for financial support, the journals’ editorial boards, the expert reviewers, and all authors and other contributors to this important, timely and fruitful collaboration. Just as our early ancestors needed to know what grows where for their own survival, so plants and fungi need us to know where they grow – to enable us to safeguard their continued existence for generations to come.


Citations (21)


... Though C 4 grasslands expanded later in the record during a drier period and again when human impact increased, it is important to note that open and mosaic ecosystems dominated by a matrix of grasslands and ericoid shrubland are a natural part of the highlands landscape. Conserving these ecosystems is worthwhile, especially the ericoid shrubland, which deserves focused research priorities (Hackel et al., 2024). These habitats should not be assumed to be degraded and replanted as part of the government's afforestation programme, which primarily focuses on the Central Highland's open spaces (Lacroix et al., 2016). ...

Reference:

Vegetation dynamics and drivers of change in the Central Highlands of Madagascar during the last 6300 years: Pre- and post-human settlement
Heathers (Erica, Ericaceae) of Madagascar: taxonomy, evolution, ecology and uses

... Some organismal groups possess nearly complete phylogenies, such as birds (e.g., Jetz et al., 2012;Jarvis et al., 2014;Prum et al., 2015) and flowering plants (Guo et al., 2023). For example, Zuntini et al. (2024) recently produced a groundbreaking phylogenomic tree of life encompassing more than half of known angiosperm genera. ...

Phylogenomics and the rise of the angiosperms

Nature

... Más allá de características estructurales y fisiológicas únicas, hay atributos ecológicos que hacen a los hongos un sistema de estudio particularmente complejo e interesante para la filosofía de la biología. Para empezar, su enorme biodiversidad, ya que se estima que podrían existir hasta 6,28 millones de especies de hongos en el planeta (Baldrian et al., 2022), aunque solamente han sido descritas un poco más de 155 mil (Antonelli et al., 2023). En general, ha resultado difícil aplicar los conceptos tradicionales de especie (por ejemplo, basados en reproducción sexual) a organismos diferentes a animales y plantas, lo que explicaría -en parte-esta enorme diversidad fúngica no clasificada ('dark taxa'), particularmente en el suelo (Anthony et al., 2023). ...

State of the World's Plants and Fungi 2023

... Despite their value, monographs are lacking for many plant genera (Grace et al., 2021) but are also not fully explored for understanding changing plant distributions over time, which goes to show that we do not know much about global plant diversity (Cornwell et al., 2019;Ondo et al., 2024). Advances in digitizing herbarium specimens, combined with machine learning and community science initiatives such as iNat, can expedite the completion of monographs for all species in plant superfamilies with large global distributions such as legumes, grasses, orchids, and Bromeliaceae (Goettsch et al., 2015;Zizka et al., 2020;Grace et al., 2021;de Lutio et al., 2022;Elliott et al., 2024;Pérez-Escobar et al., 2024). ...

Global analysis of Poales diversification – parallel evolution in space and time into open and closed habitats

... Most studies that examined richness-environment relationship of terrestrial vertebrates were confined to one or two tetrapod classes (Allen et al., 2002;Araújo et al., 2008;Barreto et al., 2019;Costa et al., 2007;Evans et al., 2005;Foody, 2004;Fritz et al., 2016;Kerr & Packer, 1997;Qian et al., 2007;Rahbek & Graves, 2001;Rodríguez et al., 2005), or involve birds, mammals, and amphibians (Belmaker & Jetz, 2011;Bohdalková et al., 2021;Buckley & Jetz, 2007;Davies et al., 2007;Gouveia et al., 2013;Grenyer et al., 2006;Gudex-Cross et al., 2022;Hawkins et al., 2007Hawkins et al., , 2012Hortal et al., 2008;O'Malley et al., 2023;Wu & Liang, 2018). Studies that incorporate all tetrapods (including reptiles) have usually been confined to one region (Currie, 1991;Lewin et al., 2016;Powney et al., 2010;Tallowin et al., 2017;. ...

Coherence of terrestrial vertebrate species richness with external drivers across scales and taxonomic groups

Global Ecology and Biogeography

... In addition, pronounced ecological gradients favor the diversification of species and explain the high number of micro-endemism within many taxa (Vences et al., 2009;Vorontsova et al., 2016). However, this ecological richness is under constant threat due to escalating rates of deforestation, land degradation, and persistent socio-economic challenges (Vieilledent et al., 2018;Ralimanana et al., 2022). Madagascar continues to have one of the highest poverty and malnutrition rates in the world, widespread food insecurity and is among the African countries most affected by climate change (Borgerson et al., 2016;Golden et al., 2016;Kappeler et al., 2022). ...

Madagascar's extraordinary biodiversity: Threats and opportunities

Science

... Northwest Madagascar is a noted hotspot for marine biodiversity (Antonelli et al. 2022). The island of Nosy Be is a popular marine tourism destination (Ziegler et al. 2021), known for its populations of large planktivores such as Omura's whales (Balaenoptera omurai; Cerchio et al. 2015) and whale sharks (Rhincodon typus; Diamant et al. 2021). ...

Madagascar's extraordinary biodiversity: Evolution, distribution, and use

Science

... Species of this genus typically form ectomycorrhizal symbiotic associations with a wide range of host trees, primarily including Pinus spp., Castanopsis spp., Picea spp., Larix spp., Fagus spp., and Castanea spp. [5][6][7]. These fungi inhabit a diverse array of ecosystems, ranging from Arctic tundra to tropical forests, and play a crucial role in forest development and the maintenance of the ecological balance [8,9]. ...

Biogeographic history of a large clade of ectomycorrhizal fungi, the Russulaceae, in the Neotropics and adjacent regions

... Los procesos anagenéticos que modifican la distribución entre dos eventos de especiación son la dispersión y la extinción. Estos métodos tienen la ventaja de modelar el movimiento y establecimiento de especies en una nueva área geográfica que deja una marca en la filogenia (Hackel y Sanmartín, 2021), lo cual podría ser aplicado al espacio ambiental. Sin embargo, no hemos encontrado publicaciones donde se aplique. ...

Modelling the tempo and mode of lineage dispersal
  • Citing Article
  • August 2021

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

... Heteropogon diverged from Cymbopogon ~ 8.84 Ma, and the divergence between H. contortus and Themeda is estimated at ~ 7.6 Ma. In T. triandra, the Asian and Australian populations diverged from the African taxon by ~ 1.15 Ma (Arthan et al. 2021; also see Christin et al. 2014). Thus, although shifts in climate and genetic drift may have affected grass populations, it is evident that some of the grasses have been around for a very long time (see Bredenkamp et al. 2002). ...

Complex evolutionary history of two ecologically significant grass genera, Themeda and Heteropogon (Poaceae: Panicoideae: Andropogoneae)

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society