Taxonomist survey biases and the unveiling of biodiversity patterns

Sastre, Pablo; Lobo, Jorge M.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2008.11.002

Cited by 107 publications

(100 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…There is a potentially a strong sampling bias in these results, a "museum effect" (Ponder et al 2001), implying that for historical reasons of efficiency, logistic, and convenience, collectors tend to over-sampled near these institutions. Furthermore, the survey directed towards localities previously recognized as having higher species richness values, such as mountain ranges or particularly wet areas, is unpromising for discovering the true species richness distribution in an area (Sastre & Lobo 2009). This must be influencing the high species richness found in the mountainous areas of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Paraná mentioned before.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and Endemism of Angiosperms in the Atlantic Forest

Werneck¹,

Sobral²,

Rocha³

et al. 2011

Nat. Conserv.

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This work represents the first large scale initiative to map endemic plant species in the Atlantic Forest. The region is home to 13,708 angiosperm species of which 6,663 are estimated to be endemic. Angiosperm spatial patterns, their representation in the existing protected areas system, sampling biases and gaps on the knowledge about species distributions are analyzed. As a result of this work, an extensive species database was created, which will be available to conservation decision makers and research institutions in Brazil.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and Endemism of Angiosperms in the Atlantic Forest

Werneck¹,

Sobral²,

Rocha³

et al. 2011

Nat. Conserv.

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“…The use of data from a systematic inventory, such as the IFFSC, and from updated databases, such as the TreeAtlan 2.0, allowed us to single out even less intensively studied regions as priority areas for conservation (Araujo & Williams 2001;Giulietti et al 2005;Grand et al 2007;Sastre & Lobo 2009). Gotelli & Colwell (2001) stated that sampling biodiversity is a labor-intensive activity, and it is often not sufficient to detect all or even most of the species present in an area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This suggests that the estimation of species richness is biased by the greater concentration of research centers and universities in areas that are more developed, resulting in a tendency to collect plant specimens repeatedly from sites previously recognized as having the highest levels of species richness (Ponder et al 2001;Schatz 2002;Hopkins 2007;Sobral & Stehmann 2009). That limits our knowledge of the true species richness distribution (Sastre & Lobo 2009), the delimitation of centers of endemism (Ponder et al 2001) and the decisionmaking process related to the designation of priority areas for conservation (Grand et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a better understanding of the subtropical Atlantic Forest in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil: tree sampling accuracy, species richness and frequency of rare species

et al. 2014

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Accurate knowledge of floristic composition is crucial when planning and designing research projects and public policies. In this study, our goal was to assess tree sampling accuracy and to identify sites with higher concentrations of rare tree species, as well as those with the highest tree species richness, in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. We determined sampling accuracy using the first-order jackknife and Chao 2 estimators, calculated the number of rare species (singletons and doubletons) and applied sampled-based rarefaction. We found that sample accuracy (estimated vs. observed values) was over 90% for the state as a whole, the best estimates having been obtained for the areas of rain forest (first-order jackknife: 91%; Chao 2: 95%). Of the tree species identified, 16.6% were considered rare in the state and only 4% were found in all forest types. Among the various forest types, semideciduous forests showed the highest proportions of rare tree species. Tree species richness was highest in the rain forests and lowest in the dwarf cloud forests. Our results make an important contribution to the conservation of tree species within one of the "hottest" biodiversity hotspots in the world.

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“…Obviously, this study could not have been made without the prior knowledge provided by all the collectors and publishers of records. However, our data revealed that the sampling strategies used up to now have not been effective enough to represent the existing biodiversity, probably due to their different purposes and the uncoordinated character of field surveys, which were not specifically designed to unveil the biodiversity of the island (see e.g., Sastre and Lobo 2009). These quantitative approaches are thus useful to uncover, not only the lack of available information, but also the possible biases of previous collections.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Assessing the completeness of bryophytes inventories: an oceanic island as a case study (Terceira, Azorean archipelago)

et al. 2010

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How useful, complete or unbiased are comprehensive databases in order to provide reliable estimations of diversity? Using compiled data from bryophytes in Terceira Island (Azores), we specifically aim (1) to describe the register of species over time, (2) to assess the inventory completeness, i.e., the ratio between the observed and the maximum expected species, and (3) to locate the most promising areas for further surveys. First, each new recorded species was plotted against its collecting year, using the number of databaserecords as a surrogate of survey effort, to get the accumulation curves. These curves were then extrapolated to obtain the theoretical number of existing species according to Clench and exponential models. Spatial and habitat characteristics of the recorded taxa were also explored. Our results show an increasing trend in the rate of recorded species (c. five species per year), as well as a maximum of around a third of the theoretically ''real'' number of expected species that could yet remain unknown. Nevertheless, predictions of species richness were highly variable depending on the fitting curve used. Survey effort was similar between liverworts and mosses, as were inventory completeness values, but the rate of new recorded species was higher for mosses. Although bryologists visited preferably native habitats, we show that new species citations may also be found in modified habitats (e.g., exotic forests and semi-natural grasslands). We conclude that the analysis of extensive databases is a useful tool in revealing the recording and taxonomic gaps, further showing that bryophyte inventories could still be incomplete in Terceira Island. A strategy on how to improve species' collections in remote areas is suggested, hoping to contribute to all-inclusive biodiversity studies in the Azores and elsewhere.Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article

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Taxonomist survey biases and the unveiling of biodiversity patterns

Cited by 107 publications

References 44 publications

Distribution and Endemism of Angiosperms in the Atlantic Forest

Distribution and Endemism of Angiosperms in the Atlantic Forest

Toward a better understanding of the subtropical Atlantic Forest in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil: tree sampling accuracy, species richness and frequency of rare species

Assessing the completeness of bryophytes inventories: an oceanic island as a case study (Terceira, Azorean archipelago)

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