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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our 15th annual horizon scan identified 15 emerging issues of concern for global biodiversity conservation. A panel of 31 scientists and practitioners submitted a total of 96 topics that were ranked using a Delphi-style technique according to novelty and likelihood of impact on biodiversity conservation. The top 37 issues were discussed in person and online in September 2023 during which the issues were ranked according to the same criteria. Our 15 issues cover impacts from the development of new sources of hydrogen fuel to temperature changes in the mesopelagic ocean zone. Other emerging technologies include benchtop DNA printers and the creation of high-protein food from air. We present the results of our 15th horizon scan of novel issues that could influence biological conservation in the future. From an initial list of 96 issues, our international panel of scientists and practitioners identified 15 that we consider important for societies worldwide to track and potentially respond to. Issues are novel within conservation or represent a substantial positive or negative step-change with global or regional extents. For example, new sources of hydrogen fuel and changes in deep-sea currents may have profound impacts on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Technological advances that may be positive include benchtop DNA printers and the industrialisation of approaches that can create high-protein food from air, potentially reducing the pressure on land for food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife markets are hotspots for illegal wildlife trade, with traders operating as a result of weak monitoring and law enforcement. Knowledge of species traded, sources, and routes used for transport is needed to identify illegal wildlife trade markets and intervene to stem trade. We conducted surveys in 13 wildlife markets across Bangladesh every month during January-December 2019 to assess the abundance and diversity of wildlife taxa traded and the factors driving this trade. Passeriformes, Columbiformes, Psittaciformes, Artiodactyla, Carnivora and Testudines were the most traded orders. Wildlife markets were also centres of trade for high-value species, including the tiger Panthera tigris , crocodile Crocodylus porosus and tortoises. In hill markets and peri-urban markets the most commonly sold species originated from nearby forests, whereas urban markets included both native species and exotic species sourced internationally. Market type, road links to the market, the presence of law enforcement agencies, proximity to a port and form of sale (live animals or byproducts) all significantly influenced what is being traded. Trade of mammals, reptiles, high-value wildlife species and threatened species was less common in markets proximal to law enforcement agencies. Markets close to seaports or airports were more likely to sell mammals, threatened species and high-value wildlife. Based on our results, we recommend a set of interventions to help reduce market-based wildlife trade in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsustainable wildlife trade is a major threat to many species, but quantifying trade remains challenging, as seizure data provides an incomplete understanding. For this reason, integrating multiple types of information, including interviews with actors involved in trade, is crucial if we are to understand the problem better. Hence, in this study, we digitized Bangladesh Forest Department tiger seizure records to identify trade routes and interviewed 163 individuals involved in trafficking tigers through Bangladesh's air, sea and land ports, including poachers, smugglers, and traders. We identified six ports used to import tigers, 14 ports used for tiger export and three ports showing bi‐directional trade. Elite Bangladeshis were the most important consumer group, and tigers were sourced from populations in NE India, Myanmar and Bangladesh Sundarbans to supply domestic demand. Tiger products were exported to 14 countries, including seven G20 nations, with Bangladeshi expatriates as the consumer group in three countries (United Kingdom, Germany and Qatar). Rising economic development in Bangladesh over the last decade, combined with deep‐rooted cultural ties to tiger consumption, has led to a rise in domestic demand. Additionally, rapid growth in international transport links has increased smuggling and connected local traders with global markets, increasing the complexity of global trade. These findings suggest Bangladesh is poised to play a pivotal role in tiger conservation over the next decade, requiring strong national strategies to reduce trade opportunities, disrupt networks and weaken demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native bee species in the United States provide invaluable pollination services. Concerns about native bee declines are growing, and there are calls for a national monitoring program. Documenting species ranges at ecologically meaningful scales through coverage completeness analysis is a fundamental step to track bees from species to communities. It may take decades before all existing bee specimens are digitized, so projections are needed now to focus future research and management efforts. From 1.923 million records, we created range maps for nearly 88% (3158 species) of bee species in the contiguous United States, provided the first analysis of inventory completeness for digitized specimens of a major insect clade, and perhaps most important, estimated spatial completeness accounting for all known bee specimens in USA collections, including undigitized bee specimens. Completeness analyses were very low (3–37%) across four examined spatial resolutions when using the currently available bee specimen records. Adding a subset of observations from community science data sources did not significantly increase completeness, and adding a projected 4.7 million undigitized specimens increased completeness by only an additional 12–13%. Assessments of data, including projected specimen records, indicate persistent taxonomic and geographic deficiencies. In conjunction with expedited digitization, new inventories that integrate community science data with specimen‐based documentation will be required to close these gaps. A combined effort involving both strategic inventories and accelerated digitization campaigns is needed for a more complete understanding of USA bee distributions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Understanding the considerable variability and drivers of global leaf photosynthetic capacity [indicated by the maximum carboxylation rate standardized to 25°C (Vc,max25)] is an essential step for accurate modelling of terrestrial plant photosynthesis and carbon uptake under climate change. Although current environmental conditions have often been connected with empirical and theoretical models to explain global Vc,max25 variability through acclimatization and adaptation, long‐term evolutionary history has largely been neglected, but might also explicitly play a role in shaping the Vc,max25 variability. Location: Global. Time period: Contemporary. Major taxa studied: Terrestrial plants. Methods: We compiled a geographically comprehensive global dataset of Vc,max25 for C3 plants (n = 6917 observations from 2157 species and 425 sites covering all major biomes world‐wide), explored the biogeographical and phylogenetic patterns of Vc,max25, and quantified the relative importance of current environmental factors and evolutionary history in driving global Vc,max25 variability. Results: We found that Vc,max25 differed across different biomes, with higher mean values in relatively drier regions, and across different life‐forms, with higher mean values in non‐woody relative to woody plants and in legumes relative to non‐leguminous plants. The values of Vc,max25 displayed a significant phylogenetic signal and diverged in a contrasting manner across phylogenetic groups, with a significant trend along the evolutionary axis towards a higher Vc,max25 in more modern clades. A Bayesian phylogenetic linear mixed model revealed that evolutionary history (indicated by phylogeny and species) explained nearly 3‐fold more of the variation in global Vc,max25 than present‐day environment (53 vs. 18%). Main conclusions: These findings contribute to a comprehensive assessment of the patterns and drivers of global Vc,max25 variability, highlighting the importance of evolutionary history in driving global Vc,max25 variability, hence terrestrial plant photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of bats (chiropterophagy) is globally known in 237 bird species. However, bat predation by a non-raptor is rarely observed. Here, we report a predation event by an endemic Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) on a Greater short-nosed fruit bat (Cynopterus sphinx) in Western Ghats, a biodiversity hotspot in southern India. This opportunistic record, and other published instances of animal consumption by this hornbill, suggests that such predation activity may be more prevalent during their breeding season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foraging behavior frequently plays a major role in driving the geographic distribution of animals. Buzzing to extract protein-rich pollen from flowers is a key foraging behavior used by bee species across at least 83 genera (these genera comprise ∼58% of all bee species). Although buzzing is widely recognized to affect the ecology and evolution of bees and flowering plants (e.g., buzz-pollinated flowers), global patterns and drivers of buzzing bee biogeography remain unexplored. Here, we investigate the global species distribution patterns within each bee family and how patterns and drivers differ with respect to buzzing bee species. We found that both distributional patterns and drivers of richness typically differed for buzzing species compared with hotspots for all bee species and when grouped by family. A major predictor of the distribution, but not species richness overall for buzzing members of four of the five major bee families included in analyses (Andrenidae, Halictidae, Colletidae, and to a lesser extent, Apidae), was the richness of poricidal flowering plant species, which depend on buzzing bees for pollination. Because poricidal plant richness was highest in areas with low wind and high aridity, we discuss how global hotspots of buzzing bee biodiversity are likely influenced by both biogeographic factors and plant host availability. Although we explored global patterns with state-level data, higher-resolution work is needed to explore local-level drivers of patterns. From a global perspective, buzz-pollinated plants clearly play a greater role in the ecology and evolution of buzzing bees than previously predicted. • Distributional patterns differed for buzzing species compared with all bee species • Drivers of species richness differed for buzzing species compared with all bees • Poricidal species richness was a major predictor of buzzing species distributions • Poricidal species richness was highest in areas with low wind and high aridity Russell et al. find that distributional patterns and drivers of species richness differ for buzzing bee species compared with all bee species and within each major family. They also find that poricidal plant species richness (highest in areas with low wind and high aridity) was a major predictor of buzzing species distributions for 4 of 5 bee families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife trade is a major driver of biodiversity loss, yet whilst the impacts of trade in some species are relatively well-known, some taxa, such as many invertebrates are often overlooked. Here we explore global patterns of trade in the arachnids, and detected 1,264 species from 66 families and 371 genera in trade. Trade in these groups exceeds millions of individuals, with 67% coming directly from the wild, and up to 99% of individuals in some genera. For popular taxa, such as tarantulas up to 50% are in trade, including 25% of species described since 2000. CITES only covers 30 (2%) of the species potentially traded. We mapped the percentage and number of species native to each country in trade. To enable sustainable trade, better data on species distributions and better conservation status assessments are needed. The disparity between trade data sources highlights the need to expand monitoring if impacts on wild populations are to be accurately gauged and the impacts of trade minimised. Trade in arachnids includes millions of individuals and over 1264 species, with over 70% of individuals coming from the wild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of our 13th annual horizon scan of issues likely to impact on biodiversity conservation. Issues are either novel within the biological conservation sector or could cause a substantial step-change in impact, either globally or regionally. Our global panel of 26 scientists and practitioners identified 15 issues that we believe to represent the highest priorities for tracking and action. Many of the issues we identified, including the impact of satellite megaconstellations and the use of long-distance wireless energy transfer, have both elements of threats and emerging opportunities. A recent state-sponsored application to commence deep-sea mining represents a significant step-change in impact. We hope that this horizon scan will increase research and policy attention on the highlighted issues. Our 13th annual horizon scan identified 15 emerging issues of concern for global biodiversity conservation. A panel of 26 scientists and practitioners submitted a total of 80 topics that were ranked using a Delphi-style technique according to the novelty and likelihood of impact on biodiversity conservation. The top 36 issues were discussed at an online meeting held in September 2021 during which issues were ranked according to the same criteria. Our 15 issues cover impacts ranging from satellite megaconstellations to deep-sea mining. Other emerging issues include floating photovoltaics, long-distance wireless energy, and ammonia as a fuel source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation restoration in deserts is challenging due to these ecosystems' inherent fragility and harsh environmental conditions. One approach for active restoration involves planting native species, which can accelerate the recovery of ecosystem functions. To ensure the effectiveness of this process, carefully selecting species for planting is crucial. Generally, it is expected that a more diverse mix of species in the plantation will lead to the recovery of a greater number of ecosystem functions, especially when the selected species have complementary niche traits that facilitate maximum cooperation and minimize competition among them. In this study, we evaluated the planting of two native species from the hyper-desert of Taklamakan, China, which exhibit marked morpho-physiological differences: a phreatophytic legume (Alhagi sparsifolia) and a halophytic non-legume (Karelinia caspia). These species were grown in both monoculture and intercrop communities. Monoculture of the legume resulted in the highest biomass accumulation. Intercropping improved several ecosystem functions in the 50 cm-upper soil, particularly those related to phosphorus (P), carbon (C), and sulfur (S) concentrations, as well as soil enzyme activities. However, it also increased soil sodium (Na+) concentration and pH. Halophyte monocultures enhanced ecological functions associated with nitrogen concentrations in the upper soil and with P, S, C, and cation concentrations (K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Zn2+, Co2+, Ni2+), along with enzyme activities in the deep soil. It also maximized Na+ accumulation in plant biomass. In summary, we recommend legume monoculture when the primary goal is to optimize biomass accumulation. Conversely, halophyte monoculture is advisable when the objective is to extract sodium from the soil or enhance ecosystem functions in the deep soil. Intercropping the two species is recommended to maximize the ecosystem functions of the upper soil, provided there is no salinization risk. When planning restoration efforts in desert regions, it is essential to understand the impact of each species on ecosystem function and how complementary species behave when intercropped. However, these interactions are likely species- and system-specific, highlighting the need for more work to optimize solutions for different arid ecosystems. [Display omitted] • Intercropping affects phreatophytic legumes and halophytes differently. • Legume monoculture yields high biomass and ecological functions. • Intercropping lowers soil conductivity and enhances topsoil functions. • Monoculture of halophytes improves deep soil functions. • Species selection should be optimized based on desired outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results from our 12th annual horizon scan of issues likely to impact biological conservation in the future. From a list of 97 topics, our global panel of 25 scientists and practitioners identified the top 15 issues that we believe society may urgently need to address. These issues are either novel in the biological conservation sector or represent a substantial positive or negative step-change in impact at global or regional level. Six issues, such as coral reef deoxygenation and changes in polar coastal productivity, affect marine or coastal ecosystems and seven relate to human and ecosystem-level responses to climate change. Identification of potential forthcoming issues for biological conservation may enable increased preparedness by researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers. Our 12th annual horizon scan identified 15 emerging issues of concern for global biodiversity conservation. A panel of 25 scientists and practitioners submitted a total of 97 topics that were ranked using a Delphi-style technique according to novelty and likelihood of impact on biodiversity conservation. The top 38 issues were discussed at an online meeting held in September 2020 during which issues were ranked according to the same criteria. Six of the 15 issues primarily affect marine or coastal ecosystems and seven are related to human and ecosystem-level responses to anthropogenic climate change. Other emerging issues include complete coverage of Indian states for sustainable farming and the potential for use of self-healing building materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this horizon scan, we highlight 15 emerging issues of potential relevance to global conservation in 2020. Seven relate to potentially extensive changes in vegetation or ecological systems. These changes are either relatively new, for example, conversion of kelp forests to simpler macroalgal systems, or may occur in the future, for example, as a result of the derivation of nanocelluose from wood or the rapid expansion of small hydropower schemes. Other topics highlight potential changes in national legislation that may have global effect on international agreements. Our panel of 23 scientists and practitioners selected these issues using a modified version of the Delphi technique from a long-list of 89 potential topics. We present 15 issues that emerged from our 11th annual horizon scan of global biological conservation. Issues were identified by a diverse group of scientists and practitioners. The group scored the long-list of 89 issues using a Delphi-like process. Issues were ranked according to novelty, relevance, and potential impact on biological conservation. The top-38 ranked issues were debated at a workshop in Cambridge, UK, with each topic scored immediately following the discussion. Emerging themes include changes in national legislation that could affect international agreements; recognising ecocide as an international crime; and the global decline in kelp forests. Other issues include the increasing use of traditional Asian medicine; the spread of the Asian long-horned tick; use of artificial wombs in mammalian conservation; and the impact that the shrinking ozone hole may have on Antarctic sea ice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape-level conservation strategies are needed to protect the saltwater crocodile population and habitats in Myanmar. Identifying the remaining habitats and movement corridors is essential due to population decline across coastal regions and insufficient habitat coverage, even within protected areas. This study predicts the distribution of habitats and creates low-resistance corridors that facilitate movement across the landscape. Occurrence dataset encompassing a 20-year period (1999–2019) was used incorporating records gathered from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility—GBIF, crocodile counting reports from the Meinmahla Kyun wildlife sanctuary of Myanmar, and recent spotlight and camera-trap surveys. Using landscape connectivity tools, structural compositions of habitat classes were determined, and habitat patches were delineated to simulate the least-cost corridor and dispersal pathways. Two patches in Rakhine, two in Ayeyarwady and Yangon, one in Mon, and two in Tanintharyi, were identified that include 1247 km2 of core suitable habitat areas. The Ayeyarwady Delta exhibits a plethora of suitable habitats, while the Rakhine and Tanintharyi regions have higher marginal habitats that are largely unprotected. Only 12 % of the extent of occurrence of saltwater crocodiles are suitable habitats with a high potential for occupancy. Habitats are highly fragmented and four bottlenecks are identified to assist population connectivity in those fragmented patches. Despite notable challenges in ensuring connectivity to restore populations across the habitat patches, we highlighted connectivity as the foundation for establishing an ecological network of Myanmar's coastal habitats, leveraging the saltwater crocodile as an umbrella species for the region's coastal wetlands, and identifying key areas for enhanced protection. • Coastal habitats are frequently neglected in conservation planning. • Increased connectivity maybe needed for long-term viability in some species. • We identify bottlenecks for crocodile habitat connectivity in Myanmar. • Range shrinkage of saltwater crocodiles requires targeted action to counteract. • Five key coastal wetland areas are proposed for the need for critical protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birdwatching is a global phenomenon involving many thousands of people. Citizen science generates data providing insights into global patterns of bird distribution across space and time, yet how the pandemic may have cast a longer shadow remains unassessed. Here, we explore whether pandemic restrictions influenced observations, and the species observed globally from 2020 to May 2021, considering also GDPc and tourism income. We analyzed 10,338 bird species (93 % of all bird species) and found that whilst high-income regions recovered to pre-pandemic assessment rates quickly, middle and low-income regions remained at low levels. Furthermore, protected areas saw huge losses in recorded richness. Whilst observer count increased overall, the number of bird species recorded dramatically decreased, especially in 2020. These trends are most marked in developing countries and regions, especially where tourism is important. Our results underline the importance of these biodiversity data, and the potential for their shortfalls in the face of a global pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of our tenth annual horizon scan. We identified 15 emerging priority topics that may have major positive or negative effects on the future conservation of global biodiversity, but currently have low awareness within the conservation community. We hope to increase research and policy attention on these areas, improving the capacity of the community to mitigate impacts of potentially negative issues, and maximise the benefits of issues that provide opportunities. Topics include advances in crop breeding, which may affect insects and land use; manipulations of natural water flows and weather systems on the Tibetan Plateau; release of carbon and mercury from melting polar ice and thawing permafrost; new funding schemes and regulations; and land-use changes across Indo-Malaysia. Highlights We present the 15 topics identified in our tenth annual horizon scan for global conservation. Scoring was carried out by a diverse group of experts using a Delphi-like process. Scores were based on the topics' novelty, likelihood, and potential for major impacts on biodiversity. Emerging themes include conservation impacts of biotechnological advances in agriculture. Other issues included climate change-induced release of carbon and mercury from polar ice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats are routinely neglected in conservation, often regarded as uncharismatic and constantly maligned despite their provision of economic and ecosystem services. Yet many species are threatened, and while the loss of roosting and foraging habitat has been explored, the impacts of hunting on species survival are less well understood. Here, we analysed the hunting risk of 1320 bat species (of 1400 known) from around the world and explored the association between ecological traits and socioeconomic variables. Globally, at least 19 % of species are threatened by hunting. Large-bodied bats with narrow distributions are at increased risk of hunting, particularly in tropical regions. Multiple threats, such as habitat loss and modification, are likely to exacerbate the pressures experienced by hunted species. Furthermore, accessibility to bat habitats and low-income drive bat hunting in developing countries. With the global economic recession and the need for economic recovery following the pandemic, hunters may rely more on wildlife for subsistence and pose a threat to both biodiversity and public health. Achieving the balance between economics and conserving biodiversity is challenging due to socioeconomic factors, and the complex interplay of different forms of threat. Therefore, interventions to reduce bat hunting activities should include greater investment to facilitate sustainable livelihood development in the rural economy, and elevating public knowledge about bat ecosystem services, and their potential role in the transmission of zoonotic diseases. [Display omitted] • The extent of bat hunting is underestimated worldwide. • Hunting increases the risk of bat extinction. • Large bats on islands and in the Paleotropics are at increased risk of hunting. • Habitat loss and modification exacerbate the risk of extinction of hunted species. • Low-income economies with high deforestation rates also show high hunting levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fossil leaf assemblage from latest Neogene (Pliocene) sediments exposed in Jharkhand of Chotonagpur Plateau, eastern India, is subjected to a CLAMP (Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program) analysis using a new high spatial resolution (~1 km2) WorldClim2 gridded climate data and PhysgAsia2 calibration. The CLAMP analysis of 80 different morphotypes of fossil leaves indicates a mean annual temperature (MAT) of 21.9 °C ± 2.3 °C; a cold month mean temperature (CMMT) of 16.7 °C ± 3.5 °C and a warm month mean temperature (WMMT) of 26.9 °C ± 2.9 °C. Precipitation estimates have high uncertainties but suggest a weak monsoon with a growing season (11.7 ± 1 months) precipitation (GSP) of 201.2 ± 64.3 cm. The new calibration also provides for the first time in India more detailed insights into the hydrological regime through the return of annual and seasonal vapour pressure deficit (VPD) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) estimates, as well as new thermal overviews through measures of thermicity and growing degree days. The new results confirm the overall warmth of the region. Although rainfall estimates have large uncertainties due to year-round wet soils, measures of VPD and PET show persistent high humidity, but with higher evaporative stress in the summer during late Neogene times than now. • Examine the Neogene climate of the Chotanagpur Plateau for the first time • Exploit new quantitative proxy palaeo-humidity measurements • Explore new insights into the hydrological regime • Jharkhand Pliocene forests experienced a mildly monsoonal tropical humid climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanotechnology has emerged as a transformative force in modern agriculture, offering innovative solutions to address challenges related to fungal plant diseases and overall agricultural productivity. Specifically, the antifungal activities of metal, metal oxide, bio-nanoparticles, and polymer nanoparticles were examined, highlighting their unique mechanisms of action against fungal pathogens. Nanoparticles can be used as carriers for fungicides, offering advantages in controlled release, targeted delivery, and reduced environmental toxicity. Nano-pesticides and nano-fertilizers can enhance nutrient uptake, plant health, and disease resistance were explored. The development of nanosensors, especially those utilizing quantum dots and plasmonic nanoparticles, promises early and accurate detection of fungal pathogens, a crucial step in timely disease management. However, concerns about their potential toxic effects on non-target organisms, environmental impacts, and regulatory hurdles underscore the importance of rigorous research and impact assessments. The review concludes by emphasizing the significant prospects of nanotechnology in reshaping the future of agriculture but advocates for a balanced approach that prioritizes safety, sustainability, and environmental stewardship., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Species occurrence data are foundational for research, conservation, and science communication, but the limited availability and accessibility of reliable data represents a major obstacle, particularly for insects, which face mounting pressures. We present BeeBDC, a new R package, and a global bee occurrence dataset to address this issue. We combined >18.3 million bee occurrence records from multiple public repositories (GBIF, SCAN, iDigBio, USGS, ALA) and smaller datasets, then standardised, flagged, deduplicated, and cleaned the data using the reproducible BeeBDC R-workflow. Specifically, we harmonised species names (following established global taxonomy), country names, and collection dates and, we added record-level flags for a series of potential quality issues. These data are provided in two formats, "cleaned" and "flagged-but-uncleaned". The BeeBDC package with online documentation provides end users the ability to modify filtering parameters to address their research questions. By publishing reproducible R workflows and globally cleaned datasets, we can increase the accessibility and reliability of downstream analyses. This workflow can be implemented for other taxa to support research and conservation., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Fungal pathogens have become an increasingly important topic in recent decades. Yet whilst various cankers and blights have gained attention in temperate woodlands and crops, the scope for fungal pathogens of animals and their potential threat has received far less attention. With a shifting climate, the threat from fungal pathogens is predicted to increase in the future, thus understanding the spread of fungi over landscapes as well as taxa that may be at risk is of particular importance. Cave ecosystems provide potential refugia for various fungi, and roosts for bats. With their well vascularized wings and wide-ranging distributions, bats present potential fungal vectors. Furthermore, whilst bat immune systems are generally robust to bacterial and viral pathogens, they can be susceptible to fungal pathogens, particularly during periods of stress such as hibernation. Here we explore why bats are important and interesting vectors for fungi across landscapes and discuss knowledge gaps that require further research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the review was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 The Authors.)

Myanmar is one of the most biodiverse countries in the Asia-Pacific region due to a wide range of climatic and environmental heterogeneity. Floristic diversity in Myanmar is largely unknown, resulting in a lack of comprehensive conservation plans. We developed a database of higher plants in Myanmar derived from herbarium specimens and literature sources, and analyzed patterns of diversity inventories and collection inconsistencies, aiming to provide a baseline floristic data of Myanmar and act as a guide for future research efforts. We collected 1,329,354 records of 16,218 taxa. Results show that the collection densities at the township level was variable, with 5% of townships having no floristic collections. No ecoregion had an average collection density of greater than 1 specimen/km 2 and the lowest collection density was found in the Kayah-Karen Montane Rainforests, which covered 8% of Myanmar's total area. The highest sampling densities were found in Mandalay Region, Chin State, and Yangon Region. Despite floristic collections over the past three centuries, knowledge of the distribution of the vast majority of plant taxa remained limited, particularly for gymnosperms, pteridophytes, and bryophytes. More botanical surveys and further analyses are needed to better describe Myanmar's floristic diversity. An important strategy to promote knowledge of the biodiversity patterns in Myanmar is to improve the collection and digitalization of specimens and to strengthen cooperation among countries., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest exits with the submission of this manuscript, and it is approved by all authors for publication., (© 2023 Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.)

Our understanding of broad-scale biodiversity and functional trait patterns is largely based on plants, and relatively little information is available on soil arthropods. Here, we investigated the distribution of termite diversity globally and morphological traits and diversity across China. Our analyses showed increasing termite species richness with decreasing latitude at both the globally, and within-China. In addition, we detected obvious latitudinal trends in the mean community value of termite morphological traits on average, with body size and leg length decreasing with increasing latitude. Furthermore, temperature, NDVI and water variables were the most important drivers controlling the variation in termite richness, and temperature and soil properties were key drivers of the geographic distribution of termite morphological traits. Our global termite richness map is one of the first high resolution maps for any arthropod group and especially given the functional importance of termites, our work provides a useful baseline for further ecological analysis., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2022 The Authors.)

Although 23% of Thailand's land is in protected areas, these are vulnerable to climate change. We used spatial distribution modelling for 866 vertebrate and 591 plant species to understand potential climate change impacts on species in protected areas. Most mammals, birds, and plants were projected to decline by 2070, but most amphibians and reptiles were projected to increase. By 2070 under RCP8.5, 54% of modeled species will be threatened and 11 nationally extinct. However, SDMs are sensitive to truncation of the climate space currently occupied by habitat loss and hunting, and apparent truncation by data limitations. In Thailand, lowland forest clearance has biased records for forest-dependent species to cooler uplands (> 250 m a.s.l.) and hunting has confined larger vertebrates to well-protected areas. In contrast, available data is biased towards lowland non-forest taxa for amphibians and reptiles. Niche truncation may therefore have resulted in overestimation of vulnerability for some mammal and plant species, while data limitations have likely led to underestimation of the threat to forest-dependent amphibians and reptiles. In view of the certainty of climate change but the many uncertainties regarding biological responses, we recommend regular, long-term monitoring of species and communities to detect early signals of climate change impacts., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Societal biosecurity - measures built into everyday society to minimize risks from pests and diseases - is an important aspect of managing epidemics and pandemics. We aimed to identify societal options for reducing the transmission and spread of respiratory viruses. We used SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) as a case study to meet the immediate need to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually transition to more normal societal conditions, and to catalog options for managing similar pandemics in the future. We used a 'solution scanning' approach. We read the literature; consulted psychology, public health, medical, and solution scanning experts; crowd-sourced options using social media; and collated comments on a preprint. Here, we present a list of 519 possible measures to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission and spread. We provide a long list of options for policymakers and businesses to consider when designing biosecurity plans to combat SARS-CoV-2 and similar pathogens in the future. We also developed an online application to help with this process. We encourage testing of actions, documentation of outcomes, revisions to the current list, and the addition of further options., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.)

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) represents the largest infrastructure and development project in human history, and presents risks and opportunities for ecosystems, economies, and communities. Some risks (habitat fragmentation, roadkill) are obvious, however, many of the BRI's largest challenges for development and conservation are not obvious and require extensive consideration to identify. In this first BRI Horizon Scan, we identify 11 frontier issues that may have large environmental and social impacts but are not yet recognised. More generally, the BRI will increase China's participation in international environmental governance. Thus, new cooperative modes of governance are needed to balance geopolitical, societal, and environmental interests. Upgrading and standardising global environmental standards is essential to safeguard ecological systems and human societies., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

The ratio of intercellular to ambient CO 2 concentrations (c i /c a ) plays a key role in ecophysiology, micrometeorology, and global climatic change. However, systematic investigation on c i /c a variation and its determinants are rare. Here, the c i /c a was derived from measuring ecosystem fluxes in an even-aged monoculture of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis). We tested whether c i /c a is constant across environmental gradients and if not, which dominant factors control c i /c a variations. Evidence indicates that c i /c a is not a constant. The c i /c a exhibits a clear "V"-shaped diurnal pattern and varies across the environmental gradient. Water vapor pressure deficit (D) is the dominant factor controls over the c i /c a variations. c i /c a consistently decreases with increasing D. c i /c a decreases with square root of D as predicted by the optimal stomatal model. The D-driving single-variable model could simulate c i /c a as well as that of sophisticated model. Many variables function on longer timescales than a daily cycle, such as soil water content, could improve c i /c a model prediction ability. Ecosystem flux can be effectively used to calculate c i /c a and use it to better understand various natural cycles.