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Plant diversity darkspots for global collection priorities
Ian Ondo1,2, Kiran L Dhanjal-Adams1, Samuel Pironon1,2,3
1Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, TW9 3AE, UK.
The New Phytologist
|August 17, 2024
Summary
Over 15% of vascular plant species are undescribed, with many lacking geographic data. This study identifies key regions, or
Area of Science:
- Botany
- Biodiversity Science
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- A significant portion of vascular plant species remain undescribed or lack comprehensive geographic distribution data.
- Understanding taxonomic and geographic knowledge gaps is crucial for effective conservation and collection prioritization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify global 'diversity ' (regions with high numbers of undescribed and unrecorded species).
- To define priority areas for future plant collection and conservation efforts based on various scenarios.
Main Methods:
- Utilized extensive data for 343,523 vascular plant species.
- Employed time-to-event analyses to assess taxonomic and geographic data shortfalls.
- Defined priority regions considering socio-economic and environmental factors.
Main Results:
- Identified 33 global diversity worldwide.
- Most diversity are located within global biodiversity hotspots, with New Guinea as a notable exception.
- Colombia, Myanmar, New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, and Turkey are identified as top global collection priorities across all scenarios.
Conclusions:
- The study provides a framework for accelerating the documentation of global plant diversity.
- Identified priority regions are essential for targeted conservation actions.
- Advancements in herbarium digitization may enable finer-scale identification of collection and conservation priorities.
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