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Daru BH. Predicting undetected native vascular plant diversity at a global scale. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2319989121. [PMID: 39133854 PMCID: PMC11348117 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2319989121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Vascular plants are diverse and a major component of terrestrial ecosystems, yet their geographic distributions remain incomplete. Here, I present a global database of vascular plant distributions by integrating species distribution models calibrated to species' dispersal ability and natural habitats to predict native range maps for 201,681 vascular plant species into unsurveyed areas. Using these maps, I uncover unique patterns of native vascular plant diversity, endemism, and phylogenetic diversity revealing hotspots in underdocumented biodiversity-rich regions. These hotspots, based on detailed species-level maps, show a pronounced latitudinal gradient, strongly supporting the theory of increasing diversity toward the equator. I trained random forest models to extrapolate diversity patterns under unbiased global sampling and identify overlaps with modeled estimations but unveiled cryptic hotspots that were not captured by modeled estimations. Only 29% to 36% of extrapolated plant hotspots are inside protected areas, leaving more than 60% outside and vulnerable. However, the unprotected hotspots harbor species with unique attributes that make them good candidates for conservation prioritization.
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Xu L, Liu T, Xue Z, Song J, Yuan Y, Zhang Z, Chen Y. Unique Plant Resources and Distribution Patterns in the Valley Forest of the Irtysh River Basin. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:1957. [PMID: 39065484 PMCID: PMC11281289 DOI: 10.3390/plants13141957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2024] [Revised: 07/14/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The river valley forests of the Irtysh River Basin are a germplasm bank of Salicaceae species and rare plant resources in China, and the distribution varies with the river and is highly distinctive. However, there is a dearth of systematic research on the characteristics of plant resources. In this study, a comprehensive investigation was conducted in the trunk stream and six tributaries with valley forest distribution in the Irtysh River Basin, and 244 quadrats were set up. The analysis focused on the composition of the flora and resource characteristics. The results reveal the following: (1) The valley forests of the Irtysh River Basin contain 256 species of plants belonging to 57 families and 178 genera, among which 19 species of trees, 23 species of shrubs, and 214 species of herbs were investigated. (2) Among the identified species, 226 (88.67%) were recognized as resource plants, with medicinal plants being the most abundant (176 species, 68.75% of the total). (3) The distribution patterns of trees, shrubs, and herbs of each resource type vary across rivers. Elevation drop, river length, and river distance all significantly affect the number of specie. This study elucidated the current status and distributional characteristics of plant resources in the valley forests of the Irtysh River Basin, which is essential for both biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Xu
- College of Life Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China; (L.X.); (Z.X.); (J.S.); (Y.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-Basin System Ecology, Shihezi 832003, China
| | - Tong Liu
- College of Life Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China; (L.X.); (Z.X.); (J.S.); (Y.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-Basin System Ecology, Shihezi 832003, China
| | - Zhifang Xue
- College of Life Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China; (L.X.); (Z.X.); (J.S.); (Y.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-Basin System Ecology, Shihezi 832003, China
| | - Jihu Song
- College of Life Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China; (L.X.); (Z.X.); (J.S.); (Y.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-Basin System Ecology, Shihezi 832003, China
| | - Ye Yuan
- College of Life Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China; (L.X.); (Z.X.); (J.S.); (Y.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-Basin System Ecology, Shihezi 832003, China
| | - Zidong Zhang
- College of Life Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China; (L.X.); (Z.X.); (J.S.); (Y.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-Basin System Ecology, Shihezi 832003, China
| | - Yongyu Chen
- College of Life Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China; (L.X.); (Z.X.); (J.S.); (Y.Y.); (Z.Z.); (Y.C.)
- Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Key Laboratory of Oasis Town and Mountain-Basin System Ecology, Shihezi 832003, China
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Przelomska NAS, Diaz RA, Ávila FA, Ballen GA, Cortés-B R, Kistler L, Chitwood DH, Charitonidou M, Renner SS, Pérez-Escobar OA, Antonelli A. Morphometrics and Phylogenomics of Coca (Erythroxylum spp.) Illuminate Its Reticulate Evolution, With Implications for Taxonomy. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae114. [PMID: 38982580 PMCID: PMC11233275 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
South American coca (Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense) has been a keystone crop for many Andean and Amazonian communities for at least 8,000 years. However, over the last half-century, global demand for its alkaloid cocaine has driven intensive agriculture of this plant and placed it in the center of armed conflict and deforestation. To monitor the changing landscape of coca plantations, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime collects annual data on their areas of cultivation. However, attempts to delineate areas in which different varieties are grown have failed due to limitations around identification. In the absence of flowers, identification relies on leaf morphology, yet the extent to which this is reflected in taxonomy is uncertain. Here, we analyze the consistency of the current naming system of coca and its four closest wild relatives (the "coca clade"), using morphometrics, phylogenomics, molecular clocks, and population genomics. We include name-bearing type specimens of coca's closest wild relatives E. gracilipes and E. cataractarum. Morphometrics of 342 digitized herbarium specimens show that leaf shape and size fail to reliably discriminate between species and varieties. However, the statistical analyses illuminate that rounder and more obovate leaves of certain varieties could be associated with the subtle domestication syndrome of coca. Our phylogenomic data indicate extensive gene flow involving E. gracilipes which, combined with morphometrics, supports E. gracilipes being retained as a single species. Establishing a robust evolutionary-taxonomic framework for the coca clade will facilitate the development of cost-effective genotyping methods to support reliable identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia A S Przelomska
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2DY, UK
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560, USA
| | - Rudy A Diaz
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
| | | | - Gustavo A Ballen
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Rocío Cortés-B
- Herbario Forestal Universidad Distrital, Campus El Vivero, CR 5E 15-82 Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Logan Kistler
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560, USA
| | - Daniel H Chitwood
- Department of Horticulture, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Department of Computational Mathematics, Science & Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Martha Charitonidou
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Susanne S Renner
- Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | | | - Alexandre Antonelli
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE, UK
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, SE 41319 Göteborg, Sweden
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, UK
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McFadden IR. Futureproofing Europe's forests. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:1064-1065. [PMID: 38684740 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02408-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Ian R McFadden
- Department of Biology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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Fernández-Llamazares Á, Teixidor-Toneu I, Armstrong CG, Caviedes J, Ibarra JT, Lepofsky D, McAlvay AC, Molnár Z, Moraes RM, Odonne G, Poe MR, Sharifian Bahraman A, Turner NJ. The global relevance of locally grounded ethnobiology. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2024; 20:53. [PMID: 38762450 PMCID: PMC11102124 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-024-00693-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
While ethnobiology is a discipline that focuses on the local, it has an outstanding, but not yet fully realized potential to address global issues. Part of this unrealized potential is that universalistic approaches often do not fully recognize culturally grounded perspectives and there are multiple challenges with scaling up place-based research. However, scalability is paramount to ensure that the intimate and context-specific diversity of human-environmental relationships and understandings are recognized in global-scale planning and policy development. Here, we identify four pathways to enable the scalability of place-based ethnobiological research from the ground up: local-to-global dialogues, aggregation of published data, multi-sited studies, and geospatial analyses. We also discuss some major challenges and consideration to encourage continuous reflexivity in these endeavours and to ensure that scalability does not contribute to unnecessarily decontextualizing, co-opting, or overwriting the epistemologies of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. As ethnobiology navigates multiple scales of time and space and seeks to increase its breadth, this study shows that the use of deliberately global approaches, when carefully nested within rich field-based and ecological and ethnographically grounded data, can contribute to: (1) upscaling case-specific insights to unveil global patterns and dynamics in the biocultural contexts of Indigenous Peoples and local communities; (2) bringing ethnobiological knowledge into resolutions that can influence global environmental research and policy agendas; and (3) enriching ethnobiology's field-based ethos with a deliberate global analytical focus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Fernández-Llamazares
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia (BABVE), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | | | - Julián Caviedes
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA-UAB), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- ECOS (Ecosystem - Complexity - Society) Co-Laboratory, Center for Local Development (CEDEL) & Center for Intercultural and Indigenous Research (CIIR), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Villarrica, Chile
| | - José Tomás Ibarra
- ECOS (Ecosystem - Complexity - Society) Co-Laboratory, Center for Local Development (CEDEL) & Center for Intercultural and Indigenous Research (CIIR), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Villarrica, Chile
- Cape Horn International Center for Global Change Studies and Biocultural Conservation (CHIC), Universidad de Magallanes, Puerto Williams, Chile
- Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Systems & Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC), Santiago, Chile
| | - Dana Lepofsky
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Alex C McAlvay
- Institute of Economic Botany, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Zsolt Molnár
- HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - R Mónica Moraes
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, La Paz, Bolivia
- Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Guillaume Odonne
- UAR 3456 LEEISA (Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions Des Systèmes Amazoniens), CNRS, Université de Guyane, IFREMER, Cayenne, France
| | | | - Abolfazl Sharifian Bahraman
- Range and Watershed Management Department, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Nancy J Turner
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
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Silva LNR, Oliveira ECP, Baratto LC. Amazonian useful plants described in the book "Le Pays des Amazones" (1885) of the Brazilian propagandist Baron de Santa-Anna Nery: a historical and ethnobotanical perspective. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2024; 20:26. [PMID: 38409064 PMCID: PMC10897987 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-024-00663-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Frederico José de Santa-Anna Nery (1848-1901) was a Brazilian Baron who referred to himself as a "volunteer propagandist" for Brazil in Europe, serving as an immigration agent to publicize the living conditions in the Amazon region, advocating for its development and modernization at the end of the nineteenth century. Santa-Anna Nery's most famous book is "Le Pays des Amazones" (The Lands of the Amazons), first published in 1885, which the author dedicated a chapter to introduce and report on the Amazonian useful plant species and its relationship with humans. The aim of this work is to understand the historical context and ethnobotanical value of the plant species in the Brazilian Amazon at the end of the nineteenth century through an analysis of the book "Le Pays des Amazones" (1885) by Baron de Santa-Anna Nery, as well as to bring to light the historical importance of this very influential propagandist, who has been forgotten nowadays. METHODS The original book "Le Pays des Amazones" (1885), as well as the original 3rd edition and its translated version into Portuguese, was carefully analyzed and all information about plants was systematized, with botanical names being updated. Finally, using the scientific name of medicinal plants alone or in combination with their traditional use, a search was carried out in databases in order to indicate current pharmacological studies that provide evidence about the described traditional uses. RESULTS A total of 156 plant species were identified in the book, although 132 species had their scientific names updated. These species belong to 45 different families, with Fabaceae and Arecaceae the most represented, and 109 plants are Brazilian native. Considering only the 36 medicinal plants, the main medicinal indications reported were astringent, purgative/laxative, stimulant and tonic, vermifuge, febrifuge, sudorific, emetic, diuretic and antidysenteric. Regarding other useful plants (non-medicinal), 97 species were cited for food, constructions and buildings, spices and condiments, ornaments and objects, carpentry, textile fibers, gums, oils, balms and essences, pigments and tanning, hunting and fishing. CONCLUSIONS When the book "Le Pays des Amazones" is analyzed from a timeless perspective, with a particular focus on historical ethnobotany, it is possible to observe the economic, social, and political importance of many useful plants for the Amazon at the end of the nineteenth century and how the relationship between local people, indigenous communities, and immigrants was established with plant biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas N R Silva
- Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biotechnology, Post-Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Santarém, Pará (PA), Brazil
| | - Elaine C P Oliveira
- Laboratory of Medicinal Plant Biotechnology, Post-Graduate Program in Biosciences, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Santarém, Pará (PA), Brazil
| | - Leopoldo C Baratto
- Laboratory of Applied Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Brazil.
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