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Prof. Tchen-Ngo Liou is one of the founders of China's botany, geobotany, and forest ecology. Theory of dynamic geobotany, established by Prof. Liou, can track back from his doctoral work in Alps in France, and was developed based on his long-term field works in northeast, southeast, north, northeast parts of China, India, North Korea and other regions. In the short course on dynamics geobotany in 1962, he gave a series of lectures which formed a synthesized system. The key elements of this theory are the comprehensive review and critical thinking on climax theory of vegetation science and community succession. Prof. Liou has applied this theory into the establishment of artificial vegetation, the improvement of natural vegetation, forest harvesting and regeneration, and the prevent and control of desertification in China. Here, we gave a short summary about this theory, and discussed its potential influence on important topics in vegetation ecology and biodiversity science, including mountain biodiversity, natural forest conservation, forest management, global change, and vegetation classification.

University herbaria play critical roles in biodiversity research and training and provide interdisciplinary academic environments that foster innovative uses of natural history collections. Universities have a responsibility to steward these important collections in perpetuity, in alignment with their academic missions and for the good of science and society., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Taxonomists are primary actors of biodiversity assessment. At the same time, there is awareness by the taxonomic community at large that the field is going through a crisis, sometimes referred to as the 'taxonomic impediment'. Coupled with the ongoing biodiversity crisis, or 6th mass extinction, this biodiversity impedance puts at risk the target set in the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Global Biodiversity Framework vision 2050, which calls for urgent action to '… put biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of planet and people'. This risk is particularly pronounced in tropical African countries where taxonomic studies are done on an ad hoc basis. In this study, our aim is to investigate the historical trends in botanical exploration of vascular plants in Nigeria and forecast the near-term (50-year) description of presently unknown species, which we use to discuss scenarios of taxonomic effort that may be necessary for a comprehensive biodiversity assessment in the country., Methods: The study is based on a dataset from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants, containing all vascular plant species reported to occur in Nigeria. We fit nested Bayesian time series regressions to estimate the long-term trend in the rate of description of vascular plant species in Nigeria. From these models, we use an ensemble forecast to estimate the number of species descriptions by the year 2070, and then evaluate the description rates per taxonomist required to meet this estimate under different totals of active taxonomists., Key Results: We find a striking difference in species description between Nigerian botanists and their foreign counterparts, with the former contributing relatively small numbers. Additionally, only a fraction of the authors involved in describing Nigeria's vascular plants are of indigenous origin. Our study reveals that the number of new species described annually exhibits a long-term increasing trend, with an average of 19.5 species described per year. However, after taking into account year-to-year variability and the number of taxonomists active in a given year, the long-term trend in species descriptions credibly declines over time. While the number of authors involved in describing species has generally increased over time, it has remained stable since the 1950s. Predictions for the number of new species descriptions by 2070 vary by model, with an ensemble prediction estimating 1140 species descriptions, but ranging from 1004 to 2239 between individual models., Conclusions: The study estimates that current levels of taxonomic activity should lead to a 20 % increase in known species of vascular plants in Nigeria over the next 50 years, which is still probably an underestimate of the true, unknown species richness. Urgent action is needed to address the taxonomic impediment so that local taxonomic studies in tropical African countries can achieve the CBD's Global Biodiversity Framework vision 2050. Here, we outline some key pathways to achieving this goal., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.)

Local wisdom which is the theme of the project to strengthen the character of Pancasila in the Merdeka Curriculum includes the fading of ancestral culture such as traditional vegetable medicine. Although schools have limited resources for teaching local wisdom through books, students' preference for mobile learning requires a more flexible and practical approach, as seen from the use of Tambakboyo Reservoir's herbal diversity as website content. This research aims to determine the types of herbal plants in the Tambakboyo Reservoir and their suitability as learning media. This R&D research uses the ADDIE model which is limited to the development stage. There are 62 types of Indonesian herbal plants in Tambakboyo Reservoir. The results of reviews by material experts, media experts, practitioners, and student readability tests on the herbal plants website show that the media is declared appropriate and meets the assessment criteria and can then be continued with implementation.

Plant awareness disparity (PAD), formerly known as plant blindness, refers to the fact of overlooking or failing to perceive plants, perhaps due to poor 'species literacy'. Despite numerous efforts made by scientists and educators over the years, PAD is still present in students at all educational levels. An assessment was carried out on 259 students from primary school to university in the Spanish education system to evaluate their species literacy, especially regarding local flora and fauna, its possible improvement across educational levels, and to assess whether PAD was a reality among students. A biased perception towards animals was confirmed with strong statistical support. Animals were recognized and identified more than plants at all educational levels. Even if a positive correlation for animal-plant literacy was found, the values were weak. Although the curricula set out content and learning outcomes related to local environment and flora, their teaching has been proven to be unsatisfactory. The recently implemented curricula have the mission to reverse this trend, which can be done by improving students' interest in plants through specific educational programs and activities, as well as comprehensive training in the field of botany and the effective implementation of activities for current and future educators.

The objectives of this study were to 1) investigate the efficiency of Application on Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' for creating awareness of Undergraduate Students, 2) compare students' achievements before and after learning through the Application on Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' for Creates Awareness of Undergraduate Students, and 3) examine student satisfaction towards the Application on Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' for Creates Awareness of Undergraduate Students. The sample comprised 30 Secondary 4 second semester at Faculty of Technical Education, Rajamangala University Thayaburi Education Service Area Office Pathum Thani, derived through purposive sampling technique. Data was collected through an application called Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' to create awareness among undergraduate students. The research used a pretest, a post-test, and a student satisfaction form. The data was analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and t-test for dependent samples. The findings showed that the Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' application was adequate, with an E1/E2 score of 81.58/80.03. The study also revealed that students achieved better results after using the application to learn about creating awareness among undergraduate students. The mean and standard deviation before learning were 8.27 and 2.22, while the mean and standard deviation after education were 4.66 and 0.61. The t-test score used before and after schooling was 31.16 at a statistically significant level of 0.05. Moreover, the student satisfaction towards the Application of Nymphaea 'Thai Lotus Species' for Creates Awareness of Undergraduate Students was high.

The iNaturalist application has been gaining traction in both biodiversity research and education. Increasingly more research is being carried out, looking into using the iNaturalist application in biology education, to promote biodiversity and educate students about this topic. We used the PRISMA systematic literature review method to examine research carried out using the iNaturalist application in biology education by searching Web of Science and Scopus, and including citizen science in the process. We searched through the iNaturalist forum, where users contribute research performed using iNaturalist. We found that an increasing number of articles have been published on this topic over the years. Researchers are using iNaturalist to improve BioBlitz activities, to enhance outdoor education activities, and to help make herbaria. Summarizing the work performed in this area, we suggest guidelines for including and preparing the iNaturalist application in a school context to be used by teachers and researchers alike.

Especially within the light of the current loss of biodiversity, we want our students to gain a better understanding of the issues at stake in order to take action and support plants and their pollinators. Many educational approaches focus on honeybees, disregarding the vast diversity in the context of pollination systems and the complex (co-)adaptations on both plants and pollinators that evolved over time. This article tries to remedy this by providing scientific background and two practical teaching approaches including legumes (Fabaceae s. s., Faboideae) as one of the largest plant families worldwide, containing many well-known crop species. Legume flowers show specializations regarding pollination and are therefore excellent examples to teach not only about pollination and adaptations, but also conservation. The main elements of both teaching approaches are functional flower models. The first approach was developed for learners with little background knowledge on pollination, whereas the second approach is more elaborate.

Environmental education (EE) is a concern in modern society. Plant blindness and nature-deficit disorder highlight how important nature contact and plant consciousness is for urban populations. Considering rapid urbanisation, these phenomena are of increasing concern in China. Integrating EE curricula in Chinese cities is necessary to help younger generations appreciate the environment and understand how to address environmental challenges. Based on our EE teaching experiences in Southwest China's largest urban conglomeration, Chengdu, we discuss anecdotes and propose strategies to improve Southwest China's EE, with guidance for future research. Although children are more drawn to animals, EE education should focus on ecosystem-wide approaches rather than entirely zoocentric or anthropocentric perspectives, since these could reinforce the problematic view that plants are merely 'backdrops'. Urban greenspaces should be utilised in active education schemes, with teachers trained via professional EE modules rooted in local environmental concerns and complementing national/regional priorities. EE programmes should actively engage parents, encouraging their interaction with schools during EE activity preparation and venue selection, as their participation can help overcome obsessive safety and liability concerns. Older generations should be encouraged to transmit their own environmental and ecological knowledge, with implications for both cultural resilience and biocultural diversity conservation efforts.

Teachers are highly reliant on textbooks for teaching. In the Republic of Korea, science textbooks help students to understand scientific terms through inquiry activities. However, there is a lack of analysis on whether the inquiry activities suggested in these textbooks appropriately cover the terms included in the main text. Therefore, this study assesses the life science units included in widely used lower secondary school science textbooks in the Republic of Korea by analysing the connection between the terms presented in the inquiry activities and the main text using the NetMiner 4.0 programme. The results reveal that the life science units included in the lower secondary school science textbooks are well structured for learning life science terms through the inquiry activities, as the terms presented in the inquiry activities and the main text are well connected. However, the number of terms included in each unit greatly differs and needs to be supplemented with the optimization of the number of terms per unit. The results provide basic data for the future development of lower secondary school science textbooks. Future research should analyse how the terms used in inquiry activities and the main text are connected in real science classes.

Children worldwide are increasingly deprived of direct nature experiences (DNE). Often rooted in restrictions of urbanization and modernization, this loss may hamper biodiversity conservation through erosion of biodiversity knowledge. Yet, the extent of this phenomenon in small cities, particularly in rapidly developing islands, remains understudied. This study aimed to compare the frequencies of DNEs based on islands and evaluate the influences of different islands and frequency of direct nature experiences on biodiversity knowledge among children. The sample consisted of 429, 11- 12-year-old public-school children from seven islands. Findings of this online survey questionnaire show that the frequency of visiting nature places and contact with animals was not significantly different, but the frequency of contact with plants as well as the overall frequency of experiences was significantly different among the islands. Children have a low level of biodiversity knowledge but are better at identifying animals than plants. Biodiversity knowledge scores were not significantly different among islands. Hence, island environments have a significant effect on DNE frequency but not on biodiversity knowledge. Increased frequency of nature experiences has a significant positive effect on biodiversity knowledge. This effect is more evident when the frequency is more than once a month. The study suggests that the frequency of DNEs is more influential in determining children's biodiversity knowledge than their place of residence. Hence, meaningful nature experiences must be facilitated to promote biodiversity knowledge.

Biodiversity plays a crucial role in ecosystem functioning by providing essential benefits to people and improving their well-being, i.e., regulating material and non-material services; especially in cultural and natural rich landscapes, such as those found in Latin-American countries. Nevertheless, in spite of the utmost importance of sustaining human life, biodiversity is not only declining at unprecedented rates, but also this pervasive degradation has revealed both our mutual dependence and interconnectedness, with a profound need for a societal transformative change. To help meet this challenge, the aim of this work is to synthesise pertinent and state-of-the-art knowledge on biodiversity education by utilising a holistic approach and a Latin-American point of view, which will contribute towards understanding and targeting complex socio-ecological issues. The findings have unveiled an abundant number of studies in Latin American countries that have investigated the topic of teachers' and students' knowledge and their conceptions of biodiversity from both conventional scientific knowledge and interculturality. By promoting an integrative dialogue among these categories and their subcategories, several implications arose concerning scientists engaged in public outreach, environmental and sustainable development and science education researchers, those engaged in cultural studies, formal and non-formal education, and school teachers.

Social connections are crucial for today's middle and high school students. We address this social need through a 3-H Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Cycle. Through the Three Sisters Garden activity presented here, we teach secondary school students about biodiversity and sustainability as we integrate the arts into STEM (STEAM). Students investigate the growth and development of organisms from a crosscutting lens of systems. Students initiate the sensemaking process by paralleling their own need for companionship to plants. Students end the lesson by initiating a scientific argumentation for a Three (or Four) Brothers/Others Garden. The 3-H learning cycle begins and returns to social and emotional connections, giving equal weight of importance to the heart (social and emotional), hands (problem-solving), and heads (sensemaking). The lesson presented here exemplifies school garden-based learning and students' ability to initiate sensemaking of the indigenous Three Sisters Garden intercropping method. Analyzing gardens from a systems lens allows students to make emotional and cognitive connections between their own need for social connections and plants increased growth and productivity in a polyculture. When students emotionally, socially, and cognitively participate in the process of science, they begin to see themselves as a part of the scientific process.

Although citizenship's literacy in biodiversity is a promising way of confronting its loss, the unawareness about this topic is generalised particularly regarding plants. The latter phenomenon, named Plant Blindness (PB), not only refers to the inability to notice and identify the surrounding plants, but also to the lack of knowledge about the basics of plant biology and to the subsequent ignorance of the value of plants. Hence, the aim of this research has been to assess whether secondary students experience PB and to analyse if this phenomenon can be interrelated with their conceptualisation and attitudes towards biodiversity. For this purpose, 63 secondary students took a mixed closed- and open-ended questionnaire on different aspects of biodiversity and plant biology. The results revealed that, despite conceptualisation of biodiversity and plant literacy increased during secondary education, most students presented PB 'symptoms'. Moreover, some of the dimensions studied were interrelated, such as comprehension of biodiversity and different aspects of plant knowledge. Therefore, these results indicate that PB has multiple branches which are not only related to plant topics sensu stricto, but also include biodiversity; which can provide novel insights into the appropriate approach to the plant blindness issue from an educational perspective.

When most people think "King Island," they think of a place synonymous with premium Australian dairy products. But hidden away from the lush, green pastures of grazing cows is an island teeming with invertebrate and plant species. You could probably eat some of those too, but that wasn't the intent of the Bush Blitzers who set off to find them. Bush Blitz is an initiative of the Australian Government through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and Parks Australia along with BHP and the Earthwatch Institute Australia. This article describes how a team of scientists, along with representatives from the government and industry (Bush Blitz), set up base on the stunning island to scour its waterways, seashores and vegetation in the hopes of discovering previously undescribed plants and creatures, and of recording the presence of those already known.

A fundamental goal in ecology and evolution is to explain the factors that shape species' abundance and range limits. Evaluating the performance of early life-stages across an altitudinal gradient can be valuable for understanding what factors shape range limits and for predicting how plant species may respond to climate change. To experimentally evaluate the presence of local adaptation in a threatened palm (Euterpe edulis) at early life-stages, we reciprocally sowed seeds at two contrasting elevations. In addition, to evaluate the effect of seed predation on E. edulis seed germination and seedling establishment, seed addition experiments were conducted at three different elevations. Our results showed no evidence of local adaptation in the early life-stages for the two E. edulis populations. We observed lower germination and seedling performance of both E. edulis populations at the low-elevation site. The exclusion of seed predation increased seedling establishment across all elevations. Seed predation and dry soil conditions were the main factors that constrained seedling establishment at the upper altitudinal limit and at the lower elevation, respectively. Climate change in the study area will result in warmer and drier environmental conditions. The lack of local adaptation and the lower performance of both E. edulis populations in warm and dry conditions, combined with a higher seed predation at the upper altitudinal limit, might cause an altitudinal range contraction, increasing the vulnerability of this threatened species to climate change., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Heavy metals and metalloids are ubiquitous and persistent in the environment. Anthropogenic activities, including land use change, industrial emissions, mining, chrome plating, and smelting, escalate their distribution and accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems. Priority metals, including lead, chromium, arsenic, nickel, copper, cadmium, and mercury, pose enormous risks to public health, ecological safety, and biodiversity. The adverse effects of heavy metals on plant-animal interactions, pollen viability, species fitness, richness, and abundance are poorly understood. Hence, this review summarises the critical insights from primary investigations on the key sources of heavy metal pollution, distribution pathways, and their adverse effects on plants and pollinators. This study provides insights into how heavy metals compromise nectar quality, pollen viability, plant-pollinator growth, and reproduction. Biotic pollinators are responsible for approximately 90% of the reproduction of flowering plants. Heavy metals adversely affect pollinators that rely on angiosperms for nectar and pollen. Heavy metals interrupt pollinators' and plants' growth, reproduction, and survival. Evidence showed that bees near gold mines had their olfactory learning performances and head sizes reduced by 36% and 4% due to heavy metals exposure. Cadmium (Cd) interrupts the redox balance, causes oxidative stress, alters gut microbiota, and reduces the survival rate of Apis cerana cerana. Excess Cd exposure reduced the flight capacity, loss of mitochondria, and damaged muscle fibre of Bombus terrestris, while Zn stress reduced egg production and hatchability of Harmonia axyridis. Furthermore, heavy metals alter flower visitation, foraging behaviour, and pollination efficiency., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval and consent to participate are not required for this study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Hazards and human or animal subjects: Not applicable., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Cryptogams, encompassing algae, fungi, lichens, bryophytes, and pteridophytes play essential roles in soil formation, nutrient cycling, and ecological stability. Sri Lanka faces numerous environmental challenges, including habitat loss, climate change, and pollution and there is an urgent need for effective monitoring programs to assess and mitigate these changes. This comprehensive review compiles existing literature on the importance of cryptogams and their responses to various environmental stressors and highlights the specific characteristics that make cryptogams valuable bio-indicators, such as their sensitivity to pollution, climate change, and land-use changes in habitats such as forests, agricultural lands, and urban areas, as well as their ability to accumulate and retain pollutants over time. The diversity of cryptogams is integral to their effectiveness as bio-indicators, providing a comprehensive picture of ecosystem health. Furthermore, recommendations for the development of monitoring programs are provided for different areas in the country. These recommendations include establishing baseline data for cryptogam diversity and abundance and incorporating the integration of modern molecular techniques such as DNA barcoding which are widely used in biodiversity monitoring programs to track the responses of cryptogams to environmental changes. This review seeks to emphasize the importance of cryptogams in ecosystem health assessment raising awareness among policymakers, researchers, and conservationists in Sri Lanka. Through the implementation of effective monitoring programs, we can enhance our understanding of local ecosystem dynamics, improve conservation efforts, and contribute to the sustainable management of Sri Lanka's natural resources in the face of ongoing environmental changes., Competing Interests: Declarations. All authors have read, understood, and have complied as applicable with the statement on “Ethical responsibilities of Authors” as found in the Instructions for Authors. Competing interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Premise: Ferns and lycophytes, the two spore-bearing lineages of vascular plants, share a unique life cycle, and because of several morpho-ecophysiological similarities, are usually investigated as a unit, but they may have distinct ecological and environmental responses. Understanding the diversity and distribution patterns of ferns and lycophytes separately is essential for designing effective conservation strategies., Methods: We assessed species richness and range sizes using range-diversity analyses and investigated environmental (climatic, edaphic) and ecological (endemism, habit diversity, specialization) predictors of these range and richness metrics using generalized linear models., Results: The central region of the Atlantic Forest primarily contained areas with fern and lycophyte species with high richness and small ranges; the northern and southern extremes of the forest had species with low richness and larger ranges. Fern richness was associated with a combination of environmental and ecological variables; lycophyte richness was associated only with ecological variables. Range sizes were positively related to habit diversity for both ferns and lycophytes, but the effect of environmental variables differed between the two lineages. Critical areas were primarily not within protected areas., Conclusions: Fern range sizes and richness were influenced by a combination of ecological and environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, and soil variables; only ecological variables influenced lycophyte richness and range sizes. The effects of these factors must be considered separately for the two lineages due to their different responses to stressors. Conservation efforts should increase in the species-rich-low-range areas that are outside protected areas to protect these low-range species., (© 2024 Botanical Society of America.)

In 2020, just as COVID-19 reached Australian shores, a group of enthusiastic teachers had been anticipating their imminent Bush Blitz TeachLive expedition to Rungulla National Park to take part in Australia's largest biodiversity survey. It took two years for their trip to eventuate, but it was worth the wait. Three candidates from the deferred 2020 survey -- Michael Tubby, Monica Lilley and Louise Edwards -- along with past expedition applicant, Janet Price, finally realised their aspirations to work directly with scientists and to "teach live" from the field in May 2022 whilst on the latest Bush Blitz biodiversity survey to Rungulla National Park, Queensland.

The unifying element of all biodiversity data is the issue of taxon hierarchy modeling. We compared 25 existing databases in terms of handling taxa hierarchy and presentation of this data. We used documentation or demo installations of databases as a source of information and next in line was the analysis of structures using R packages provided by inspected platforms. If neither of these was available, we used the public interface of individual databases. For almost half (12) of the databases analyzed, we did not find any formalized taxa hierarchy data structure, providing only biological information about taxon membership in higher ranks, which is not fully formalizable and thus not generally usable. The least effective Adjacency List model (storing parentId of a taxon) dominates among the remaining providers. This study demonstrates the lack of attention paid by current biodiversity databases to modeling taxon hierarchy, particularly to making it available to researchers in the form of a hierarchical data structure within the data provided. For biodiversity relational databases, the Closure Table type is the most suitable of the known data models, which also corresponds to the ontology concept. However, its use is rather sporadic within the biodiversity databases ecosystem., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.)

Islands are renowned as evolutionary laboratories and support many species that are not found elsewhere 1,2 . Islands are also of great conservation concern, with many of their endemic species currently threatened or extinct 3 . Here we present a standardized checklist of all known vascular plants that occur on islands and document their geographical and phylogenetic distribution and conservation risk. Our analyses of 304,103 plant species reveal that 94,052 species (31%) are native to islands, which constitute 5.3% of the global landmass 4 . Of these, 63,280 are island endemic species, which represent 21% of global plant diversity. Three-quarters of these are restricted to large or isolated islands. Compared with the world flora, island endemics are non-randomly distributed within the tree of life, with a total of 1,005 billion years of unique phylogenetic history with 17 families and 1,702 genera being entirely endemic to islands. Of all vascular plants assigned International Union for Conservation of Nature conservation categories 5 , 22% are island endemics. Among these endemic species, 51% are threatened, and 55% of all documented global extinctions have occurred on islands. We find that of all single-island endemic species, only 6% occur on islands meeting the United Nations 30×30 conservation target. Urgent measures including habitat restoration, invasive species removal and ex situ programmes are needed to protect the world's island flora. Our checklist quantifies the uniqueness of island life, provides a basis for future studies of island floras, and highlights the urgent need to take actions for conserving them., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

The emergence of the Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) during the Neolithic period within Polish territory 5400-4900 BC, introduced plant cultivation, yet the definitive list of cultivated species remains debated. This study examines plant assemblages (fruits, seeds, pollen, and spores) from the LBK settlement in Biskupice, southern Poland, aiming to identify cultivated and wild species used during the development of the first stable settlements in the Carpathian Foothills. Due to extensive sampling, Biskupice yielded over 11,000 macroscopic plant specimens, enabling detailed analysis of plant diversity, distribution, and implications for agrarian and dietary practices. The analysis revealed a focus on emmer and einkorn wheat cultivation, with barley playing a minor role, alongside evidence of flax and pulses. Radiocarbon dating supported the settlement's existence in the 6th millennium BCE, and confirmed the use of barley. However, a younger date excluded bread wheat cultivation at this site. The plant assemblage included a diverse array of herbaceous wild plants like black bindweed, fat hen and brome species, suggesting their economic use. Additionally, the presence of cockspur grass, linked with Southeast Asia, indicates alternative migration routes of weeds in Europe, as supported by radiocarbon dating. Palynological analysis suggests existence of nearby cereal plots or the processing of cereals at the settlement, supporting archaeological evidence., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Natural disturbance-based management (NDBM) is hypothesized to maintain managed forest ecosystem integrity by reducing differences between natural and managed forests. The effectiveness of this approach often entails local comparisons of species composition or diversity for a variety of biota from managed and unmanaged forests. Understory vegetation is regularly the focus of such comparison because of its importance in nutrient cycling, forest regeneration, and for wildlife. However, larger scale comparisons between regions with distinct species assemblages may require a trait-based approach to better understand understory responses to disturbance. We compared the long-term effects of retention harvesting on understory vegetation in two large experimental study sites located in eastern and western regions of the Canadian boreal forest. These sites included the Sylviculture en Aménagement Forestier Ecosystémique (SAFE) experiment and the Ecosystem Management Emulating Natural Disturbance (EMEND) experiment, located in the eastern and western regions of Canada, respectively. EMEND and SAFE share common boreal understory species but have distinct tree communities, soils, and climate. Both experiments were designed to evaluate how increasing tree retention after harvest affects biodiversity. Here, we examined taxonomic richness, functional diversity, and functional composition (using community trait mean values) of understory plant communities, and also examine intraspecific trait variability (ITV) for five species common and abundant in both experiments. We observed the limited impacts of retention level on richness, functional diversity, and functional composition of understory plants 20 years postharvest. However, ITV of leaf morphological traits varied between retention levels within each experiment, depending on the species identity. Common species had different functional responses to retention level, showing species-specific reactions to environmental variation. Our result suggests that understory plant communities in the boreal forest achieve resilience to disturbance both in terms of interspecific and intraspecific functional trait diversity. Such diversity may be key to maintaining understory biodiversity in the face of future disturbances and environmental change. Our results reveal the significance of ITV in plant communities for understanding responses to forest harvesting and the importance of choosing appropriate traits when studying species responses to the environment., (© 2024 The Author(s). Ecological Applications published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.)

Species literacy is an important aspect of biodiversity education. This study assesses the ability of secondary students (12/13 years old; n = 944) to list wild animals and plants and aims to determine whether this is linked with their interest in nature, their preferences towards animals and plants and different groups therein, the school type (public or private), per capita income and the size of the students' hometowns. We have observed that students claim to have a very high interest in nature, but they spontaneously recall a worrisome proportion of exotic species (especially animals), as well as domesticated ones (mainly plants). Besides, they present several 'Plant Awareness Disparity' (PAD) symptoms. However, the smaller their hometown is, the more wild native species they list, especially animals, although most PAD symptoms prevail in their answers. Our findings suggest that citizens living in more rural environments may have a higher contact with nature, resulting on a higher spontaneous listing of wild native species. Nevertheless, special efforts must be conducted to counteract PAD as well as 'Native Species Awareness Disparity' wherever they live.

With the onset of global change, forest species diversity has declined in recent decades as pristine habitat in biological hotspots rapidly diminishes. Many carbon mitigation efforts directed at decreasing emissions from forest degradation and destruction assume that faunal biodiversity will benefit from such efforts. Yet, conservation of faunal biodiversity is rarely considered in carbon mitigation plans. Despite this, forest preservation and reforestation through greenhouse gas frameworks such as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation may provide means to conserve and enhance species richness while also sequestering carbon stocks simply through the establishment of large forest preserves. In this case study, students assess the disparities and synergies between management priorities focused on carbon sequestration and faunal conservation of amphibians, birds, and mammals. Future conservation practitioners need to gain experience balancing multiple, potentially competing, project goals especially within the context of climate change and habitat loss. Students using this case study examine the application of species data from Map of Life and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List to assess real differences between 86 Verified Carbon Standard carbon mitigation projects based on location, certifications for additional priorities, and size of forest preserve.

Use of demonstration plots showcasing native forbs and grasses in public greenspaces or along well-traveled paths can be helpful in increasing awareness of beneficial plant species. Signage can be used as an educational delivery method--such as that used in arboretums and museums--to bring awareness of the importance of biodiversity, pollinators, and native species. Additionally, using species that are considered aesthetic, or which create positive feelings in the viewer, may influence local trail users to further incorporate the same plants in their community. This study evaluated the process and efficacy of installing a demonstration plot along a multiuse trail in Southeast Kansas to educate the community on rehabilitative plots. While many demonstration and community gardens use an active approach to learning, evaluating more passive or informal techniques is also useful. The greatest perceived challenges for this case study were the allotment of time and money for initial costs of the demonstration plot as well as addressing methodology for plant blindness in viewers.

Leaf phenology variations within plant communities shape community assemblages and influence ecosystem properties and services. However, questions remain regarding quantification, drivers, and productivity impacts of intra-site leaf phenological diversity. With a 50-ha subtropical forest plot in China's Heishiding Provincial Nature Reserve (part of the global ForestGEO network) as a testbed, we gathered a unique dataset combining ground-derived abiotic (topography, soil) and biotic (taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, functional traits) factors. We investigated drivers underlying leaf phenological diversity extracted from high-resolution PlanetScope data, and its influence on aboveground biomass (AGB) using structural equation modeling (SEM). Our results reveal considerable fine-scale leaf phenological diversity across the subtropical forest landscape. This diversity is directly and indirectly influenced by abiotic and biotic factors (e.g. slope, soil, traits, taxonomic diversity; r 2  = 0.43). While a notable bivariate relationship between AGB and leaf phenological diversity was identified (r = -0.24, P < 0.05), this relationship did not hold in SEM analysis after considering interactions with other biotic and abiotic factors (P > 0.05). These findings unveil the underlying mechanism regulating intra-site leaf phenological diversity. While leaf phenology is known to be associated with ecosystem properties, our findings confirm that AGB is primarily influenced by functional trait composition and taxonomic diversity rather than leaf phenological diversity., (© 2024 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Premise: Theory predicts and empirical studies have shown that ecologically manipulated communities with high species diversity are resistant to invasion, but do these predictions and results hold true when applied to highly competitive invaders in natural communities? Few studies of diversity-mediated invasion resistance have measured both invasion resistance and invader impact in the same study., Methods: We used a two-year field experiment to test: (1) diversity-mediated competitive resistance to patch expansion by the grass, Microstegium vimineum; and (2) the competitive effect of M. vimineum on resident plant diversity. We examined responses of M. vimineum to two native plant density-reduction treatments that had opposite effects on species diversity: (1) reducing species richness via the removal of rare species; and (2) reducing dominance by reducing the density of the dominant resident species. We examined the effects of M. vimineum reduction by pre-emergent herbicide on resident diversity in the second year of the study., Results: Neither rare species removal nor dominant species reduction significantly increased M. vimineum density (relative growth rate). The pre-emergent herbicide dramatically reduced M. vimineum in year 2 of the study, but not most resident plants, which were perennials and indirectly benefited from the herbicide at a more productive site, presumably due to reduced competition from M. vimineum., Conclusions: Diversity-mediated resistance did not effectively deter invasion by a highly competitive invader. In the case of M. vimineum and at more productive sites, it would appear that nearly complete removal of this invader is necessary to preserve plant species diversity., (© 2024 Botanical Society of America.)

It is still uncertain whether environment or host plant species is more important in determining AMF diversity; although, plant roots are usually associated with abundant AMF species in different environments. This study explored the effect of plant species and environmental factors on AMF diversity based on three co-occurring tree species (Glochidion coccineum, Schefflera octophylla, and Schima superba) on six elevations of Mt. Jianfengling. A total of 185 OTUs (operational taxonomic units) of AMF were found in the three co-occurring dominant tree species. Of which 109 unique OTUs were identified in the three co-occurring plant species, which accounted for the total number of 58.92%. Forty-five OTUs were shared by the three co-occurring tree species, accounting for a total number of 24.32%. The plant species of Schefflera octophylla was identified as having the highest AMF diversity with the largest number of OTUs of 143. The fungi in the genus of Glomus were the dominant AMF species in the three co-occurring tree species. AMF communities and diversity are quite different, either within different plant species at the same elevation or within the same plant species at different elevations. However, the altitude had no significant effect on the ACE index. Therefore, the results suggest that plant species have a more important effect on AMF diversity and community composition., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Invasive plants are a major cause of the global biodiversity crisis; it is therefore crucial to understand mechanisms that contribute to their success. South‐western Australia is a global biodiversity hotspot with extremely low soil phosphorus (P) concentrations. In this region, a large proportion of native plant species release carboxylates that mobilise soil P. Many widespread invasive plant species in south‐western Australia are arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM). We hypothesised that some of these invasive AM plant species exhibit similar P‐acquisition strategies as native carboxylate‐releasing P‐mobilising species which allows them to thrive in P‐impoverished soils. To test this hypothesis, we collected 23 common invasive species in the field and assessed their leaf manganese concentration [Mn], relative to that of native reference species at different locations, as a proxy for carboxylate release. In addition, we cultivated seven of the invasive species in hydroponics at different P supply to measure their root carboxylate exudation. Furthermore, we measured leaf P concentration and photosynthetic P‐use efficiency (PPUE) of five invasive species in the glasshouse. In the field investigation, almost all invasive species exhibited significantly higher leaf [Mn] than the negative references, which do not release carboxylates, indicating carboxylate release of the invasive plants. Leaf [Mn] of a few invasives even exceeded that of positive references, which exhibit significant carboxylate release, indicating substantial carboxylate release of these invasives. All glasshouse‐grown invasive species with high field leaf [Mn] released root carboxylates under low P supply. Most of the tested invasive plant species also exhibited greater PPUE than native plants under low P supply. Invasive AM plant species exhibited root exudation of carboxylates as a P‐acquisition strategy, which very likely allows their successful invasion of severely P‐impoverished habitats. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement Diverse gene pools are fundamental to crop improvement, biodiversity maintenance and environmental management. The UKCropDiversity‐HPC high‐performance computing resource enables seven UK institutes to perform plant and conservation research with increased efficiency, cost‐effectiveness and environmental sustainability. It supports research across numerous areas, including bioinformatics, genetics, phenomics and conservation ‐ including Artificial Intelligence approaches. Its utilisation supports many United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including Goals‐2 (Zero Hunger), −13 (Climate Action), −15 (Life on Land), −9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) and −4 (Quality Education). Accordingly, UKCropDiversity‐HPC helps maximise the societal impact of research undertaken at our seven institutes, driving positive change for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article, published in the Journal of Economic & Taxonomic Botany, explores the impact of tree felling on biodiversity, specifically focusing on the conservation of epiphytic species and orchids in the Eastern Himalaya region. The authors document the decline in global biodiversity and emphasize the importance of trees in maintaining habitats for other organisms. They also report on the discovery of two previously undocumented species of Euphorbia in West Bengal, India. The article highlights the need for sustainable conservation strategies and educating local communities about the importance of preserving large trees to protect biodiversity. [Extracted from the article]

Drylands, comprising semi-arid, arid, and hyperarid regions, cover approximately 41% of the Earth's land surface and have expanded considerably in recent decades. Even under more optimistic scenarios, such as limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C by 2100, semi-arid lands may increase by up to 38%. This study provides an overview of the state-of-the-art regarding changing aridity in arid regions, with a specific focus on its effects on the accumulation and availability of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in plant-soil systems. Additionally, we summarized the impacts of rising aridity on biodiversity, service provisioning, and feedback effects on climate change across scales. The expansion of arid ecosystems is linked to a decline in C and nutrient stocks, plant community biomass and diversity, thereby diminishing the capacity for recovery and maintaining adequate water-use efficiency by plants and microbes. Prolonged drought led to a -3.3% reduction in soil organic carbon (SOC) content (based on 148 drought-manipulation studies), a -8.7% decrease in plant litter input, a -13.0% decline in absolute litter decomposition, and a -5.7% decrease in litter decomposition rate. Moreover, a substantial positive feedback loop with global warming exists, primarily due to increased albedo. The loss of critical ecosystem services, including food production capacity and water resources, poses a severe challenge to the inhabitants of these regions. Increased aridity reduces SOC, nutrient, and water content. Aridity expansion and intensification exacerbate socio-economic disparities between economically rich and least developed countries, with significant opportunities for improvement through substantial investments in infrastructure and technology. By 2100, half the world's landmass may become dryland, characterized by severe conditions marked by limited C, N, and P resources, water scarcity, and substantial loss of native species biodiversity. These conditions pose formidable challenges for maintaining essential services, impacting human well-being and raising complex global and regional socio-political challenges., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Understanding the relationship between biodiversity and productivity can be advanced by improving metrics used to quantify biodiversity. Structural diversity, that is, variation of size and form of plant organs, is an emerging biodiversity metric. However, compared with the other biodiversity metrics, its relative importance in specific components of forest productivity, for example, recruitment of new individuals, biomass net change after accounting for mortality, is largely unknown, particularly across a large spatial scale with multiple influential gradients. To address the knowledge gap, we used USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data across the southcentral USA from 2008 to 2017. We calculated forest biomass increments due to recruitment and growth and net change in biomass. Then, we quantified the effects of a range of abiotic and biotic variables on the biomass increments and net change. Our results showed that (1) Structural diversity was negatively associated with the two biomass increments and net change in biomass. The negative effects were supported by increased occurrences of insects and diseases with greater structural diversity. (2) Compared with species and functional diversity, structural diversity showed a better association with biomass increments and net change, suggested by its larger absolute values of standardized coefficients, and the effects of structural diversity were negative in contrast to species diversity. (3) The effects of structural diversity, stand age, and elevation differed between natural and planted forests that may stem from the differences in stand development and species composition between the two forest types. Together, structural diversity may represent an important dimension of biodiversity impacts on plant productivity, which could be related to the exacerbated disturbances with greater structural diversity., (© 2024 The Authors. Ecology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.)

Multispecies planting is an important approach to deliver ecosystem functions in afforestation projects. However, the importance of species richness vs specific species composition in this context remains unresolved. To estimate species or functional group richness and compositional change between two communities, we calculated nestedness, where one community contains a subset of the species of another, and turnover, where two communities differ in species composition but not in species richness. We evaluated the effects of species/functional group nestedness and turnover on stand productivity using 315 mixed plots from a pool of 40 tree species in a large forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China. We found that the greater the differences in species or functional group nestedness and turnover, the greater the differences in stand productivity between plots. Additionally, the strong effects of both nestedness and turnover on stand productivity developed over the 11-yr observation period. Our results indicate that selection of specific tree species is as important as planting a large number of species to support the productivity function of forests. Furthermore, the selection of specific tree species should be based on functionality, because beneficial effects of functional group composition were stronger than those of species composition., (© 2024 The Author(s). New Phytologist © 2024 New Phytologist Foundation.)

How many species of life are there on Earth? This is a question that we want to know but cannot yet answer. Some scholars speculate that the number of species may reach 2.2 billion when considering cryptic diversity and that each morphology-based insect species may contain an average of 3.1 cryptic species. With nearly two million described species, such high estimates of cryptic diversity would suggest that cryptic species are widespread. The development of molecular species delimitation has led to the discovery of a large number of cryptic species, and cryptic biodiversity has gradually entered our field of vision and attracted more attention. This paper introduces the concept of cryptic species, how they evolve, and methods by which they may be discovered and confirmed, and provides theoretical and methodological guidance for the study of hidden species. A workflow of how to confirm cryptic species is provided. In addition, the importance and reliability of multi-evidence-based integrated taxonomy are reaffirmed as a way to better standardize decision-making processes. Special focus on cryptic diversity and increased funding for taxonomy is needed to ensure that cryptic species in hyperdiverse groups are discoverable and described. An increased focus on cryptic species in the future will naturally arise as more difficult groups are studied, and thereby, we may finally better understand the rules governing the evolution and maintenance of cryptic biodiversity., (© 2024 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Soil microbes may adapt to climate warming, potentially reducing the warming-induced increase in microbial carbon emissions such as carbon dioxide, and thereby helping to mitigate climate change. Yet, soil microbes are subjected to various global change stresses (e.g., warming, drought, flooding, and land-use changes), altering their biodiversity, which challenges microbial adaptation to climate change. Here, we created microbial diversity gradients in microcosms at two different temperatures using soils from a 2000-km field survey. We found that reduced microbial diversity weakens the thermal adaptation of soil microbial respiration and can further enhance the microbial respiratory temperature sensitivity over time. Our analyses further revealed that the negative impact of microbial diversity losses is linked to the decline of keystone microbial taxa, which can adapt to temperature changes and are crucial for the community's ability to compensate for the temperature-driven effects on soil respiration in the long term. Taken together, our study provides new insights into the key role of microbial diversity in driving the thermal response of soil heterotrophic respiration, suggesting that any global change-driven shifts in microbial diversity can have critical consequences for the future of carbon stocks., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Agniyar estuary in Palk Bay on the southeast coast of India, is an important estuary bordering Point Calimere Key Biodiversity Area. Information on the fish diversity and guild dynamics of this typical tropical estuary is lacking. Hence, the present study provided an account of fish diversity and guild dynamics. The study collected 2342 fish specimens from 18 orders, representing 76 species from 32 families. The predominant order and family were Eupercaria and Sciaenidae, respectively. Thryssa mystax (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), T. malabarica (Bloch, 1795), and Setipinna taty (Valenciennes, 1848) were the most dominant species in terms of abundance. The study recorded seasonal variations in temperature, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen, with the summer exhibiting the highest temperature and salinity. The Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc analysis revealed significant differences in the nutrient concentrations (nitrite, nitrate, and phosphate). The redundancy analysis and Pearson correlation explained the significant relationship between species abundance and environmental conditions. Diversity indices and dominance/diversity patterns during the pre-monsoon were more dominant and diverse, whereas the summer recorded the lowest diversity. Cluster analysis and similarity profile (SIMPROF) revealed a high level of similarity and a lack of distinct differentiation among the seasonal clusters. The analysis of guild dynamics indicated seasonal fluctuations in ecological, feeding, vertical distributional, and reproductive guilds. The seasonal occurrence of the IUCN Red List category of fishes was presented, and their vulnerability to seasonal changes was elucidated. Significant information on the fish community structure, dynamics, and conservation measures was provided to protect the Agniyar estuary., Competing Interests: Declarations. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Recent global policy initiatives aimed at reducing forest degradation require practical definitions of degradation that are readily monitored. However, consistent approaches for monitoring forest degradation over the long term and at broad scales are lacking. We quantified the long-term effects of intensive wood harvest on above-ground carbon and biodiversity at fine resolutions (30 m 2 ) and broad scales (New Brunswick, Canada; 72,908 km 2 ). Model predictions for above-ground biomass were highly correlated with independent data (r = 0.77). After accounting for carbon stored in wood products, net CO 2 emissions from forests for the region from 1985 to 2020 were 141 CO 2 e Tg (4.02 TgCO 2 e year -1 ; 32% of all reported emissions). We found strong positive correlations between locations with declines in above-ground carbon and habitats for old-forest bird species, which have lost > 20% habitat over 35 years. High congruence between biodiversity and forest carbon offers potential for policy incentives to conserve both objectives simultaneously and slow rates of forest degradation. These methods could be used to track forest degradation for managed forest regions worldwide., (© 2024 The Author(s). Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

This study delves into the multifaceted nature of sacred groves within the Kwahu Traditional Area of Ghana, specifically focusing on the Kwaékese and Twendurase Mystical Sacred Groves. These groves represent unique community-conserved areas, intertwined with both spiritual and utilitarian motives. Simultaneously, the study delves into their ecological role in safeguarding perennial water sources and as repositories for endangered flora and fauna, preserving biodiversity in the face of expanding human activities. Furthermore, the research highlights the evolving role of sacred groves in response to contemporary challenges, such as population growth and deforestation. This study underscores the coexistence of spirituality and practicality in these unique ecosystems, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of sacred groves and their indispensable ecological significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation plays a crucial role in the terrestrial ecosystem and can serve as a valuable indicator of environmental change. Studying the flora is of importance for protection and utilization of plant resources. Furthermore, understanding the composition and distribution of vegetation not only enhances plant biodiversity and quality but also enables us to make scientific use of plant resources. The ecological transition zone, known for its high species diversity, is an essential area for studying the flora. Qilian Mountain region, as an ecological transition zone, exhibits high plant diversity. However, the flora composition in this area has not been systematically documented. In order to ensure the accuracy of the species list and explore the distribution of flora, we conducted preliminary statistics by collecting and organizing scattered data from the literature. Subsequently, we used the plant specimen information to proofread and determine the flora composition. The results were as follows: (1) Qilian Mountains region had 1 952 species of vascular plants, belonging to 108 families and 527 genera, including 44 species of national protected plants and 100 species of threatened plants. (2) The dominant plant types in Qilian Mountain region were herbaceous, followed by shrubs, with trees being the least abundant. Most of these plants exhibited cold-resistance and drought-tolerance, with the majority being oligotrophic genera (the genera containing only one plant in Qilian Mountain region). The geographical components of the flora were diverse, but the temperate elements were predominant. (3) Species richness was the highest in the eastern region of the mountain, followed by the middle region, and the lowest in the western region. As longitude increased westward, the similarity index decreased. This suggests that the species composition and geographical components are synthetically influenced by local climatic conditions, topographic conditions, and diverse habitat types. (4) The presence of endemic species was significant, with a total of 717 endemic species in China and 45 endemic species in Qilian Mountain region, reflecting the uniqueness, diversity, and complexity of the ecosystem in the important region. In short, the flora of Qilian Mountain region is characterized by youthfulness. As an ecological transition zone, the region has extremely rich plant species diversity and breeds a large number of rare plants. Due to the large longitude span of the Qilian Mountain region, there are great differences in plant types between the eastern and western regions. The above results provide background data and a scientific reference for the maintenance of species diversity, sustainable development, and utilization of resources in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root-centric studies have revealed fast taxonomic turnover across root neighborhoods, but how such turnover is accompanied by changes in species functions and phylogeny (i.e., β diversity) remains largely unknown. As β diversity can reflect the degree of community-wide biotic homogenization, such information is crucial for better inference of below-ground assembly rules, community structuring, and ecosystem processes. We collected 2480 root segments from 625 0-30 cm soil profiles in a subtropical forest in China. Root segments were identified into 138 species with DNA-barcoding with six root morphological and architectural traits measured per species. By using the mean pairwise (D pw ) and mean nearest neighbor distance (D nn ) to quantify species ecological differences, we first tested the non-random functional and phylogenetic turnover of root neighborhoods that would lend more support to deterministic over stochastic community assembly processes. Additionally, we examined the distance-decay pattern of β diversity, and finally partitioned β diversity into geographical and environmental components to infer their potential drivers of environmental filtering, dispersal limitation, and biotic interactions. We found that functional turnover was often lower than expected given the taxonomic turnover, whereas phylogenetic turnover was often higher than expected. Phylogenetic D pw (e.g., interfamily species) turnover exhibited a distance-decay pattern, likely reflecting limited dispersal or abiotic filtering that leads to the spatial aggregation of specific plant lineages. Conversely, both functional and phylogenetic D nn (e.g., intrageneric species) exhibited an inverted distance-decay pattern, likely reflecting strong biotic interactions among spatially and phylogenetically close species leading to phylogenetic and functional divergence. While the spatial distance was generally a better predictor of β diversity than environmental distance, the joint effect of environmental and spatial distance usually overrode their respective pure effects. These findings suggest that root neighborhood functional homogeneity may somewhat increase forest resilience after disturbance by exhibiting an insurance effect. Likewise, root neighborhood phylogenetic heterogeneity may enhance plant fitness by hindering the transmission of host-specific pathogens through root networks or by promoting interspecific niche complementarity not captured by species functions. Our study highlights the potential role of root-centric β diversity in mediating community structures and functions largely ignored in previous studies., (© 2023 The Ecological Society of America.)

This research quantitatively evaluated the diversity of plants to protect vulnerable species. To measure vegetation information, the appropriate sampling plot size was determined based on the canopy cover of the dominant species of the study area (1 m 2 ). Then, in each unit, sampling was done along 3 transects of 100 m. Along each transect, 10 plots with dimensions of one square meter were placed at a distance of 10 m from each other. In each plot, the type, life forms, frequency of plant species, and species density were recorded. Species diversity indices were calculated using Ecological Methodology software. The values obtained from these indicators were analyzed in SPSS 24 statistical software and using the F test. The results of the Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the highest values of the species diversity indices are in the middle altitudes (ecotone) class. ANOVA of the richness, evenness, and heterogeneity indices in different altitude classes showed that the values of the richness indices were not significant, but among the indices related to the heterogeneity, the Hill index and all the evenness indices were significant. Comparing the numerical indices of our communities enables us to determine the impact of environmental stress in a single community to choose the best habitat among a similar group for conservation. A community that has high diversity and richness is important for conservation. Therefore, the authorities must prevent the destruction of the vegetation of the study area in connection with the implementation of principled and correct management by the potential of the region, but also to reduce the pressure of livestock grazing and carry out corrective and restoration operations, to turn these rangelands towards rich diversity., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

The discovery of major axes of correlated functional variation among species and habitats has revealed the fundamental trade-offs structuring both functional and taxonomic diversity in eukaryotes such as plants. Whether such functional axes exist in the bacterial realm and whether they could explain bacterial taxonomic turnover among ecosystems remains unknown. Here, we use a data-driven approach to leverage global genomic and metagenomic datasets to reveal the existence of major axes of functional variation explaining both evolutionary differentiation within Bacteria and their ecological sorting across diverse habitats. We show that metagenomic variation among bacterial communities from various ecosystems is structured along a few axes of correlated functional pathways. Similar clusters of traits explained phylogenetic trait variation among >16,000 bacterial genomes, suggesting that functional turnover among bacterial communities from distinct habitats does not only result from the differential filtering of similar functions among communities, but also from phylogenetic correlations among these functions. Concordantly, functional pathways associated with trait clusters that were most important for defining functional turnover among bacterial communities were also those that had the highest phylogenetic signal in the bacterial genomic phylogeny. This study overall underlines the important role of evolutionary history in shaping contemporary distributions of bacteria across ecosystems., (© 2023 Applied Microbiology International and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

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Societal Impact Statement Agricultural sustainability depends on the adaptation of crops to their local environment. Smallholder farmers who save seed provide an essential “evosystem” service by growing locally adapted seed varieties that can recruit biodiversity to enhance their growth and defense. While professional plant breeding has diverted evolutionary processes away from local adaptation, smallholder farmers, particularly those in centers of origin for crops, benefit society by selecting and propagating diverse crop varieties that allow local adaptation processes to perpetuate. Given that smallholders support society through the generation of evosystem services, changes in policy and practice are needed to support the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in ways that mitigate risk and recognize their important contributions to agricultural sustainability. To enhance the reach of this work, a Spanish language version of the paper is available in the Supporting Information (see Translation_ES). [Correction added on 18 June 2024, after first online publication: The preceding sentence has been added in this version.] Summary Long‐term food security and agricultural sustainability depend on protecting the eco‐evolutionary processes that select for local adaptation in crops. Since seed systems structure how people acquire seed, institutional and social changes influence evolutionary processes within agroecosystems. Since World War II, the rise of professional breeding has bifurcated seed systems into traditional and formal systems, which has negatively affected agrobiodiversity, crop evolution, and agricultural sustainability. In traditional seed systems, farmers often save seed from plants that best provide desired qualities, selecting landrace crop varieties to adapt to local environmental conditions. In formal or centralized seed systems, farmers buy seeds bred primarily for maximizing yield under ideal conditions. When farmers source seeds externally, evolutionary processes underlying local adaptation are disrupted. Here, we argue that traditional seed systems provide important evosystem services, or the evolutionary processes resulting from the maintenance and use of genetic diversity that benefit society. We present a framework on how seed systems influence the evolutionary processes that enable local adaptation, which is necessary for sustainable agriculture. We discuss how changes in human values underlying traditional and formal seed systems can alter evolutionary processes that underlie local adaptation. We conclude that developing policies that support people in managing ecological and evolutionary processes within seed systems is needed to address current and future challenges of global food security and agricultural sustainability.

Societal Impact Statement Trees in urban environments provide us with shade, heat mitigation, flood abatement, noise and pollution reduction, pollination, beauty, and much more. However, many of these benefits are strongly connected to tree size and vitality, with larger, healthier trees providing ecosystem services more effectively, which means that selecting the right tree for site and function is crucial in order to gain all benefits from our urban trees. Summary Trees play a major role in the Earth's biogeochemical processes, influencing soil production, hydrological, nutrient and carbon cycles, and the global climate. They store about 50% of the world's terrestrial carbon stocks, and provide habitats for a wide range of other species, supporting at least half of the Earth's known terrestrial plants and animals. Trees are not only found in forests and other natural ecosystems, but also in urban environments. Most of the human population is concentrated in cities, towns and villages, so urban trees are critical to meet on‐going and future social, economic and environmental challenges. However, many urban tree populations are strongly challenged by a changing climate, outbreaks of pests and pathogens and an urban development with increasingly dense cities and a high proportion of impermeable surface materials. The importance of intraspecific variation needs to be better acknowledged in this context, since poor matching of trees and the local climate and growing conditions can lead to extensive loss of valuable trees. By using the right genetic plant material for the challenging urban environments, a more resilient tree population with a greater diversity and higher capacity for delivering ecosystem services can be gained. Here, we wish to discuss the need to consider intraspecific variation when planning resilient tree populations for urban environments and how seed banks and botanical garden play important roles in efforts to improve the matching of genetic plant material for future environmental challenges. Strategies to enrich urban tree diversity and increase resilience are outlined.

Societal Impact Statement Protecting diversity is critical to maintaining functional and adaptive ecosystems. However, research groups that explore these relationships tend to lack diversity themselves. To address the challenges of our changing world, it is crucial to consider a wide range of perspectives and knowledge. We propose that just as greater diversity in ecosystems relates to a variety of functions and, consequently, enhances resilience, stability, and efficiency, a comparable diversity within research teams results in a broader spectrum of creative endeavors. Thus, it is important to re‐evaluate our scientific communities' openness toward greater diversity to meet the diverse problems of our changing world. Summary Ecosystems face multiple threats, jeopardizing natural and human well‐being. Biodiversity loss can increase ecosystem vulnerability to global change, risking abrupt and irreversible changes. Protecting biodiversity can prevent ecosystems from crossing tipping points, preserving their functions and resilience, which sustain life on our planet. In addressing these challenges, society demands creativity, innovation, and diverse perspectives. Yet, our societal structures often neglect the full range of voices and experiences, limiting problem‐solving. Understanding how research teams with diverse demographics may stimulate creative solutions to global change challenges may help. In this context, we emphasize examples from plant ecology, where the advantages of diverse ecosystems are well recognized, and we draw an analogy of these features to the innovation of research teams. In ecosystems, biodiversity can maximize productivity and function but can also serve as a protective “insurance” against disruptions. Similarly, in a time of multifaceted environmental changes, diverse research groups play a critical and analogous role, resembling the biodiversity within ecosystems. Diverse research teams not only bring complementary strengths, fostering creative problem‐solving by embracing various perspectives, but also drive scientific innovation by integrating a wide range of research topics (e.g., ecosystems, taxa, and conservation priorities). These human‐centered dynamics are congruent with the mechanisms in ecosystems, with a diversity of solutions promoting resilience, stability, and efficiency, all of which ultimately provide a counterbalancing effect on global change. Much like biodiverse ecosystems, a diverse spectrum of knowledge, and expertise within the scientific community can enrich a dynamic landscape of innovation.