Spatial phylogenetics of Fagales: Investigating drivers of temperate forest distributions
AbstractAimQuantifying the phylogenetic diversity of temperate trees is essential for understanding the processes that have shaped the modern distribution of temperate broadleaf forest and other major forest biomes. Here, we focus on Fagales, an iconic member of forests worldwide, to uncover global …
Variables ambientales asociadas a la distribución de dos especies de Magnolia (Magnoliaceae) de los Andes colombianos
Antecedentes y Objetivos: Algunas especies de Magnolia presentan una distribución muy restringida, situación que las hace altamente vulnerables a la extinción, teniendo en cuenta la degradación actual causada por las actividades humanas. Poco se conoce sobre el efecto de las variables ambientales y …
Invasion risk of the currently cultivated alien flora in southern Africa is predicted to decline under climate change
Alien species can have massive impacts on native biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human livelihoods. Assessing which species from currently cultivated alien floras may escape into the wild and naturalize is essential for efficient and proactive ecosystem management and biodiversity conservat…
Traditional medicinal use is linked with apparency, not specialized metabolite profiles in the order Caryophyllales
Premise Better understanding of the relationship between plant specialized metabolism and traditional medicine has the potential to aid in bioprospecting and untangling of cross‐cultural use patterns. However, given the limited information available for metabolites in most plant species, understandi…
Spatial decoupling of taxon richness, phylogenetic diversity, and threat status in the megagenus Erica
Estimates of the number of vascular plant species currently under threat of extinction are shockingly high, with the highest extinction rates reported for narrow-range, woody plants, especially in biodiversity hotspots with Mediterranean and tropical climates. The large genus Erica is a prime exampl…
Myoporum (Scrophulariaceae): Introduction, naturalization, and invasion of an enigmatic tree genus in South Africa
Myoporum is a genus of trees and shrubs native to the Northern Hemisphere that has been introduced to many parts of the world, mainly for ornamental purposes. We assessed the introduction history, distribution, and extent of naturalization/invasion for Myoporum species in South Africa.Information wa…
Genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity in the seasonal shoot growth pattern of Pinus pseudostrobus
Global warming has increased the stress conditions faced by natural populations of forest species. Genetic variation (GV) and phenotypic plasticity (PP) of adaptive traits are the main mechanisms by which these species survive the in situ effects of environmental fluctuation including a higher frequ…
Rethinking the relationship between desiccation-tolerant vascular plants and water deficit
Background Water deficit is one of the main drivers of plant mortality and is projected to be more critical owing to climate change. Because desiccation-tolerant vascular plants (DT plants) can cope with water deficit, the paradigm emerges of their strong association with and restricted occurrence t…
Spatial habitat suitability prediction of essential oil wild plants on Indonesia’s degraded lands
Background Essential oils are natural products of aromatic plants with numerous uses. Essential oils have been traded worldwide and utilized in various industries. Indonesia is the sixth largest essential oil producing country, but land degradation is a risk to the continuing extracti…
An Announced Extinction: The Impacts of Mining on the Persistence of Arthrocereus glaziovii, a Microendemic Species of Campos Rupestres
The mountaintops of eastern Brazil harbor the highest rates of plant endemism in South America. However, local biodiversity faces constant threats due to habitat loss and mining activities. About 89 rare and endangered species are exclusive to this region, including the threatened species Arthrocere…
Species delimitation using multiple sources of evidence from the Pinus strobiformis-Pinus ayacahuite Species Complex
Background: The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) in central Mexico is characterized by peaks of high altitude and geologic instability. In this zone, Pinus strobiformis and Pinus ayacahuite form a contact zone with Pinus veitchii. The taxonomical circumscription of white pines in Central Mexico ha…
Risk of climate change to sweet potato cultivation in the American continent
Sweet potato, Ipomoea potatoes L., is an essential crop for food security in various countries. However, the effects of climate change could reduce or increase the yield and profitability of this crop, especially for small farmers. Thus, we developed species distribution models for the current and s…
Beta diversity and regionalization of the western Atlantic marine biota
AbstractAimUnderstanding the factors determining marine community variations is important for biogeography and conservation. Beta diversity is a metric for mapping species composition variations between communities and regionalizing biota. Ecoregions are commonly used for regionalization, but their …
Phylogeny of Berberidopsidales based on nuclear and chloroplast loci, with the description of a new species of Berberidopsis endemic to Central Chile
Berberidopsidales comprises two families: monotypic Aextoxicaceae (Aextoxicon punctatum in Chile and Argentina) and Berberidopsidaceae. The latter includes Australian monotypic Streptothamnus (S. moorei) and Berberidopsis (B. beckleri in Australia and B. corallina in Chile). A new Berberidopsis spec…
Global field collection data confirm an affinity of brown rot fungi for coniferous habitats and substrates
Unlike ‘white rot’ (WR) wood‐decomposing fungi that remove lignin to access cellulosic sugars, ‘brown rot’ (BR) fungi selectively extract sugars and leave lignin behind. The relative frequency and distribution of these fungal types (decay modes) have not been thoroughly assessed at a global scale; t…
The leaf micromorphology and anatomy of gamba grass, Andropogon gayanus Kunth (Poaceae: Panicoideae)
Context Andropogon gayanus, commonly known as gamba grass, is one of the declared weeds of national significance in Australia. Past studies have focused on gross morphology of root structures, biogeochemical behaviour, and ecology, but there has been limited work on comparative descriptions of lea…
Clerodendrum inerme (L.) Gaertn.: a critical review on current progress in traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological aspects and toxicity
Clerodendrum inerme (L.) Gaertn., commonly known as garden quinine, is a perennial shrub that belongs to the Lamiaceae family. It has been extensively used in various traditional medicinal practices to treat ailments such as rheumatic pain, arthritis, scrofulous, venereal disease, skin diseases, wou…
Balancing the risks of mating: biogeographic evidence of cleistogamy as a bet hedging strategy
Cleistogamy is a mating system in which plants produce some proportion of closed, autonomously self-pollinating flowers. Cleistogamous flowers differ from chasmogamous flowers, which are open flowers capable of outcrossing. Both dimorphic cleistogamy (cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers produced …
Causes and effects of sampling bias on marine Western Atlantic biodiversity knowledge
AbstractAimKnowledge gaps and sampling bias can lead to underestimations of species richness and distortions in the known distribution of species. The goal of this study is to identify potential gaps and biases in marine organisms sampling at the Western Atlantic Ocean, determine their causes and as…
Re-establishment of Aechmea laxiflora (Bromeliaceae, Bromelioideae) based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence, with notes on its geographical d…
Background: Previous phylogenetic analyses suggested that Aechmea bracteata is not a monophyletic species, being each variety an individual lineage within the Aechmea bracteata complex. Hypothesis: A phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data and a morphological analysis will provide evidence to …
Data compilation of key attributes for lichens in the Earth's three poles
(no abstract available)
Predicted changes in distribution and grazing value of Stipa-based plant communities across the Eurasian steppe
The Eurasian steppe is one of the world's largest continuous areas of grassland and has an important role in supporting livestock grazing, the most ubiquitous land use on Earth. However, the Eurasian steppe is under threat, from irrational grazing utilization, climate change, and resource exploitati…
Ferns as facilitators of community recovery following biotic upheaval
The competitive success of ferns has been foundational to hypotheses about terrestrial recolonization following biotic upheaval, from wildfires to the Cretaceous–Paleogene asteroid impact (66 million years ago). Rapid fern recolonization in primary successional environments has been hypothesized to …
Hybridization mediated range expansion and climate change resilience in two keystone tree species of boreal forests
Current global climate change is expected to affect biodiversity negatively at all scales leading to mass biodiversity loss. Many studies have shown that the distribution of allele frequencies across a species' range is often influenced by specific genetic loci associated with local environmental va…
Potential for positive biodiversity outcomes under diet-driven land use change in Great Britain
Background A shift toward human diets that include more fruit and vegetables, and less meat is a potential pathway to improve public health and reduce food system-related greenhouse gas emissions. Associated changes in land use could include conversion of grazing land into horticulture, which makes …