Developing integrative systematics in the informatics and genomic era, and calling for a global Biodiversity Cyberbank

Abstract

Systematics is the science of discovering, organizing and interpreting the diversity of all living organisms. Recent developments in genomics and biodiversity informatics are transforming systematics and have opened up many new opportunities. Major digitization efforts and developments in biodiversity informatics have helped the systematics community explore ways to enhance the efficiency in organizing, publishing, and utilizing systematic information. At the same time, genomics is rapidly facilitating construction of the tree of life, improving taxonomic classification, and disentangling complex evolutionary histories. In the informatics and genomics era, systematics has an incredible capacity to integrate with computational and exploratory platforms for discovery as well as with other, related disciplines while maintaining its core strengths in biological collections and morphology. We call for the establishment of a new global cyberinfrastructure or Biodiversity Cyberbank that will function as the main repository of many types of biodiversity data to ensure the long-term sustainability of the vast and growing amount of systematic data. This Biodiversity Cyberbank will contain new and efficient analytical pipelines for systematics research, especially for efficiently generating taxonomic treatments (revisions, e-monographs and floras). Integrative systematics requires the training of the next-generation systematists with taxonomic, phylogenomic and informatics skills to address grand questions about biodiversity and its assembly and continue to develop the Biodiversity Cyberbank. Integrative systematics must also proactively educate the public and policy makers on the importance of systematics and collections for addressing the biodiversity crisis of the Anthropocene, and a Biodiversity Cyberbank may represent one powerful tool for outreach.

A new phylogenetic tribal classification of the grape family (Vitaceae)

“…The classification system provided here will facilitate integrative systematic studies of the economically important grape genus Vitis and its close tropical relative Ampelocissus using cutting‐edge bioinformatic and phylogenomic tools (Wen et al, , ). Further work is required to clarify the generic limits of the two genera, and to investigate the evolutionary diversification mechanisms, such as hybrid speciation (Wen et al, ).…”

“…With the economic and ecological importance of the grape family, we ought to effectively link biodiversity research and the public's interests, and use the results of this fascinating family to educate the public on biodiversity assembly and evolution (Shenzhen Declaration Drafting Committee, ; Wen et al, , ).…”

A detailed study of leaf micromorphology and anatomy of New World Vitis L. subgenus Vitis within a phylogenetic and ecological framework reveals evolutionary convergence

“…A), and the role of the biotic environment in driving leaf evolution of subgenus Vitis remains a subject meriting future work. Overall, the leaves of the New World grapes may make an exceptional model system for studying the diversification of functional traits during a rapid evolutionary radiation in geographic and environmental space using integrative tools in systematics, phylogenomics, morphology and ecology (Wen et al, , ).…”

JSE IBC Special Issue on Frontiers in Plant Systematics and Evolution

“…Another major goal of plant systematics is to organize biodiversity into predictive classifications. The development of an increasingly robust phylogenetic framework for lineages at various levels has resulted in refined and revised classifications for plants (e.g., APG IV, 2016; PPG I, ) and required numerous redefinitions of genera and higher taxa (Wen et al, ). Soreng et al () revised and updated their worldwide phylogenetic classification of the species‐rich and economically and ecologically important grass family Poaceae (Gramineae) (also see Soreng et al, ).…”

“…Wen et al () argue for developing integrative systematics as the paradigm for charting the vast biosphere for discovery of biodiversity and exploring the patterns and processes of biodiversity evolution and its conservation. They also propose the establishment of a new global cyberinfrastructure or Biodiversity Cyberbank that will function as the main repository of many types of biodiversity data to ensure the long‐term sustainability of the vast and growing amount of systematic data (also see Wen et al, ).…”