Science Enabled by Specimen Data
Liu, H., X. Feng, Y. Zhao, G. Lv, C. Zhang, Aruhan, T.-A. Damba, et al. 2024. Pharmacophylogenetic relationships of genus Dracocephalum and its related genera based on multifaceted analysis. Frontiers in Pharmacology 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2024.1449426
The Lamiaceae genus Dracocephalum, with over 30 species, is believed to have considerable medicinal properties and is widely used in Eurasian ethnomedicine. Numerous studies have researched on the geographical distribution, metabolite identification, and bioactivity of Dracocephalum species, especially amidst debates concerning the taxonomy of its closely related genera Hyssopus and Lallemantia. These discussions present an opportunity for pharmacophylogenetic studies of these medicinal plants. In this review, we collated extensive literature and data to present a multifaceted view of the geographical distribution, phylogenetics, phytometabolites and chemodiversity, ethnopharmacological uses, and pharmacological activities of Dracocephalum, Hyssopus, and Lallemantia. We found that these genera were concentrated in Europe, with species adapted to various climatic zones. These genera shared close phylogenetic relationships, with Dracocephalum and Hyssopus displaying intertwined patterns in the phylogenetic tree. Our review assessed more than 900 metabolites from these three genera, with terpenoids and flavonoids being the most abundant. Researchers have recently identified novel metabolites within Dracocephalum, expanding our understanding of its chemical constituents. Ethnopharmacologically, these genera have been traditionally used for treating respiratory, liver and gall bladder diseases. Extracts and metabolites from these genera exhibit a range of pharmacological activities such as hepatoprotective, anti-inflammation, antimicrobial action, anti-hyperlipidaemia, and anti-tumour properties. By integrating phylogenetic analyses with network pharmacology, we explored the intrinsic links between metabolite profiles, traditional efficacy, and modern pharmacology of Dracocephalum and its related genera. This study contributes to the discovery of potential medicinal value from closely related species of Dracocephalum and aids in the development and sustainable use of medicinal plant resources.
Sandenbergh, E., P. Gervazoni, B. Grewell, C. Franceschini, G. Minuti, C. McGrannachan, I. Stiers, and J. Coetzee. 2024. Biology of Invasive Plants 6. Iris pseudacorus L. (Iridaceae). Invasive Plant Science and Management: 1â61. https://doi.org/10.1017/inp.2024.35
(no abstract available)
Hagelstam-Renshaw, C., J. J. Ringelberg, C. Sinou, W. Cardinal-McTeague, and A. Bruneau. 2024. Biome evolution in subfamily Cercidoideae (Leguminosae): a tropical arborescent clade with a relictual depauperate temperate lineage. Brazilian Journal of Botany 48. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40415-024-01058-z
Some plant lineages remain within the same biome over time (biome conservatism), whereas others seem to adapt more easily to new biomes. The c. 398 species (14 genera) of subfamily Cercidoideae (Leguminosae or Fabaceae) are found in many biomes around the world, particularly in the tropical regions of South America, Asia and Africa, and display a variety of growth forms (small trees, shrubs, lianas and herbaceous perennials). Species distribution maps derived from cleaned occurrence records were compiled and compared with existing biome maps and with the literature to assign species to biomes. Rainforest (144 species), succulent (44 species), savanna (36 species), and temperate (10 species) biomes were found to be important in describing the global distribution of Cercidoideae, with many species occurring in more than one biome. Two phylogenetically isolated species-poor temperate ( Cercis ) and succulent ( Adenolobus ) biome lineages are sister to two broadly distributed species-rich tropical clades. Ancestral state reconstructions on a time-calibrated phylogeny suggest biome shifts occurred throughout the evolutionary history of the subfamily, with shifts between the succulent and rainforest biomes, from the rainforest to savanna, from the succulent to savanna biome, and one early occurring shift into (or from) the temperate biome. Of the 26 inferred shifts in biome, three are closely associated with a shift from the ancestral tree/shrub growth form to a liana or herbaceous perennial habit. Only three of the 13 inferred transcontinental dispersal events are associated with biome shifts. Overall, we find that biome shifts tend to occur within the same continent and that dispersals to new continents tend to occur within the same biome, but that nonetheless the biome-conserved and biogeographically structured Cercidoideae have been able to adapt to different environments through time.
Streiff, S. J. R., E. O. Ravomanana, M. Rakotoarinivo, M. Pignal, E. P. Pimparé, R. H. J. Erkens, and T. L. P. Couvreur. 2024. High-quality herbarium-label transcription by citizen scientists improves taxonomic and spatial representation of the tropical plant family Annonaceae. Adansonia 46. https://doi.org/10.5252/adansonia2024v46a18
Herbarium specimens provide an important and central resource for biodiversity research. Making these records digitally available to end-users represents numerous challenges, in particular, transcribing metadata associated with specimen labels. In this study, we used the citizen science initiative ‘Les Herbonautes’ and the Récolnat network to transcribe specific data from all herbarium specimen labels stored at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris of the large tropical plant family Annonaceae. We compared this database with publicly available global biodiversity repository data and expert checklists. We investigated spatial and taxonomic advances in data availability at the global and country scales. A total of 20 738 specimens were transcribed over the course of more than two years contributing to and significantly extending the previously available specimen and species data for Annonaceae worldwide. We show that several regions, mainly in Africa and South East Asia not covered by online global datasets, are uniquely available in the P herbarium, probably linked to past history of the museum’s botanical exploration. While acknowledging the challenges faced during the transcription of historic specimens by citizen scientists, this study highlights the positive impact of adding records to global datasets both in space and time. This is illustrative for researchers, collection managers, policy makers as well as funders. These datasets will be valuable for numerous future studies in biodiversity research, including ecology, evolution, conservation and climate change science.
Ovcharova, N. V., M. M. Silantyeva, A. Vaganov, and A. A. Masanina. 2024. Invasion dynamics of Acer negundo L. in ribbon forests of the Altai Krai: ecological impacts and predictive habitat modeling. Altai State University. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14437657
This study examines the invasion dynamics of ash-leaved maple (box elder, Acer negundo L.) in the ribbon forests of Altai Krai, Russia, where it has become one of the dominant invasive species over the past thirty years. Originally introduced as an ornamental plant in the early 20th century, A. negundo has rapidly proliferated in lowland, steppe, and forest-steppe regions, significantly impacting local ecosystems. Our research analyzes the ecological and phytocoenotic conditions that facilitate A. negundo's invasion, focusing on its distribution across various ribbon pine forests in the region. Through geobotanical surveys and forest management record analysis, we reveal the species' prevalence in diverse forest types and its effects on biodiversity, tree growth, and community dynamics. Key findings indicate that A. negundo flourishes in disturbed habitats, where it aggressively competes with native flora, suppressing their growth and altering successional pathways. This leads to low-diversity communities increasingly dominated by the invasive species and highlights the exacerbating role of logging and land-use changes. Using predictive modeling techniques, we assessed habitat suitability for A. negundo across Eurasia, identifying temperature as the primary limiting factor for its distribution. The model achieved a high AUC value of 0.97, indicating strong reliability. These findings suggest a significant potential for A. negundo's range expansion throughout Altai Krai, especially in areas with reduced competition from native species. This research underscores the urgent need for effective management strategies to mitigate the effects of A. negundo in Altai Krai and similar regions.
Zhang, L., I. van Riemsdijk, M. Liu, Z. Liao, A. Cavé‐Radet, J. Bi, S. Wang, et al. 2024. Biogeography of a Global Plant Invader: From the Evolutionary History to Future Distributions. Global Change Biology 30. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17622
Biological invasions pose a global challenge, affecting ecosystems worldwide and human societies. Knowledge of the evolutionary history of invasive species is critical to understanding their current invasion success and projecting their future spread. However, to date, few studies have addressed the evolutionary history and potential future spread of invaders simultaneously. In this study, we explored both evolutionary history and spatiotemporal dynamic patterns of the distribution of Reynoutria japonica, known as one of the world's worst plant invaders. We analysed 265 R. japonica samples from its current geographical ranges across three continents, using seven chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) markers to establish the phylogenetic relationships among extant populations. We combined these with ecological niche modelling to infer historical and more recent migration patterns and predict potential future distribution changes under climate change. Our results indicate that climate fluctuations and sea level changes likely facilitated the expansion of R. japonica from southern Japan to continental East Asia in the Pliocene, followed by a contraction in East Asian populations. In the recent Holocene, human activities have then enabled a linage of this species to spread from Japan to Europe and North America, resulting in three major global clades. Future climate scenarios suggest a northward expansion of R. japonica in Europe and North America, but shrinking habitat in China. Our study, thus, demonstrates the complex influences of historical climate‐driven migrations, human activities and future climate changes on the global distribution of an invasive species.
Yang, M., Y. Qi, X. Xian, N. Yang, L. Xue, C. Zhang, H. Bao, and W. Liu. 2025. Coupling phylogenetic relatedness and distribution patterns provides insights into sandburs invasion risk assessment. Science of The Total Environment 958: 177819. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177819
Invasive sandburs (Cenchrus spp.), tropical and subtropical plants, are preferred in grasslands and agricultural ecosystems worldwide, causing significant crop production losses and reducing native biodiversity. Integrating phylogenetic relatedness and potentially suitable habitats (PSHs) to identify areas at risk of invasion is critical for prioritizing management efforts and supporting decisions on early warning and surveillance for sandbur invasions. However, despite risk assessments for individual Cenchrus species, the combined analysis of suitable habitats and phylogenetic relationships remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to assess the invasion risk regions—including PSHs, species richness (SR), and phylogenetic structure—of eight invasive and potentially invasive sandburs in China, to quantify their niche overlap and identify driving factors. Our results showed that the phylogenetic distance of potentially invasive sandburs was closely related to invasive sandburs. Especially, three potentially invasive sandburs, C. ciliaris, C. setigerus, and C. myosuroides, possessed invasion potential resulting from close phylogenetic relatedness and high climatic suitability compared with invasive sandburs. The PSHs for invasive sandburs were distributed in wider regions except northwest China and had higher suitability to different environmental conditions. Potentially invasive sandburs were primarily located in southwestern and southern China driven by precipitation, especially, being inspected in Guangdong, Hainan, and Yunnan on numerous occasions, or potentially introduced in Guangxi, Taiwan, and Fujian for sandburs invasion hotspots. The phylogenetic clustering for eight sandburs occurred in the eastern, center, and southern coastal China, where higher SR in distribution was correlated with invasion hotspots. The SR and phylogenetic relatedness metrics were related to temperature and topographic variables. Totally, the expansion and invasion risk could be increased toward higher latitudes under future global warming. These findings offer novel insights for the prevention and management of sandburs invasions.
Lait, L. A., B. A. Graham, D. A. Galbraith, T. M. Burg, and J. L. McCune. 2024. Conservation genetics of Stylophorum diphyllum (Papaveraceae): investigating the genetic diversity and differentiation of peripheral and core populations across the range. Conservation Genetics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-024-01664-0
Many species-at-risk reach the edge of their range as disjunct and isolated populations. These peripheral populations may harbour unique genetic diversity crucial for future range shifts, or they may lack genetic diversity due to isolation or small population size. As such it is important to assess the genetic diversity and differentiation of these populations. We used 1,838 SNPs to evaluate the differentiation and genetic diversity in six Canadian (peripheral) and eight US (core) populations of wood-poppy ( Stylophorum diphyllum ), a perennial wildflower that is endangered at the northern limit of its range. We also compared these 14 populations to seeds from two commercial seed providers to determine if commercial sources are introgressing into wild populations. We found strong differentiation between core and peripheral populations, low levels of gene flow among both core and peripheral populations, and low to moderate levels of genetic diversity across the range with a decrease in heterozygosity in peripheral populations. We also noted that the commercial populations were genetically distinct from all natural sampled populations, with no evidence of introgression between commercial seeds and either Canadian or US populations. Our study indicates that peripheral and core populations form unique conservation units and therefore the conservation and recovery of the wood-poppy in Canada is necessary to conserve the full range of genetic diversity within the species.
Tulowiecki, S. J., and N. LaDuke. 2024. Models reveal shifting distribution of climatic suitability for pawpaw (Asimina triloba [L.] Dunal) cultivation under future climate change scenarios. Scientia Horticulturae 338: 113837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2024.113837
The pawpaw (Asimina triloba [L.] Dunal) is a deciduous tree notable for its large edible fruit. Native to the eastern US and Canada, it has earned attention as a horticultural commodity and focus of scientific inquiry. However, few studies have modeled its potential future distribution under climate change. This study predicted the current and future potential distribution for pawpaw in North America and globally, with a focus on understanding future climatic suitability for fruit cultivation. This study first modeled suitability via the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) method by relating climate predictors with different datasets on pawpaw distribution, including nursery locations growing pawpaw. It also trained a boosted regression tree (BRT) model to estimate where sufficient heat accumulation for fruit ripening would occur. The models were applied to two future times (2041–2060 and 2081–2100), four emissions scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, and SSP585), and climate projections from three climate models. Using nursery locations, the MaxEnt model yielded a mean area-under-the-curve statistic of 0.978 (standard deviation = 0.009) using 10-fold cross-validation, indicating strong predictive performance. The model suggested optimal conditions for pawpaw at these values: -4 °C for minimum temperature of coldest month, 26 °C for maximum temperature of warmest month, 88 cm for annual precipitation, and 0 % for precipitation seasonality. Models suggested shifting suitable climate conditions and accompanying increases in heat accumulation for fruit ripening. Northern America, Eastern Europe, and Northern Europe were predicted to have higher and increasing suitability; Western Europe, Southern Europe, and Eastern Asia were predicted to have higher but decreasing suitability. Little uncertainty existed due to collinearity shift or dissimilarity between current and future climate, but more uncertainty existed when predictions were based on differing climate model projections. This study provides insight into the pawpaw's potential response to climate change, and guidance on future locations for cultivation.
Calleja-Satrustegui, A., A. Echeverría, I. Ariz, J. Peralta de Andrés, and E. M. González. 2024. Unlocking nature’s drought resilience: a focus on the parsimonious root phenotype and specialised root metabolism in wild Medicago populations. Plant and Soil. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-06943-w
Abstract Background and aims Crop wild relatives, exposed to strong natural selection, exhibit effective tolerance traits against stresses. While an aggressive root proliferation phenotype has long been considered advantageous for a range of stresses, it appears to be counterproductive under drought due to its high metabolic cost. Recently, a parsimonious root phenotype, metabolically more efficient, has been suggested to be better adapted to semiarid environments, although it is not clear that this phenotype is a trait exhibited by crop wild relatives. Methods Firstly, we analysed the root phenotype and carbon metabolism in four Medicago crop wild relatives adapted to a semiarid environment and compared them with the cultivated M. truncatula Jemalong (A17). Secondly, we exposed the cultivated (probably the least adapted genotype to aridity) and the wild (the most common one in arid zones) M. truncatula genotypes to water deficit. The carbon metabolism response in different parts of their roots was analysed. Results A reduced carbon investment per unit of root length was a common trait in the four wild genotypes, indicative of an evolution towards a parsimonious root phenotype. During the water deficit experiment, the wild M. truncatula showed higher tolerance to drought, along with a superior ability of its taproot to partition sucrose and enhanced capacity of its fibrous roots to maintain sugar homeostasis. Conclusion A parsimonious root phenotype and the spatial specialization of root carbon metabolism represent two important drought tolerance traits. This work provides relevant findings to understand the response of Medicago species roots to water deficit.