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Albani Rocchetti G, Armstrong CG, Abeli T, Orsenigo S, Jasper C, Joly S, Bruneau A, Zytaruk M, Vamosi JC. Reversing extinction trends: new uses of (old) herbarium specimens to accelerate conservation action on threatened species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:433-450. [PMID: 33280123 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Although often not collected specifically for the purposes of conservation, herbarium specimens offer sufficient information to reconstruct parameters that are needed to designate a species as 'at-risk' of extinction. While such designations should prompt quick and efficient legal action towards species recovery, such action often lags far behind and is mired in bureaucratic procedure. The increase in online digitization of natural history collections has now led to a surge in the number new studies on the uses of machine learning. These repositories of species occurrences are now equipped with advances that allow for the identification of rare species. The increase in attention devoted to estimating the scope and severity of the threats that lead to the decline of such species will increase our ability to mitigate these threats and reverse the declines, overcoming a current barrier to the recovery of many threatened plant species. Thus far, collected specimens have been used to fill gaps in systematics, range extent, and past genetic diversity. We find that they also offer material with which it is possible to foster species recovery, ecosystem restoration, and de-extinction, and these elements should be used in conjunction with machine learning and citizen science initiatives to mobilize as large a force as possible to counter current extinction trends.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Thomas Abeli
- Department of Science, University Roma Tre, Viale G. Marconi 446, Roma, 00154, Italy
| | - Simone Orsenigo
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, 27100, Italy
| | - Caroline Jasper
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Simon Joly
- Montreal Botanical Garden, Montréal, QC, H1X 2B2, Canada
- Département de Sciences Biologiques and Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - Anne Bruneau
- Département de Sciences Biologiques and Institut de Recherche en Biologie Végétale, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H1X 2B2, Canada
| | - Maria Zytaruk
- Department of English, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Jana C Vamosi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
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