Science Enabled by Specimen Data
Faccenda, K. 2025. From the Pasture to the Present: The History of Grass Introductions in Hawai‘i. Pacific Science 78. https://doi.org/10.2984/78.2.4
Before European contact, natural grasslands covered relatively little of Hawai‘i, with a grass flora composed of ∼48 species including 40 endemics. Following the proliferation of cattle ranches after the Great Mahele (land division) in the 1840s, it was quickly realized that the native grasses were not suitable for high intensity grazing. This sparked the importation of “improved” pasture grasses and set the path toward the contemporary dominance of foreign grasses across Hawai‘i. The importation of foreign grasses for forage accelerated dramatically in the early 1900s with the establishment of the Hawai‘i Agriculture Experiment Station (HAES) on O‘ahu by the United States government. The HAES imported seed, trialed grasses in introduction gardens, and distributed seed to ranchers across the islands. I performed a systematic review of literature produced by the HAES and similar organizations, newspapers, herbarium specimens, and floristic treatments to compile a record for the timeline of grass introductions, provide detailed historical context surrounding the introduction of these grasses, and reassess the status of species of controversial nativity. In total, 577 grasses were introduced post-1778, 158 of which were likely accidental introductions whereas 419 were deliberately imported. There are 232 species of grasses naturalized in Hawai‘i, including 102 deliberately introduced and 130 likely accidental. Deliberate introductions comprise the majority of invasive species which invade natural areas, whereas most accidental introductions are weeds associated with human disturbances. While deliberate introductions largely plateaued after 1970, new accidental introductions and some deliberate introductions with long lag periods continue to naturalize, with 30 newly naturalized grass species recorded between 2000 and 2023.
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.
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.
Sousa, R. L. M., F. G. de Carvalho, A. dos Santos Bragança Gil, T. B. Vieira, and T. S. Michelan. 2025. Temperature and precipitation influence the distribution of different Cyperaceae life forms: The role of protected areas in the Amazon for conservation. Biological Conservation 301: 110886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110886
Climate change is the main cause of global biodiversity loss and changes in the structure of ecological communities. Species distribution models are an efficient tool for predicting suitable areas for species and their vulnerability to climate change. In this study, we evaluated the impact of precipitation and temperature (factors of climate change) on 12 species of the Cyperaceae family, classified into three groups: aquatic, amphibian, and terrestrial. Our results provide a comprehensive overview of habitat projections for aquatic, amphibian and terrestrial Cyperaceae species in the Amazon biome under current and future scenarios. We highlight significant range losses projected for species such as Scleria amazonica and Cyperus lacustris in the future. The relationship between climate and its influence on species distribution is critical, emphasizing the urgent need to conserve biodiversity in the face of climate change. In the models, protected areas were essential refuges for species under threat, highlighting their crucial role in preventing biodiversity loss. Variables such as temperature and seasonality (rainfall variability) strongly influenced the distribution patterns of Cyperaceae species. Seasonal fluctuations such as extreme droughts can influence water availability and the growth dynamics of hydrophytic plants. Amphibian species adapt to temperature fluctuations and changes in precipitation, while terrestrial plants prefer warmer and rainy regions. Our results emphasize the importance of conservation strategies for Amazonian species. We have also shown that protected areas play an essential role in conserving biodiversity and protecting Cyperaceae species from future changes.
Wenk, E., T. Mesaglio, D. Keith, and W. Cornwell. 2024. Curating protected area-level species lists in an era of diverse and dynamic data sources. Ecological Informatics 84: 102921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2024.102921
Dynamic yet accurate species lists for protected areas are essential for conservation and biodiversity research. Even when such lists exist, changing taxonomy, ongoing species migrations and invasions, and new discoveries of historically overlooked species mean static lists can become rapidly outdated. Biodiversity databases such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and citizen science platforms such as iNaturalist, offer rapidly accessible, georeferenced data, but their accuracy is rarely tested. Here we compare species lists generated for two of the world's oldest, more famous protected areas – Yosemite National Park in California, United States and Royal National Park in New South Wales, Australia – using both automated data extraction techniques and extensive manual curation steps. We show that automated list creation without manual curation offers inflated measures of species diversity. Lists generated from herbarium vouchers required more curation than lists generated from iNaturalist, with both incorrect coordinates attached to vouchers and long-outdated names inflating voucher-based species lists. In comparison, iNaturalist data had relatively few errors, in part due to continual curation by a large community, including many botanical experts, and the frequent and automatic implementation of taxonomic updates. As such, iNaturalist will become an increasingly accurate supplementary source for automated biodiversity lists over time, but currently offers poor coverage of graminoid species and introduced species relative to showier, native taxa, and relies on continued expert contributions to identifications. At this point, researchers must manually curate lists extracted from herbarium vouchers or static park lists, and integrate these data with records from iNaturalist, to produce the most robust and taxonomically up-to-date species lists for protected areas.
Kessous, I. M., H. Farooq, W. Testo, M. F. T. Jiménez, B. Neves, A. R. Pinto, F. Salgueiro, et al. 2024. New insights into the classification, diversification, and evolutionary dynamics of bromeliads. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae074
Abstract The Neotropics have been host to a myriad of geological and climatic events that have shaped the biodiversity present in the region. Bromeliaceae forms one of the most prominent components of the Neotropical flora, being considered the largest group nearly exclusive to the Americas, with almost 4000 species divided into eight subfamilies. Here, we utilize a new time-calibrated molecular phylogeny including 1268 bromeliad taxa and integrate habitat and morphological data to answer the following questions: (i) Are bromeliad subfamilies monophyletic, and did Neogene and Quaternary events in South America coincide with their divergence? (ii) Did naked seeds of berry-fruited species, epiphytic growth, and climatic factors increase bromeliad diversification? Our analysis reconstructed a new topology concerning some recently diverged lineages, with the genus Bromelia emerging as the sister group of a clade including all remaining Bromelioideae lineages + Puyoideae. Miocene events possibly triggered the diversification of bromeliads after a long period of stasis during the Palaeogene. We hypothesize that the morphological shift between Bromelia and Bromelioideae (except Bromelia) is related to the colonization of a new high-elevation environment by Puyoideae in the Andes. Additionally, our results show that naked seeds and the epiphytic growth form positively influence diversification rate, while precipitation, temperature, and elevation have a negative influence. We emphasize the importance of considering a variety of morphological and ecological features to enhance our understanding of bromeliad evolution.
Magri, R. A., F. Luebert, A. Cabral, S. Alcantara, L. G. Lohmann, J. Prado, and J. C. Lopes. 2024. Historical biogeography of Vellozia (Velloziaceae) reveals range expansion in South American mountaintops after climatic cooling events and increased diversification rates after the occupation of Southern Espinhaço Province. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boae072
The campos rupestres and the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Inselbergs (BAFI) are highly diverse vegetation types that grow on mountaintops of eastern Brazil and show outstanding levels of endemism. The plant family Velloziaceae is an iconic element of these vegetations, with the genus Vellozia, being exceptionally abundant in both these vegetations. In this study, we use Vellozia as a model to address three main questions: (i) What was the distribution of Vellozia’s most recent common ancestor? (ii) Did the range expansions of Vellozia occur during periods characterized by global cooling? (iii) When did Vellozia colonize the different South American highlands they occupy nowadays? To address these questions, we reconstructed the phylogeny of Vellozia using sequences of four molecular markers analysed using Bayesian and maximum likelihood inferences. We used the resulting phylogeny to reconstruct the ancestral distribution of Vellozia using the DEC model. Our findings indicate that Vellozia originated and subsequently diversified in the Oligocene, when the genus was broadly distributed through the Andes, BAFI, Cerrado, Caatinga, and the Chapada Diamantina, suggesting that the Cerrado may acted as a corridor between the Andes and eastern mountaintop vegetations. Vellozia subsequently occupied the southern Espinhaço during the Early Miocene, which was followed by increased diversification rates and several range expansions, especially after the Middle-Miocene Climatic Optimum, when cooler and drier periods allowed the expansion of open environments and the retraction of forests, allowing Vellozia to expand their distribution. These results highlight the unique evolutionary history of Vellozia and the importance of climatic cooling for the expansion of the genus.
Singhal, S., C. DiVittorio, C. Jones, I. Ixta, A. Widmann, I. Giffard‐Mena, F. Zapata, and A. Roddy. 2024. Population structure and natural selection across a flower color polymorphism in the desert plant Encelia farinosa. American Journal of Botany 111. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16413
AbstractPremiseClines—or the geographic sorting of phenotypes across continual space—provide an opportunity to understand the interaction of dispersal, selection, and history in structuring polymorphisms.MethodsIn this study, we combine field‐sampling, genetics, climatic analyses, and machine learning to understand a flower color polymorphism in the wide‐ranging desert annual Encelia farinosa.ResultsWe find evidence for replicated transitions in disk floret color from brown to yellow across spatial scales, with the most prominent cline stretching ~100 km from southwestern United States into México. Because population structure across the cline is minimal, selection is more likely than drift to have an important role in determining cline width.ConclusionsGiven that the cline aligns with a climatic transition but there is no evidence for pollinator preference for flower color, we hypothesize that floret color likely varies as a function of climatic conditions.
Ackerman, J. D., W. Recart, L. Soifer, W. Falcón, and C. Baider. 2024. Invasions of the bamboo orchid: performance variability on islands oceans apart. Biological Invasions. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-024-03442-y
Traits associated with successful biological invasions across environmental gradients or geographical distances may vary depending on processes such as founder effects, ecological sorting, or adaptation to local conditions. Consequently, drivers of success are not necessarily consistent throughout the invasive range. We evaluate how plant traits, reproductive success and climatic preferences vary in populations of a naturalized orchid on islands in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Populations of Arundina graminifolia (bamboo orchid) were located on Puerto Rico, Hawaiian Islands (Hawai’i, O’ahu, Kaua’i), and Mauritius. Vegetative and reproductive traits were measured, and male and female success were assessed. Populations were compared using multivariate approaches. Species distribution modeling was used to assess potential climatic preferences within and among islands. Floral morphology differed among islands but considerable overlap in trait distributions exists. Reproductive success significantly differed among islands and was linked to floral traits, local pollinator pools and perhaps variable levels of florivory. Hawaiian populations occupied the broadest climatic niche space and Mauritius the most restricted. The effectiveness of using present points from the native range to reveal climatic suitability on invaded islands varied among islands. Successful invasions across a broad geographical range can occur even when morphology, reproductive success and climatic conditions are variable. As expected, some aspects of this global invasion are similar, but others differ among islands underscoring the context dependency of biological invasions and the difficulty of overall predictions. Los rasgos asociados a las invasiones biológicas exitosas a través de gradientes ambientales o distancias geográficas pueden variar dependiendo de procesos tales como el efecto fundador, el sorteo ecológico, o las adaptaciones a las condiciones locales. Consecuentemente, los impulsores del éxito no son necesariamente consistentes a través de la distribución invadida. Nosotros evaluamos cómo los rasgos, el éxito reproductivo y las preferencias climáticas varían en poblaciones de una orquídea naturalizada en islas de los océanos Atlántico, Pacífico e Índico. Las poblaciones de Arundina graminifolia (orquídea bambú) estaban localizadas en Puerto Rico, las Islas Hawaianas (Hawai’i, O’ahu, Kaua’i) y en la Isla de Mauricio. Los rasgos vegetativos y reproductivos fueron medidos, y el éxito reproductivo masculino y femenino fue evaluado. Comparamos las poblaciones usando enfoques estadísticos multivariados. También usamos modelos de distribución de especies para evaluar las preferencias climáticas tanto dentro de las islas, así como entre ellas. La morfología floral difirió entre islas, pero existe un sobrelapamiento considerable en la distribución de rasgos. El éxito reproductivo fue significativamente diferente entre islas, y estuvo ligado a los rasgos florales, el conjunto de polinizadores locales y, quizá, a niveles variables de florivoría. Las poblaciones hawaianas ocuparon el nicho climático más amplio mientras que las mauricianas ocuparon el más restringido. La efectividad de usar puntos de presencia de la distribución nativa para revelar la adecuación climática de las islas invadidas varió entre islas. Encontramos que las invasiones exitosas a través de una distribución geográfica amplia pueden ocurrir a pesar de la variabilidad en morfología, éxito reproductivo y condiciones climáticas. Como era de esperarse, algunos aspectos de esta invasión global son similares, pero otros difieren entre islas, haciendo hincapié en la dependencia del contexto de las invasiones biológicas y la dificultad de hacer predicciones generalizadas. Les traits associés aux invasions biologiques sur des gradients environnementaux ou des distances géographiques peuvent varier en fonction de processus tels que les effets fondateurs, le tri écologique ou l'adaptation aux conditions locales. Par conséquent, les facteurs de réussite ne sont pas nécessairement cohérents dans l'ensemble de l'aire de répartition de l'invasion. Nous évaluons comment les caractéristiques des plantes, le succès de la reproduction et les préférences climatiques varient dans les populations d'une orchidée naturalisée sur des îles des océans Atlantique, Pacifique et Indien. Les populations d'Arundina graminifolia (orchidée bambou) ont été localisées à Porto Rico, dans les îles hawaïennes (Hawai'i, O'ahu, Kaua'i) et à l'île Maurice. Les traits végétatifs et reproductifs ont été mesurés, et le succès reproductifs des mâles et des femelles a été évalué. Les populations ont été comparées à l'aide d'approches multivariées. La modélisation de la distribution des espèces a été utilisée pour évaluer les préférences climatiques potentielles au sein des îles et entre elles. La morphologie florale diffère d'une île à l'autre, mais il existe un chevauchement considérable dans la répartition des caractéristiques. Le succès de la reproduction diffère significativement entre les îles et est lié aux caractéristiques florales, aux réservoirs locaux de pollinisateurs et peut-être à des niveaux variables de florivorie. Les populations hawaïennes ont occupé la niche climatique la plus large et les populations mauriciennes la plus restreinte. L'efficacité de l'utilisation de points de présences dans l'aire de répartition indigène pour révéler l'adéquation climatique des îles envahies varie d'une île à l'autre. Des invasions réussies sur une vaste aire de répartition géographique peuvent se produire même lorsque la morphologie, le succès de la reproduction et les conditions climatiques sont variables. Comme prévu, certains aspects de cette invasion mondiale sont similaires, mais d'autres diffèrent d'une île à l'autre, ce qui souligne l’importance du contexte des invasions biologiques et la difficulté des prédictions globales.