Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Biodiversity
University herbaria are uniquely important
Published: 2024-05-03
Subjects: Biodiversity, Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
University herbaria play critical roles in biodiversity research and training and provide an interdisciplinary academic environment that fosters innovative uses of natural history collections. Universities have a responsibility to steward these important collections in perpetuity, in alignment with their academic missions and for the good of science and society.
Wildlife health perceptions and monitoring practices in globally distributed protected areas
Published: 2024-05-01
Subjects: Biodiversity, Environmental Monitoring, Epidemiology, Health Information Technology, Health Policy, Life Sciences, Natural Resources and Conservation, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration, Sustainability, Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health
Diseases are a threat to biodiversity conservation and global health, however, wildlife health (WH) surveillance systems remain uncommon. This deficit is especially relevant in protected areas (PAs) facing anthropogenic pressures. Integration of field conservation actors patrolling PAs can drastically strengthen WH surveillance. Nevertheless, baseline information regarding current WH monitoring [...]
The global protected area network does not harbor genetically diverse populations
Published: 2024-04-12
Subjects: Biodiversity, Evolution, Life Sciences
Global biodiversity conservation targets include expanding protected areas and maintaining genetic diversity within species by 2030. However, the extent to which existing protected areas capture genetic diversity within species is unclear. We examined this question using a global sample of nuclear population-level genetic data comprising georeferenced genotypes from 2,513 local populations, [...]
The destructive sampling conundrum and guidelines for effective and ethical sampling of herbaria
Published: 2024-04-09
Subjects: Biodiversity, Life Sciences
The use of herbaria for science and conservation is revolutionizing the discovery, exploration, and protection of biodiversity at unprecedented scopes and scales. The Global Metaherbarium—a digitally interlinked, open-access resource—is stimulating these efforts and helping to facilitate massive investigations that utilize aggregated digital derivatives of physical herbarium [...]
Datathons: fostering equitability in data reuse in ecology
Published: 2024-04-05
Subjects: Biodiversity, Biology, Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Life Sciences, Genetics, Genetics and Genomics, Genomics, Life Sciences, Microbiology
Approaches to rapidly collect global biodiversity data are increasingly important, but biodiversity blindspots persist. We organized a three-day Datathon event to improve the openness of local biodiversity data, and facilitate data reuse by local researchers. The first Datathon, organized among microbial ecologists in Uruguay and Argentina assembled the largest microbiome dataset in the region to [...]
No place for phylogeny in structuring a sandy coastal plain community
Published: 2024-04-04
Subjects: Biodiversity, Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
Although inference of assembly processes from phylogenetic patterns has become ubiquitous in community ecology, surprisingly few studies simultaneously test assumptions of such an approach and integrate over spatial scales and plant life stages. Here we investigate the roles of phylogeny, functional traits, and abiotic conditions in the spatial structuring of a sandy coastal plain community using [...]
When to use species richness estimators to infer about diversity losses or gains
Published: 2024-03-29
Subjects: Biodiversity
Pollination across the diel cycle: a global meta-analysis
Published: 2024-03-29
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
The daily transition between day and night, known as the diel cycle, is characterised by significant shifts in environmental conditions and biological activity, both of which can affect crucial ecosystem functions like pollination. Yet, despite over six decades of research into whether plant reproductive success varies between day and night, consensus remains elusive. We compiled and analysed the [...]
Incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization underlie of tree discordance in Petunia and related genera (Petunieae, Solanaceae)
Published: 2024-03-29
Subjects: Biodiversity, Bioinformatics, Botany, Genomics
Despite the overarching history of species divergence, phylogenetic studies often reveal distinct topologies across regions of the genome. The sources of these gene tree discordances are variable, but incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and hybridization are among those with the most biological importance. Petunia serves as a classic system for studying hybridization in the wild. While field studies [...]
Lianas, to cut or not to cut to conserve forest biodiversity?
Published: 2024-03-17
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Forest Sciences, Life Sciences, Plant Sciences
Although lianas play an important role in forest composition, structure, and functions, they are considered as structural parasites of the tree-host. Both contrasting ideas on the role of lianas in forest ecosystems challenge the practitioners and decision might be taken without specific information. Here we present a preliminary result, applied in a unique, small, old-growth forest in the [...]
Satellite images reveal major discrepancies between mapped and operating wind turbines in a hotspot of wind energy development
Published: 2024-03-13
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Life Sciences
Wind energy is an emerging challenge for biodiversity conservation, due to its impacts on habitats and species. Therefore, effective mitigation and zonation policies require accurate maps of operating wind turbines. However, the current pace of wind energy development raises doubts on how fast existing maps can become obsolete. We used freely available satellite imagery from Google to check the [...]
Desafíos y barreras para la disponibilización de datos abiertos de biodiversidad en Uruguay
Published: 2024-03-06
Subjects: Biodiversity, Public Policy
Los nuevos desafíos que plantea el cambio global tornan urgente contar con datos de calidad que nos permitan monitorear la biodiversidad y frenar su pérdida. Sin embargo, en la actualidad, el Estado Uruguayo y sus diferentes Ministerios no disponibilizan datos primarios; tampoco existe información abierta disponible sobre los ejemplares de las colecciones nacionales, ni existen políticas [...]
Social cues and habitat structure influence the behavior of a non-social insect
Published: 2024-03-05
Subjects: Agriculture, Animal Sciences, Biodiversity, Entomology, Life Sciences
Habitat fragmentation and loss is a known threat to biodiversity. Their combined effect leaves organisms in small isolated patches of habitat, contributing to the current biodiversity crisis. The first response of animals to environmental change is typically behavioral. Beyond the physical elements of the environment, the "social landscape" shapes the spatial distribution of the habitats [...]
Quantifying taxon-specific habitat connectivity requirements of urban wildlife using structured expert judgement
Published: 2024-02-28
Subjects: Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Research Methods in Life Sciences
Urban planning which enhances native biodiversity in and around cities is needed to address the impacts of urbanisation and conserve urban biodiversity. The “Biodiversity Sensitive Urban Design” (BSUD) framework incorporates ecological knowledge into urban planning to achieve positive biodiversity outcomes through improved urban design and infrastructure development. BSUD includes principles to [...]
Rangewide occupancy of a flagship species, the California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica) in southern California: habitat associations and recovery from wildfire
Published: 2024-02-12
Subjects: Biodiversity
The California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica), a federally threatened species, is a flagship species for regional conservation planning in southern California (USA). An inhabitant of coastal sage scrub vegetation, the gnatcatcher has declined in response to habitat loss and fragmentation, exacerbated by catastrophic wildfires. We documented the status of gnatcatchers throughout their [...]