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Species are the principal category we use to study, understand, and conserve the natural world, so how we define species has a cascading impact across fields, well beyond biology [[1]]. Generalized workflows can be created by incorporating public sequence data and species delimitation methods [[6]], and these can be hosted online, like BOLD's BIN system for short DNA barcodes, but similar public data systems remain unrealized for many other data types. Since these data may disagree in species delineations (for example, DNA and morphology), we must explicitly state the justifications of new species designations and lines of evidence employed in revisions and elsewhere, including how they have been integrated. [Extracted from the article]

Biodiversity science in China has seen rapid growth over recent decades, ranging from baseline biodiversity studies to understanding the processes behind evolution across dynamic regions such as the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We review research, including species catalogues; biodiversity monitoring; the origins, distributions, maintenance and threats to biodiversity; biodiversity-related ecosystem function and services; and species and ecosystems' responses to global change. Next, we identify priority topics and offer suggestions and priorities for future biodiversity research in China. These priorities include (i) the ecology and biogeography of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and surrounding mountains, and that of subtropical and tropical forests across China; (ii) marine and inland aquatic biodiversity; and (iii) effective conservation and management to identify and maintain synergies between biodiversity and socio-economic development to fulfil China's vision for becoming an ecological civilization. In addition, we propose three future strategies: (i) translate advanced biodiversity science into practice for biodiversity conservation; (ii) strengthen capacity building and application of advanced technologies, including high-throughput sequencing, genomics and remote sensing; and (iii) strengthen and expand international collaborations. Based on the recent rapid progress of biodiversity research, China is well positioned to become a global leader in biodiversity research in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]