Research highlights ‘black spots’ in global plant diversity where scientific efforts are urgently needed

An ambitious project led by scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in collaboration with global partners, seeks to shed light on the planet’s “plant diversity blackspots”, areas teeming with biodiversity but where geographical data and taxonomic data remain incomplete, leaving scientists in the dark. on the richness of the plant diversity they contain.

The study, published in the journal New plant scientistidentified 33 dark spots in global plant diversity, including at least 14 (44%) in tropical Asia. With 3 out of 4 undescribed plant species already at risk of extinction (State of the World’s Plants and Fungi 2023), this new data gives scientists a useful tool to determine where to prioritize plant collection and conservation over the of this crucial decade to stop and reverse the trend. loss of biodiversity.

The study consisted of predicting the number of plant species per “botanical country” (countries or close equivalents) that currently remain unnamed and unmapped. The researchers then looked at where these black spots coincided with the 36 recognized “biodiversity hotspots” – regions of rich and unique flora that are also under threat – as well as how socio-political and environmental factors can impact shipments. botanical studies and guide future taxonomic efforts.

Dr Samuel Pironon, senior lecturer in conservation biology at Queen Mary University of London, honorary research associate at RBG Kew and lead author of the paper, says: “The resources needed to undertake new botanical expeditions or to digitize existing collections are limited, so prioritizing collection efforts is essential. Our study provides a flexible framework to help accelerate the documentation of global plant diversity to inform conservation actions. It is necessary for us to know the whereabouts of most of the species that remain unnamed and unmapped, many of which are likely to be threatened. achieve the 2030 targets of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

In total, the work revealed the presence of 33 black spots: 14 of them distributed in parts of the Asia-Tropical region, eight in South America, eight in the Asia-Temperate region, two in Africa and one in North America. Overall, Colombia, New Guinea, and south-central China had the largest combined descriptive and geographic data gaps in the world, in descending order.

By continent, New Caledonia has the largest cumulative deficit for the Pacific; Western Australia for Australasia; New Guinea for tropical Asia; South-Central China for temperate Asia; Madagascar for Africa; Albania for Europe; Mexico Southwest for North America; and Colombia for South America. Considering different environmental and socio-economic scenarios, six botanical countries consistently emerged as priority areas for targeted collecting activities: Colombia, Myanmar, New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines and Turkey.

New Guinea is the only blackspot that does not overlap with a global biodiversity hotspot, but its exceptional biodiversity, which will further increase as knowledge gaps are filled, could face growing threats from overexploitation species and conversion of land to agriculture.

Ian Ondo, senior data analyst at RBG Kew, program manager at the United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC), and lead author of the paper, says: “Recognizing and Taking into account the black spots of plant diversity is essential to achieve global conservation. It ensures that critical areas include underrepresented biodiversity and receive attention and protection, thereby strengthening global efforts to maintain biodiversity.

“Many species that are not yet described by science are in fact well known to indigenous and local communities,” says Dr Kiran Dhanjal-Adams, Future Leader Fellow at RBG Kew.

“With the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework highlighting the importance of indigenous and local communities in conservation, we have a basis for strengthening partnerships and increasing our ability to describe species in ways that help generate interest for conservation and to mobilize funds to support local communities. as well as shedding light on new species. »

Five commitments to close the knowledge gap on biodiversity

Following discussions at the 2023 State of the World’s Plants and Fungi Symposium at Kew, RBG Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden led the drafting of the “2030 Declaration on Scientific Collecting of Plants and Fungi ” which contains five commitments aimed at filling key knowledge gaps on plant and fungal diversity. , through collaborative and targeted collection and research activities. The five commitments include: 1) using evidence-based collecting strategies, 2) building local capacity, 3) collaborating across taxa and disciplines, 4) collecting for the future, and 5) sharing benefits.

Collecting biological specimens from nature is a fundamental part of the natural sciences, and researchers around the world continue to collect and preserve samples from different organisms to advance research and support conservation actions.

These scientific collections, which require special permits and must comply with national and international access and benefit-sharing laws, can help identify new species, tell us how climate change is affecting the natural world, or produce new medicines. and fuels. There are many unknowns, especially when it comes to fungi, with more than 90% of the estimated 2.5 million species yet to be described.

The Declaration, co-authored by contributors from 22 countries and already signed by more than 800 individuals and organizations from 85 countries, remains open for signatories until the end of this year. This is a first step toward increased global and regional coordination of scientific collection efforts. RBG Kew hopes that conversations will continue during and between botanical and mycological congresses at international, regional, national and local levels to foster more decentralized and complementary efforts.

Professor Alexandre Antonelli, Scientific Director at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and lead author of the paper, said: “As we head towards CBD COP16 in Colombia, governments will be under intense scrutiny to determine what progress is being made. were made towards the global Kunming-Montreal agreement. The objectives of the 2030 Biodiversity Framework, the challenges that remain and how they can be overcome.

“Comprehensive data on plants and fungi is an integral part of the solution, and filling knowledge gaps about blackspots represents a cost-effective way forward.” If countries come together and implement these commitments, we will be better able to tackle the major challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change and food security.