scholarly journals Terry L. Erwin and the race to document biodiversity (1940–2020)

ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1044 ◽  
pp. 3-22
Author(s):  
Grace P. Servat
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Conservation Biology ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Public Records ◽  
Tropical Biology ◽  
Publication Record ◽  
The World

Terry Erwin’s race to document arthropod diversity inspired taxonomists, systematists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and the conservation community at large, as his curatorial work of more than 50 years at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and prolific publication record attests. The biography compiles public records, publications, as well as personal memoirs to describe the context in which Erwin’s studies with carabid beetles evolved as formalization of concepts, such as biological diversity, megadiverse countries, biodiversity loss, and conservation biology, will become central for science in the upcoming years. Awareness to explore new frontiers such as the forest canopy and Erwin’s studies in tropical forests, his easy-going personality, and dedicated mentoring attracted colleagues, students, and the general public, making him one of the leaders of tropical biology in the world.

scholarly journals Ears in the Sky: Potential of Drones for the Bioacoustic Monitoring of Birds and Bats

Drones ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Adrien Michez ◽  
Stéphane Broset ◽  
Philippe Lejeune
Keyword(s):  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Population Monitoring ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Active Species ◽  
Terrestrial Mammals ◽  
Technical Developments ◽  
High Resolution Imagery ◽  
Human Operators ◽  
The Impact

In the context of global biodiversity loss, wildlife population monitoring is a major challenge. Some innovative techniques such as the use of drones—also called unmanned aerial vehicle/system (UAV/UAS)—offer promising opportunities. The potential of UAS-based wildlife census using high-resolution imagery is now well established for terrestrial mammals or birds that can be seen on images. Nevertheless, the ability of UASs to detect non-conspicuous species, such as small birds below the forest canopy, remains an open question. This issue can be solved with bioacoustics for acoustically active species such as bats and birds. In this context, UASs represent an interesting solution that could be deployed on a larger scale, at lower risk for the operator, and over hard-to-reach locations, such as forest canopies or complex topographies, when compared with traditional protocols (fixed location recorders placed or handled by human operators). In this context, this study proposes a methodological framework to assess the potential of UASs in bioacoustic surveys for birds and bats, using low-cost audible and ultrasound recorders mounted on a low-cost quadcopter UAS (DJI Phantom 3 Pro). The proposed methodological workflow can be straightforwardly replicated in other contexts to test the impact of other UAS bioacoustic recording platforms in relation to the targeted species and the specific UAS design. This protocol allows one to evaluate the sensitivity of UAS approaches through the estimate of the effective detection radius for the different species investigated at several flight heights. The results of this study suggest a strong potential for the bioacoustic monitoring of birds but are more contrasted for bat recordings, mainly due to quadcopter noise (i.e., electronic speed controller (ESC) noise) but also, in a certain manner, to the experimental design (use of a directional speaker with limited call intensity). Technical developments, such as the use of a winch to safely extent the distance between the UAS and the recorder during UAS sound recordings or the development of an innovative platform, such as a plane–blimp hybrid UAS, should make it possible to solve these issues.

scholarly journals A New Transmission Route for the Propagation of the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus

Biology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Antoine Danchin ◽  
Tuen Wai Ng ◽  
Gabriel Turinici
Keyword(s):  
Compartmental Model ◽  
Transmission Route ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Public Records ◽  
Specific Strategy ◽  
Virus Tropism ◽  
The World ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Existing Data

Background: Starting late 2019, a novel coronavirus spread from the capital of the Hubei province in China to the rest of the country, then to most of the world. To anticipate future trends in the development of the pandemic, we explore here, based on public records of infected persons, how variation in the virus tropism could end up in different patterns, warranting a specific strategy to handle the epidemic. Methods: We use a compartmental model to describe the evolution of an individual through several possible states: susceptible, infected, alternative infection, detected, and removed. We fit the parameters of the model to the existing data, taking into account significant quarantine changes where necessary. Results: The model indicates that Wuhan quarantine measures were effective, but that alternative virus forms and a second propagation route are compatible with available data. For the Hong Kong, Singapore, and Shenzhen regions, the secondary route does not seem to be active. Conclusions: Hypotheses of an alternative infection tropism (the gut tropism) and a secondary propagation route are discussed using a model fitted by the available data. Corresponding prevention measures that take into account both routes should be implemented to the benefit of epidemic control.

Towards the New Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Maruma Mrema
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The World ◽  
Global Biodiversity

While 2020 –dubbed the “Super Year for Nature –has seen the world battling an unforeseen global pandemic, this article comes back on the Convention of Biological Diversity and its regime, studies the aim of the negotiations of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework and the relevance of this framework for the planet, considering that the protection of biological diversity impacts all aspects of human life, including the full enjoying of human rights and protection against future pandemics.

scholarly journals Big hitting collectors make massive and disproportionate contribution to the discovery of plant species

2012 ◽  
Vol 279 (1736) ◽  
pp. 2269-2274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel P. Bebber ◽  
Mark A. Carine ◽  
Gerrit Davidse ◽  
David J. Harris ◽  
Elspeth M. Haston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Type Specimens ◽  
Fundamental Goal ◽  
The World ◽  
Plant Families ◽  
The Right ◽  
Geographical Locations

Discovering biological diversity is a fundamental goal—made urgent by the alarmingly high rate of extinction. We have compiled information from more than 100 000 type specimens to quantify the role of collectors in the discovery of plant diversity. Our results show that more than half of all type specimens were collected by less than 2 per cent of collectors. This highly skewed pattern has persisted through time. We demonstrate that a number of attributes are associated with prolific plant collectors: a long career with increasing productivity and experience in several countries and plant families. These results imply that funding a small number of expert plant collectors in the right geographical locations should be an important element in any effective strategy to find undiscovered plant species and complete the inventory of the world flora.

Contrasting research approaches to managing mistletoes in commercial forests and wooded pasturesThis minireview is one of a collection of papers based on a presentation from the Stem and Shoot Fungal Pathogens and Parasitic Plants: the Values of Biological Diversity session of the XXII International Union of Forestry Research Organization World Congress meeting held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, in 2005.

Botany ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Reid ◽  
Simon F. Shamoun
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Classical Biological Control ◽  
Dwarf Mistletoe ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments ◽  
Inundative Biological Control

Many mistletoe species are pests in agricultural and forest ecosystems throughout the world. Mistletoes are unusual “weeds” as they are generally endemic to areas where they achieve pest status and, therefore, classical biological control and broad-scale herbicidal control are usually impractical. In North American coniferous forests, dwarf mistletoe ( Arceuthobium spp.) infection results in major commercial losses and poses a public liability in recreation settings. Hyperparasitic fungi have potential as biological control agents of dwarf mistletoe, including species which attack shoots, berries, and the endophytic systems of dwarf mistletoe. Development of an inundative biological control strategy will be useful in situations where traditional silvicultural control is impractical or undesirable. In southern Australia, farm eucalypts are often attacked and killed by mistletoes ( Amyema spp.) in grazed landscapes where tree decline and biodiversity loss are major forms of land degradation. Although long-term strategies to achieve a balance between mistletoe and host abundance are promoted, many graziers want short-term options to treat severely infected trees. Recent research has revisited the efficiency and efficacy of silvicultural treatments and selective herbicides in appropriate situations. The results of recent research on these diverse management strategies in North America and Australia are summarized.

scholarly journals The Behavioral Economics of Biodiversity Conservation Scientists

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-237
Author(s):  
Mark Vellend ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Economics ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Forest Disturbance ◽  
Intrinsic Value ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Implicit Assumption ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Biodiversity Science ◽  
Ecological Complexity ◽  
Contextual Values

Values have a profound influence on the behaviour of all people, scientists included. Biodiversity is studied by ecologists, like myself, most of whom align with the “mission-driven” field of conservation biology. The mission involves the protection of biodiversity, and a set of contextual values including the beliefs that biological diversity and ecological complexity are good and have intrinsic value. This raises concerns that the scientific process might be influenced by biases toward outcomes that are aligned with these values. Retrospectively, I have identified such biases in my own work, resulting from an implicit assumption that organisms that are not dependent on natural habitats (e.g., forests) effectively do not count in biodiversity surveys. Finding that anthropogenic forest disturbance reduces the diversity of plant species dependent on shady forests can thus be falsely equated with more general biodiversity loss. Disturbance might actually increase overall plant diversity (i.e., including all of the species found growing in a particular place). In this paper I ask whether ecologists share values that are unrepresentative of broader society, I discuss examples of potential value-driven biases in biodiversity science, and I present some hypotheses from behavioral economics on possible psychological underpinnings of shared values and preferences among ecologists.

scholarly journals Biodiversity reporting in India: a view from the top

2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 418-427
Author(s):  
Mansi Mansi ◽  
Rakesh Pandey ◽  
Carolyn Stringer
Keyword(s):  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Indian Subcontinent ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Habitat Destruction ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Monitoring Centre ◽  
Rare And Endangered Species ◽  
Rare And Endangered ◽  
Impact On Biodiversity

The purpose of this study is to explore the biodiversity reporting practices inside Indian companies. Biodiversity reporting studies across Indian companies are important because India has a wealth of biodiversity assets, that is, wildlife, flora, fauna, natural habitats, rare and endangered species and biological resources, and accounts for 7.8% of the global recorded species (Biological Diversity Act, the Biodiversity Rules, Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity Board, 2009). There are approximately 45,500 species of plants, 91,200 species of animals and 5,550 microbial species documented in India (National Biodiversity Authority, 2014). The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed 132 species of animals and plants in the Critically Endangered Category (Sudhi, 2012). To date, the literature omits to explore the biodiversity reporting practices inside Indian companies. Another important reason to conduct is this study is that India has alarming population levels; thus there is a huge demand for land, energy, and resources, which leads to massive biodiversity loss, deforestation, and habitat destruction. It is very likely that with the limited land mass and increasing population in India, several ecosystems, wildlife, flora and fauna will be/have been exploited, disturbed, and endangered. Given the high potential impact on biodiversity by industries, we are concerned that there is a dearth of biodiversity reporting studies within the Indian subcontinent. We concentrate on the largest companies (based on market capitalisation) because similar to Van Liempd and Busch (2013), we also expect that the largest companies have the greatest impact on biodiversity; therefore, they are expected to show more accountability to their stakeholders. Therefore it is worth exploring how Indian companies are engaging in biodiversity reporting practices (e.g. biodiversity conservation, biodiversity protection, habitat and ecosystem conservation); and whether these organisations are disclosing their impact(s) (both in quantity and quality) on biodiversity (such as wildlife, flora and fauna). Moreover, India has also been classified as one of 17 mega-diversity countries by The World Conservation Monitoring Centre which account for more than 70% of the planet’s species (Williams, 2001). All these reasons make this study timely and important.

scholarly journals Threatened Neotropical seasonally dry tropical forest: evidence of biodiversity loss in sap-sucking herbivores over 75 years

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Pinedo-Escatel ◽  
G. Moya-Raygoza ◽  
C. H. Dietrich ◽  
J. N. Zahniser ◽  
L. Portillo
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Dry Forest ◽  
Data Matrix ◽  
Dry Tropical Forest ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
Strong Trend ◽  
Arthropod Species

Tropical forests cover 7% of the earth's surface and hold 50% of known terrestrial arthropod species. Alarming insect declines resulting from human activities have recently been documented in temperate and tropical ecosystems worldwide, but reliable data from tropical forests remain sparse. The sap-sucking tribe Athysanini is one herbivore group sensitive to anthropogenic perturbation and the largest within the diverse insect family Cicadellidae distributed in America's tropical forests. To measure the possible effects of deforestation and related activities on leafhopper biodiversity, a survey of 143 historic collecting localities was conducted to determine whether species documented in the Mexican dry tropical forests during the 1920s to 1940s were still present. Biostatistical diversity analysis was performed to compare historical to recent data on species occurrences. A data matrix of 577 geographical records was analysed. In total, 374 Athysanini data records were included representing 115 species of 41 genera. Historically, species richness and diversity were higher than found in the recent survey, despite greater collecting effort in the latter. A strong trend in species decline was observed (−53%) over 75 years in this endangered seasonally dry ecosystem. Species completeness was dissimilar between historic and present data. Endemic taxa were significantly less important and represented in the 1920s–1940s species records. All localities surveyed in the dry tropical forest are disturbed and reduced by modern anthropogenic processes. Mexico harbours highly endemic leafhopper taxa with a large proportion of these inhabiting the dry forest. These findings provide important data for conservation decision making and modelling of distribution patterns of this threatened seasonally dry tropical ecosystem.

scholarly journals Amblyomma tapirellum  (Acari: Ixodidae) collected from tropical forest canopy

F1000Research ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
Jose R Loaiza ◽  
Matthew J Miller ◽  
Eldredge Bermingham ◽  
Oris I Sanjur ◽  
Patrick A Jansen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Barro Colorado Island ◽  
Light Traps ◽  
Ecological Relationship ◽  
Questing Ticks ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
Central Panama ◽  
Tropical Forest Canopy

Free-ranging ticks are widely known to be restricted to the ground level of vegetation. Here, we document the capture of the tick species Amblyomma tapirellum in light traps placed in the forest canopy of Barro Colorado Island, central Panama. A total of forty eight adults and three nymphs were removed from carbon dioxide–octenol baited CDC light traps suspended 20 meters above the ground during surveys for forest canopy mosquitoes. To our knowledge, this represents the first report of questing ticks from the canopy of tropical forests. Our finding suggests a novel ecological relationship between A. tapirellum and arboreal mammals, perhaps monkeys that come to the ground to drink or to feed on fallen fruits.

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