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Biodiversity loss poses a significant threat to the global economy and affects ecosystem services on which most large companies rely heavily. The severe financial implications of such a reduced species diversity have attracted the attention of companies and stakeholders, with numerous calls to increase corporate transparency. Using textual analysis, this study thus investigates the current state of voluntary biodiversity reporting of 359 European blue-chip companies and assesses the extent to which it aligns with the upcoming disclosure framework of the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). The descriptive results suggest a substantial gap between current reporting practices and the proposed TNFD framework, with disclosures largely lacking quantification, details and clear targets. In addition, the disclosures appear to be relatively unstandardized. Companies in sectors or regions exposed to higher nature-related risks as well as larger companies are more likely to report on aspects of biodiversity. This study contributes to the emerging literature on nature-related risks and provides detailed insights on the extent of the reporting gap in light of the upcoming standards.
Se presenta una base de datos taxonómica y distribucional de los moluscos marinos, telTestres y dulceacuícolas de Chile continental e insular. Se ha descrito para Chile un total de 1.288 especies, incluidas en 236 familias. Estas especies representan alrededor del 1,8% de la fauna mundial conocida de moluscos recientes (en total unas 70.000 especies). Los gmpos más diversificados son Gastropoda (882 especies) y Bivalvia (233 especies). Del total, 1.070 son marinas, 132 terrestres y 83 de ambientes dulceacuiolas. Del total de especies, 13 son introducidas (terrestres: Milax gagates, Demceras laeve, D. reticulatum, Limax (Lehmannia) valentianus, L. (Limax)flavus, L. (L.) maximus, Oxychilus (Oxychilus) cellarius, O. (Ortizius) alliarius and Helix (Cryptomphalus) aspersa: marinas: Crassostrea gigas, Pecten mllximus, Haliotis rufescens y H. mimus) y 49 poseen importancia económica. Aun cuando las primeras referencias sobre moluscos chilenos datan de comienzos del siglo XVIII, se los conoce principalmente a través de los resultados de las expediciones oceanográficas de fines del siglo XIX y principios de éste.
The large number of species still to be discovered in fungi, together with an exponentially growing number of environmental sequences that cannot be linked to known taxa, has fuelled the idea that it might be necessary to formally name fungi on the basis of sequence data only. Here we object to this idea due to several shortcomings of the approach, ranging from concerns regarding reproducibility and the violation of general scientific principles to ethical issues. We come to the conclusion that sequence-based nomenclature is potentially harmful for mycology as a discipline. Additionally, a classification based on sequences as types is not within reach anytime soon, because there is a lack of consensus regarding common standards due to the fast pace at which sequencing technologies develop.
Thirty-seven alien plant species, pre-identified by horizon scanning exercises were prioritised for pest risk analysis (PRA) using a modified version of the EPPO Prioritisation Process designed to be compliant with the EU Regulation 1143/2014. In Stage 1, species were categorised into one of four lists – a Residual List, EU List of Minor Concern, EU Observation List and the EU List of Invasive Alien Plants. Only those species included in the latter proceeded to the risk management stage where their priority for PRA was assessed. Due to medium or high spread potential coupled with high impacts twenty-two species were included in the EU List of Invasive Alien Plants and proceeded to Stage 2. Four species (Ambrosia trifida, Egeria densa, Fallopia baldschuanica and Oxalis pes-caprae) were assigned to the EU Observation List due to moderate or low impacts. Albizia lebbeck, Clematis terniflora, Euonymus japonicus, Lonicera morrowii, Prunus campanulata and Rubus rosifolius were assigned to the residual list due to a current lack of information on impacts. Similarly, Cornus sericea and Hydrilla verticillata were assigned to the Residual List due to unclear taxonomy and uncertainty in native status, respectively. Chromolaena odorata, Cryptostegia grandiflora and Sphagneticola trilobata were assigned to the Residual List as it is unlikely they will establish in the Union under current climatic conditions. In the risk management stage, Euonymus fortunei, Ligustrum sinense and Lonicera maackii were considered a low priority for PRA as they do not exhibit invasive tendencies despite being widely cultivated in the EU over several decades. Nineteen species were identified as having a high priority for a PRA (Acacia dealbata, Ambrosia confertiflora, Andropogon virginicus, Cardiospermum grandiflorum, Celastrus orbiculatus, Cinnamomum camphora, Cortaderia jubata, Ehrharta calycina, Gymnocoronis spilanthoides, Hakea sericea, Humulus scandens, Hygrophila polysperma, Lespedeza cuneata, Lygodium japonicum, Pennisetum setaceum, Prosopis juliflora, Sapium sebiferum, Pistia stratiotes and Salvinia molesta).
Ein Ziel des modernen Waldbaus in Mitteleuropa ist die Förderung von Mischbeständen anstelle von Reinbeständen. Auf basenreichen Standorten sollen daher an Stelle von Buchen-Reinbeständen Mischbestände aus Buche (Fagus sylvatica) und Edellaubhölzern entwickelt werden. Diese Wälder zeichnen sich durch eine artenreiche und produktive Krautschicht aus, die an vielen Ökosystemfunktionen entscheidend beteiligt ist. Ob mit einer Zunahme der Baumarten-Diversität eine Veränderung der Krautschicht-Diversität verbunden ist und welche kausalen Mechanismen möglicherweise dafür verantwortlich sind, wurde daher an den naturnah bewirtschafteten Buchen-Edellaubholz-Mischbeständen im Göttinger Wald (Süd-Niedersachsen) untersucht. Auf 63 Untersuchungsflächen (je 400 m²) mit einem Gradienten von nur einer Baumart (nur Buche) mit bis zu fünf Baumarten in der Baumschicht wurde die Artenzusammensetzung, Diversität und Produktivität der Krautschicht bestimmt. Als Umweltfaktoren wurden der pH-Wert und die PAR-Transmissivität direkt gemessen, die Wasser- und Stickstoffversorgung über die Zeigerwerte nach Ellenberg indirekt eingeschätzt. In den Kalk-Buchenwäldern (H o r d e l y m o - F a g e t u m l a t h y r e t o s um) konnten keine signifikanten Zusammenhänge zwischen der Diversität der Baumschicht und der Diversität und Produktivität der Krautschicht festgestellt werden. Mit zunehmendem Lichtangebot erhöhte sich die Diversität der Krautschicht. Gleichzeitig korrelierte die oberirdische Biomasse der Krautschicht positiv mit dem Shannon-Index der Krautschicht. Mit zunehmendem Buchen-Anteil sank der pH-Wert im oberen Mineralboden, ohne dass dies Auswirkungen auf die Diversität und Produktivität der Krautschicht hatte. Auch die kleinräumigen Unterschiede im Lichtangebot und der Basenversorgung hatten keinen Einfluss auf die Krautschicht-Diversität. Einzelne Krautschichtarten zeigten Beziehungen zur Baumarten-Diversität und zu den Umweltfaktoren, allerdings waren diese meist nur schwach ausgeprägt. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse unterscheiden sich deutlich von Ergebnissen aus dem Nationalpark Hainich, wo in Laubwäldern ein enger Zusammenhang zwischen der Baumarten- und Krautschicht-Diversität nachgewiesen wurde. Mögliche Ursachen für diese gegensätzlichen Resultate können in der Methodik (Probeflächenauswahl), der Standorthomogenität (insbesondere die breitere Spanne in der Lössbedeckung und dem Tonanteil in den Böden des Hainichs), der Waldgeschichte und Bewirtschaftung sowie den beteiligten Mischbaumarten (insbesondere in der Rolle der Linde) liegen. Zusätzliche vergleichende und experimentelle Untersuchungen sind daher notwendig, um unser Wissen über die Zusammenhänge zwischen Diversität und Ökosystemfunktionen in Wäldern zu verbessern.
Umborotula bogorensis (Weber, 1890) is a freshwater sponge species that is recorded occasionally, mainly on islands and peninsulas of Australasia. Less than 10 records with morphological descriptions and illustrations have been published so far, and the most recent record is dated 1978. A list of the few voucher specimens from museum collections is provided here together with the rich unpublished Sasaki collection from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, recently deposited in a Japanese museum. The present new record from Northeast Thailand enlarges the geographic range of U. bogorensis to the Indochina mainland. A comparison of historical data vs present Thai records is performed by morpho-analysis(SEM) as well as biogeographic, ecological and climatic data. Results show low variability in shape and size of the diagnostic morphotraits in populations scattered over the wide geographic range. Here we also formally accept the new taxonomic status (rank elevation) of the previous suborder Spongillina as a new order Spongillida. The presence of this potentially threatened species in the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, together with its possible long-term persistence in the Bogor Botanical Garden, may support its conservation. Only a census of the known, extremely scattered populations will define the status of this species.
This review study updates the Mediterranean fish species inventory (Agnatha, Gnathostoma). Comments upon regional particularities, endemicities, immigrations, emigrations and the recent movements of Mediterranean fauna are made. A comparafive analysis between the fish communities of the Mediterranean und those of neighbouring seas is sketched out.
Twenty-two samples of Leptoclinides Bjerkan, 1905 collected along the Brazilian coast between 1998 and 2017 were examined. Herein we describe two new species (Leptoclinides coronatus sp. nov. and Leptoclinides lotufoi sp. nov.). We also extend the distribution of L. latus F. Monniot, 1983 and report that, for the first time, L. torosus F. Monniot, 1983 was found outside its type locality.
The species-rich giant pill-millipedes (Sphaerotheriida) often represent a microendemic component of Madagascar’s mega-invertebrate fauna. Of the chirping genus Sphaeromimus de Saussure & Zehntner, 1902, ten species have been described. Here, we describe two new species of Sphaeromimus integratively, combining light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, DNA barcoding and micro-CT technology for the first time in a taxonomic description of a giant pillmillipede. S. kalambatritra sp. nov. and S. midongy sp. nov. are the first giant pill-millipedes collected and described from the mountainous rainforests of Kalambatritra and Midongy. Both species show island gigantism compared to their congeners. Our analysis of the mitochondrial COI gene shows that the two species are related to one another with a moderate genetic distance (9.4%), while they are more closely related to an undetermined specimen from the forest of Vevembe (6.3% and 8.4%). They stand in a basal position with S. ivohibe Wesener, 2014 and S. musicus (de Saussure & Zehntner, 1897). The four aforementioned species share a high number of stridulation ribs on the male harp. Our micro-CT analysis provides a look into the head of S. kalambatritra sp. nov. and shows that non-destructive CT methods are a useful tool for studying the inner morphology of giant pill-millipedes.
Since its founding in 1993 the International Long-term Ecological Research Network (ILTER) has gone through pronounced development phases. The current network comprises 44 active member LTER networks representing 700 LTER Sites and ~ 80 LTSER Platforms across all continents, active in the fields of ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological research. The critical challenges and most important achievements of the initial phase have now become state-of-the-art in networking for excellent science. At the same time increasing integration, accelerating technology, networking of resources and a strong pull for more socially relevant scientific information have been modifying the mission and goals of ILTER. This article provides a critical review of ILTER's mission, goals, development and impacts. Major characteristics, tools, services, partnerships and selected examples of relative strengths relevant for advancing ILTER are presented. We elaborate on the tradeoffs between the needs of the scientific community and stakeholder expectations. The embedding of ILTER in an increasingly collaborative landscape of global environmental observation and ecological research networks and infrastructures is also reflected by developments of pioneering regional and national LTER networks such as SAEON in South Africa, CERN/CEOBEX in China, TERN in Australia or eLTER RI in Europe. The primary role of ILTER is currently seen as a mechanism to investigate ecosystem structure, function, and services in response to a wide range of environmental forcings using long-term, place-based research. We suggest four main fields of activities and advancements for the next decade through development/delivery of a: (1) Global multi-disciplinary community of researchers and research institutes; (2) Strategic global framework and strong partnerships in ecosystem observation and research; (3) Global Research Infrastructure (GRI); and (4) a scientific knowledge factory for societally relevant information on sustainable use of natural resources.
A new species of Charinus is described from Israel and new localities for C. ioanniticus are reported. Charinus israelensis sp. nov. is a cave dwelling species with extremely small median eyes, no median tubercle and reduced lateral eyes. It is similar to C. ioanniticus, which occurs in nearby areas, but can be differentiated by the shape of the carapace, the number of pedipalp spines and the development of the eyes. A detailed comparison is made between the two species, including pictures, drawings and scanning electron micrographs. Charinus ioanniticus is reported here from several new localities in Israel and Turkey. Identification keys to the Charinus species groups and to the species of the bengalensis group are provided.
A new genus and species of owlfly from eastern and southern Africa (Neuroptera: Ascalaphidae)
(2018)
The genus Dorsomitus Tjeder, 1992, is considered a nomen nudum. Dorsomitus gen. nov. is described and validated here. A new combination, Dorsomitus neavei (Kimmins, 1949) gen. et comb. nov. is proposed, Dorsomitus tjederi gen. et sp. nov. is described, and Disparomitus neavei Kimmins, 1949, is designated as type species of the genus Dorsomitus gen. nov.
Nature affects human well-being in multiple ways. However, the association between species diversity and human well-being at larger spatial scales remains largely unexplored. Here, we examine the relationship between species diversity and human well-being at the continental scale, while controlling for other known drivers of well-being. We related socio-economic data from more than 26,000 European citizens across 26 countries with macroecological data on species diversity and nature characteristics for Europe. Human well-being was measured as self-reported life-satisfaction and species diversity as the species richness of several taxonomic groups (e.g. birds, mammals and trees). Our results show that bird species richness is positively associated with life-satisfaction across Europe. We found a relatively strong relationship, indicating that the effect of bird species richness on life-satisfaction may be of similar magnitude to that of income. We discuss two, non-exclusive pathways for this relationship: the direct multisensory experience of birds, and beneficial landscape properties which promote both bird diversity and people's well-being. Based on these results, this study argues that management actions for the protection of birds and the landscapes that support them would benefit humans. We suggest that political and societal decision-making should consider the critical role of species diversity for human well-being.
Nature benefits human health. To date, however, little is known whether biodiversity relates to human health. While some local and city level studies show that species diversity, as a measure of biodiversity, can have positive effects, there is a lack of studies about the relationship between different species diversity measures and human health, especially at larger spatial scales. Here, we conduct cross-sectional analyses of the association between species diversity and human health across Germany, while controlling for socio-economic factors and other nature characteristics. As indicators for human health, we use the mental (MCS) and physical health (PCS) component scales of the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP, Short Form Health Questionnaire – SF12). For species diversity, we use species richness and abundance estimates of two species groups: plants and birds. We phrase the following hypotheses: plant and bird species are positively associated with mental and physical health (H1 & H3); bird abundance is positively related to mental health (H2). Our results demonstrate a significant positive relationship between plant and bird species richness and mental health across all model variations controlling for a multitude of other factors. These results highlight the importance for species diversity for people’s mental health and well-being. Therefore, policy makers, landscape planners and greenspace managers on the local and national level should consider supporting biodiverse environments to promote mental health and wellbeing. For this purpose, we propose to use species diversity measures as indicators for salutogenic (health promoting) characteristics of nature, landscape and urban green space.
Demographic change is supposed to be the most important indirect driver for changing biodiversity. In this article, a systematic review of 148 studies was conducted to examine the scientific evidence for this relationship and to identify potential gaps in research. We explored the spatial distribution of studies, the categories addressed with respect to biodiversity and demographic change, and the ways in which their relationships were conceptualised (spatially and temporally) and valued. The majority of studies were carried out in Africa, Europe and North America. Our analysis confirms the trend that demographic phenomena were mostly found to negatively influence biodiversity. However, a considerable number of studies also point towards impacts that were context dependent, either positive or negative under certain circumstances. In addition to that we identified significant gaps in research. In particular, there is a lack of addressing (1) other demographic aspects such as population decline, age structure or gender differences, (2) spatial variability of, e.g. human population growth, (3) long-term effects of demographic processes, and (4) the context dependency (e.g. regulations/law enforcement, type of human activities, and choice of scale or proxy). We conclude there is evidence that the relationship between biodiversity and demographic change is much more complex than expected and so far represented in research. Thus, we call for a social–ecological biodiversity research that particularly focusses on the functional relation between biodiversity and human activities, namely the different types, context, and interdependent dynamics (spatial and temporal) of this complex relation.
We review the genus Cyclargus Nabokov (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) based on detailed comparative analyses of wing patterns, genitalia, and mitochondrial COI DNA barcode sequences, and suggest that Cyclargus is composed of four species: C. thomasi (Clench), C. woodruffi (W. Comstock and Huntington), C. ammon (Lucas), and C. dominica (Möschler). The following new subjective synonyms are proposed: C. erembis Nabokov syn. n. and C. kathleena K. Johnson and Matusik syn. n. are C. thomasi noeli (W. Comstock and Huntington); C. sorpresus K. Johnson and Matusik syn. n. and C. shuturn K. Johnson and Bálint syn. n. are C. ammon; and Cyclargus oualiri Brevignon syn. n. is C. woodruffi. Additionally, we report the discovery of C. thomasi noeli in Cuba (where this taxon was previously confused with C. ammon), report C. ammon from Hispaniola for the first time, and document the widespread sympatry of C. thomasi and C. ammon in the northern Caribbean (including south Florida, Cuba, Cayman Islands, Hispaniola, Lucayan Archipelago). Finally, we provide a provisional synonymic list of Cyclargus taxa, which may serve as a taxonomic framework to assist efforts to conserve the Miami blue (C. thomasi bethunebakeri (W. Comstock and Huntington)), a taxon listed as "Endangered" under the Endangered Species Act in the United States.
Biodiversity is a cornerstone of human health and well-being. However, while evidence of the contributions of nature to human health is rapidly building, research into how biodiversity relates to human health remains limited in important respects. In particular, a better mechanistic understanding of the range of pathways through which biodiversity can influence human health is needed. These pathways relate to both psychological and social processes as well as biophysical processes. Building on evidence from across the natural, social and health sciences, we present a conceptual framework organizing the pathways linking biodiversity to human health. Four domains of pathways—both beneficial as well as harmful—link biodiversity with human health: (i) reducing harm (e.g. provision of medicines, decreasing exposure to air and noise pollution); (ii) restoring capacities (e.g. attention restoration, stress reduction); (iii) building capacities (e.g. promoting physical activity, transcendent experiences); and (iv) causing harm (e.g. dangerous wildlife, zoonotic diseases, allergens). We discuss how to test components of the biodiversity-health framework with available analytical approaches and existing datasets. In a world with accelerating declines in biodiversity, profound land-use change, and an increase in non-communicable and zoonotic diseases globally, greater understanding of these pathways can reinforce biodiversity conservation as a strategy for the promotion of health for both people and nature. We conclude by identifying research avenues and recommendations for policy and practice to foster biodiversity-focused public health actions.
Biodiversity information is contained in countless digitized and unprocessed scholarly texts. Although automated extraction of these data has been gaining momentum for years, there are still innumerable text sources that are poorly accessible and require a more advanced range of methods to extract relevant information. To improve the access to semantic biodiversity information, we have launched the BIOfid project (www.biofid.de) and have developed a portal to access the semantics of German language biodiversity texts, mainly from the 19th and 20th century. However, to make such a portal work, a couple of methods had to be developed or adapted first. In particular, text-technological information extraction methods were needed, which extract the required information from the texts. Such methods draw on machine learning techniques, which in turn are trained by learning data. To this end, among others, we gathered the BIOfid text corpus, which is a cooperatively built resource, developed by biologists, text technologists, and linguists. A special feature of BIOfid is its multiple annotation approach, which takes into account both general and biology-specific classifications, and by this means goes beyond previous, typically taxon- or ontology-driven proper name detection. We describe the design decisions and the genuine Annotation Hub Framework underlying the BIOfid annotations and present agreement results. The tools used to create the annotations are introduced, and the use of the data in the semantic portal is described. Finally, some general lessons, in particular with multiple annotation projects, are drawn.
Insect taxonomy is fundamental to global biodiversity research, but few studies have been conducted to track progress in this field using objective criteria. This study reports publishing trends in the taxonomy of four diverse, globally-distributed insect families from 1946 to 2012 to elucidate recent progress and the current status of insect taxonomy. Publications included in the Zoological Record online literature database were analyzed for Cicadellidae (leafhoppers), Miridae (plant bugs), Pyralidae (moths) and Staphylinidae (rove beetles). Data on numbers of new species, article length, species description length, authorship and collaborations, and taxonomic journals were extracted and compiled for each year. The results showed that (1) the number of taxonomic papers increased before 1980, followed by a steep decline with subsequent partial recovery; (2) the number of papers describing new species generally mirrored the trend in numbers of new species, suggesting no overall change in the proportion of larger, synthetic works (monographs) and more such work is encouraged; (3) the average number of new species described per publication decreased over the time period investigated, but with an increase in the average description pages per new species; (4) researchers from Europe and North America continue to produce the most taxonomic research on three of the four families, but the main center for Cicadellidae taxonomy has recently shifted to Asia; (5) collaboration among authors within and across continents has increased as indicated by increases in coauthored papers; and (6) journal prevalence differed for the four families and the top 10 most utilized journals for each family were given out for reference. Based on the analysis of the publication trend of the four families, we found that the overall trend toward increasing rates of species discovery is encouraging. But more human resources training and financial support on taxonomic work are required in order to complete a global faunistic inventory in a reasonable timeframe. Future study that conducts more in-depth and comprehensive analysis based on more families is required to reflect the overall trend of the insect taxonomy.