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Mesaglio T, Sauquet H, Coleman D, Wenk E, Cornwell WK. Photographs as an essential biodiversity resource: drivers of gaps in the vascular plant photographic record. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 238:1685-1694. [PMID: 36913725 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The photographic record is increasingly becoming an important biodiversity resource for primary research and conservation monitoring. However, globally, there are important gaps in this record even in relatively well-researched floras. To quantify the gaps in the Australian native vascular plant photographic record, we systematically surveyed 33 sources of well-curated species photographs, assembling a list of species with accessible and verifiable photographs, as well as the species for which this search failed. Of 21 077 Australian native species, 3715 lack a verifiable photograph across our 33 surveyed resources. There are three major geographic hotspots of unphotographed species in Australia, all far from current population centres. Many unphotographed species are small in stature or uncharismatic, and many are also recently described. The large number of recently described species without accessible photographs was surprising. There are longstanding efforts in Australia to organise the plant photographic record, but in the absence of a global consensus to treat photographs as an essential biodiversity resource, this has not become common practice. Many recently described species are small-range endemics and some have special conservation status. Completing the botanical photographic record across the globe will facilitate a virtuous feedback loop of more efficient identification, monitoring and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Mesaglio
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Hervé Sauquet
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- National Herbarium of New South Wales, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney, NSW, 2000, Australia
| | - David Coleman
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Elizabeth Wenk
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - William K Cornwell
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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Nazir S, Khan HU, Shahzad S, García-Magariño I. Editorial on decision support system for development of intelligent applications. Soft comput 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00500-022-07390-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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