Overcoming major barriers in seed ecology research in developing countries

Abstract

Scientists are becoming increasingly aware that disparities in opportunities for conducting and publishing research among scientists living under different socio-economic contexts have created pervasive biases and long-lasting impacts on our views of the natural world. These disparities are challenging the establishment of a global research agenda for a variety of disciplines, including seed ecology. Seed ecology has progressed enormously recently, but multiple barriers have hindered progress in the Global South where biodiversity and environmental complexity are highest. Here, we identify ten major challenges that seed ecologists from developing countries face in relation to planning, designing, conducting and publishing their research. We also propose several measures to overcome these challenges: (1) closing biodiversity knowledge shortfalls, (2) enhancing and creating long-term seed ecological networks, (3) supporting better infrastructure, (4) making fieldwork easier and safer, (5) unlocking funding opportunities, (6) promoting inclusive scientific meetings, (7) alleviating language barriers, (8) improving education, (9) shifting the notion of novelty and relevance and (10) supporting native seed markets. The authors recommend that the proposed solutions can be implemented by seed ecologists and the broader scientific community including funding agencies, research directors, journal editors and the academic publishing industry. Solutions can help mitigate multiple challenges simultaneously, thus offering a relatively inexpensive, fast and productive pathway for the development of seed ecology into a truly global research discipline that benefits scientists irrespective of their geographic location and background.

Systematic challenges and opportunities in insect monitoring: a Global South perspective

“…Providing and facilitating spaces for Global South researchers to interact with those from developed countries can strengthen local and international networks, prioritizing diverse areas with gaps in entomological knowledge in tropical environments [95]. For instance, the 'Status of Insects,' a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded research coordination network (https://statusofinsects.github.io/index.html), has provided a significant opportunity for entomologists worldwide to connect and collaborate towards advancing data gathering and analysis, and solutions for insect decline.…”

“…Additionally, the lack of comprehensive genetic reference data in many of these countries hinders the improvement of taxonomic resolution in studies. Therefore, improving the funding for national biological collections within the countries will be important for constructing the reference data [ 95 ]. The vast diversity of species in this ecosystem necessitates further development, as the abundance of species may not be sufficient to trace the entirety of insect diversity during a particular season.…”

“…Promoting local in-person meetings to be more inclusive of Global South participation and/or offering hybrid participation options for global meetings can help these countries reduce travel and accommodation costs. Such networking opportunities can foster meaningful collaborations, potentially addressing limited funding opportunities, mitigating article processing fees (including open access) and sharing cost-effective technological advances [ 95 ].…”