Science Enabled by Specimen Data

Xue, T., S. R. Gadagkar, T. P. Albright, X. Yang, J. Li, C. Xia, J. Wu, and S. Yu. 2021. Prioritizing conservation of biodiversity in an alpine region: Distribution pattern and conservation status of seed plants in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Global Ecology and Conservation 32: e01885. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01885

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) harbors abundant and diverse plant life owing to its high habitat heterogeneity. However, the distribution pattern of biodiversity hotspots and their conservation status remain unclear. Based on 148,283 high-resolution occurrence coordinates of 13,450 seed plants, w…

Pelletier, T. A., B. C. Carstens, D. C. Tank, J. Sullivan, and A. Espíndola. 2018. Predicting plant conservation priorities on a global scale. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115: 13027–13032. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1804098115

The conservation status of most plant species is currently unknown, despite the fundamental role of plants in ecosystem health. To facilitate the costly process of conservation assessment, we developed a predictive protocol using a machine-learning approach to predict conservation status of over 150…

Mienna, I. M., J. D. M. Speed, M. Bendiksby, A. H. Thornhill, B. D. Mishler, and M. D. Martin. 2019. Differential patterns of floristic phylogenetic diversity across a post‐glacial landscape. Journal of Biogeography 47: 915–926. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13789

Aim: In this study, we explored spatial patterns of phylogenetic diversity (PD) and endemism in the flora of Norway and tested hypothesized post‐glacial environmental drivers of PD, including temperature, precipitation, edaphic factors and time since glacial retreat. Location: Norway. Taxon: Vascula…