The amphibians of the Indonesian island of Sumatra are poorly known, despite it being recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. For determining conservation priorities, up-to-date knowledge of the state of amphibian diversity in Sumatra is crucial, particularly considering the high deforestation rate on the island. To address this, I compiled and analysed a comprehensive dataset for amphibians known from Sumatra, to identify knowledge gaps and assess the significance of these data for conservation on the island and, more broadly, across Indonesia. The compilation indicates there are 135 amphibian species currently recorded for Sumatra, 55% more than the number known in 1923. Approximately 44 species have been described since 2000. Associated data on larvae and calls is lacking for many species. Although 66% of the amphibians of Sumatra are categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, this may not represent the actual conservation status of these species because many of the assessments are outdated. In addition, 14% of species have not yet been evaluated. This study highlights the need for more comprehensive studies on the amphibians of Sumatra.

Understanding the distribution and habitat requirements of species is crucial for designing conservation actions, yet this information is not available for many plant species. We report the first confirmed wild populations of Porroglossum parsonsii, which, because of its horticultural value, is commercialized in national and international markets, from where it was first described to science. Our large-scale survey of 341 10 × 30 m plots spanning Andean forests, paramo habitats and pasturelands in Colombia suggests that P. parsonsii has a restricted geographical distribution in Andean forests with high forest cover (71.4–86.2%), where it occurs in low numbers (5–17 individuals per plot). Because of its market value (USD 18–20 per plant) there is a risk the species could be collected illegally, and therefore the habitat of the species in the Santuario de Fauna y Flora de Iguaque requires appropriate conservation.

Since it was first described in 1901, the Príncipe thrush Turdus xanthorhynchus has been rare and restricted to the native forest in the south of Príncipe Island. The Obô giant land snail Archachatina bicarinata, however, was widespread across the island and at least locally abundant until the 1990s. Since then its population has collapsed, and now, like the thrush, it is also restricted to the native forest in the south of the island. Using species distribution modelling, we show that both species are currently strongly associated with rugged and remote areas of native forest at high altitudes. We argue that their current distribution might be negatively affected by anthropogenic pressures, as both are harvested, and also because invasive alien species are expected to have deleterious effects on these species, although further studies are needed to clarify interactions between these native and introduced species. The diachronic stories of these species highlight an overlooked value of native ecosystems: their role in the conservation of widespread species that might be unable to use anthropogenic landscapes in the future. They also reinforce the need for protected areas that strive to exclude most human activities in the context of particularly sensitive biodiversity, as is often the case on oceanic islands.

Species baseline information is required for effective biodiversity conservation. Here we provide sound ecological data to support effective conservation of the Principe Scops-owl, Otus bikegila Melo, Freitas, Verbelen, Costa, Pereira, Fuchs, Sangster, Correia, de Lima & Crottini 2022, discovered in 2016. We mapped the observed and potential distribution, inferred habitat associations, estimated population size, and assessed the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List category for this species. Surveys were carried out across Príncipe Island during the long and short dry seasons, recording owl presence in sampling points along transects. These data were used to model distribution, revealing that the Principe Scops-owl is restricted to 34.4 km2 in the south of the island, inside the Príncipe Obô Natural Park. Most records were in lower altitude native forest. Remoteness was the most important variable to explain presence at island level, followed by land use, which showed that the species is restricted to forest, clearly depending on native forest. Distance sampling using different models suggested a population density ranging between 33.4 individuals/km2 (95% CI: 23.6–47.2) and 46.4 individuals/km2 (95% CI: 29.3–73.6), which extrapolates to an estimated population size ranging from 1,149 individuals (95% CI: 813–1,623) to 1,597 individuals (95% CI: 1,007–2,533). We propose that the species is classified as “Critically Endangered” due to the small extent of occurrence, coupled with occurrence in a single location and inferred continuing declines in the extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of mature individuals and area, extent, and quality of habitat. Effective conservation of the Principe Scops-owl requires regular monitoring and further studies focusing on reproduction and potential nest predation by introduced mammals. Widespread support for the conservation of the Natural Park is vital to ensure the protection of this species and the endemic-rich native forests of Príncipe on which it depends.

We surveyed the shallow-water sponges of Ascension Island using scuba diving. In total, we collected 58 sponge specimens from 17 locations at depths of 0.5–30 m. In addition, we compiled historical records of sponges. We describe nine species new to science: Niphates verityae sp. nov., Petrosia (Petrosia) ernesti sp. nov., Monanchora downesae sp. nov., Svenzea weberorum sp. nov., Erylus williamsae sp. nov., Ircinia nolanae sp. nov., Ircinia richardsoni sp. nov., Ircinia simae sp. nov. and Chondrosia browningorum sp. nov. We provide molecular sequences for three of the new species. We have added 50% to the number of known species and added two new genera and one family to the known Ascension Island sponge fauna. Twenty-six species, from 16 genera, and 13 families, are now reported from Ascension's shallow waters. Many of these may be endemic to the island. We discuss the biogeographic affinities of Ascension Island and emphasize the need for additional survey of the sponge fauna of remote islands such as Ascension.

Limestone karst habitats are threatened globally by quarrying for production of concrete and cement. A significant area of limestone karst shared among the provinces of Saraburi, Lopburi and Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand encompasses the entire global range of a threatened bird taxon, the Rufous Limestone Babbler Gypsophila calcicola. We estimate that 10% of the suitable habitat for this species had already been lost to quarrying by 2020, and the extension of already proposed concessions could increase this to one-quarter, with the total area impacted by proposed future quarrying as great as 273 km2, or one and a half times greater than the entire area thought to support the species, within a few years. Only 2.66 km2 (1.4% of the species’ range) has received formal habitat protection as national park. We propose further surveys of the babbler be incorporated as part of a wider biotic survey of the Saraburi Group Limestones, leading to the development of an integrated management and zoning plan that takes account of the distributional knowledge of other threatened endemic taxa of this region.

The genus Micarea was studied for the first time in the Taita Hills, Kenya. Based on new collections and existing data, we reconstructed a phylogeny using ITS, mtSSU and Mcm7 regions, and generated a total of 27 new sequences. Data were analyzed using maximum likelihood and maximum parsimony methods. Based mainly on new collections, we discovered four undescribed well-supported lineages, characterized by molecular and phenotypic features. These lineages are described here as Micarea pumila, M. stellaris, M. taitensis and M. versicolor. Micarea pumila is characterized by a minutely granular thallus, small cream-white or pale brownish apothecia, small ascospores and the production of prasinic acid. Micarea stellaris has a warted-areolate thallus, cream-white apothecia usually darker at the centre, a hymenium of light grey or brownish pigment that dissolves in K, and intense crystalline granules that appear as a belt-like continuum across the lower hymenium when studied in polarized light. Micarea taitensis is characterized by a warted-areolate thallus and cream-white or yellowish apothecia that sometimes produce the Sedifolia-grey pigment. Micarea versicolor is characterized by a warted-areolate, sometimes partly granular thallus and apothecia varying from cream-white to light grey to blackish in colour. This considerable variation in the coloration of its apothecia is caused by an occasional mixture of the Sedifolia-grey pigment in the epihymenium and another purplish brown pigment in the hymenium. Micarea stellaris, M. taitensis and M. versicolor produce methoxymicareic acid. The main distinguishing characters are presented in a species synopsis. Three of the new species are nested in the M. prasina group, and the fourth one (M. taitensis) resolves as a basal taxon to the M. prasina group. The new species inhabit montane cloud forests, which have fragmented dramatically throughout the Eastern Arc Mountains in recent decades.

Although parasites represent a major component of biodiversity, they remain poorly assessed, especially in remote regions. In this study, we screened 461 reptiles from Socotra, the largest and most biologically diverse archipelago in Arabia. Using 18S rRNA primers, we detected various apicomplexan parasites, namely haemogregarines, sarcocystids and eimeriids. Haemogregarines were the most common and genetically diverse, followed by sarcocystids (genus Sarcocystis) and eimeriids (genera Isospora and Lankesterella). All were related to parasites of other reptiles, including species from Arabia, Northern Africa and Asia. Like their 29 endemic reptile hosts, almost all Socotran parasites presented high genetic divergence and ecological differences from those found elsewhere, and probably represent undescribed endemic species. Among hosts, skinks were the most parasitized, which contrasted with similar studies from other areas, probably due to their more generalist diet and habitat use. As expected due to its high species richness, geckos harboured the highest parasite diversity in the archipelago. Parasite diversity also seemed to be correlated to island size, as the largest island harboured most haplotypes. This study emphasizes the importance of screening parasites in wild hosts from remote regions and of considering host ecology to understand disease transmission across taxa.

We report the results of a survey of the fishes of Kāne‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu, conducted in 2017 as part of the Smithsonian Institution MarineGEO Hawaii bioassessment. We recorded 109 species in 43 families. The most speciose families were Acanthuridae (11 species), Gobiidae (11 species), Pomacentridae (10) and Chaetodontidae (9 species). Nine of the species that we collected are known or suspected to be introduced to the Hawaiian Islands. Specimens were identified, measured and photographed. All specimen vouchers were fixed in formalin and ultimately transferred to 75% ethanol for long-term storage. For nearly all species, we took multiple tissue samples from specimen vouchers prior to formalin-fixation; we preserved tissues in 95% ethanol and then stored them at −80°C. The 5′-end of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (mtCOI) was sequenced for 94 species to confirm their taxonomic identification. Using these barcode sequences, we also measured genetic distances between collected individuals and their conspecifics from other localities outside Hawaii to verify the hypothesis that Hawaiian populations of species broadly distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific may be genetically distinct. We present select case studies to demonstrate the potential for undiscovered endemism in the Hawaiian fish biota.

To investigate changes in vegetation and climate with altitude, we established forest plots and recorded climatic data at 100-m intervals between 550–1100 m asl on the western slopes of Mount Batilamu, Mount Koroyanitu range, Viti Levu, Fiji. Trees with a dbh ≥10 cm were identified and measured in 21 10 × 10-m plots, starting at 750 m altitude. Temperature and relative humidity sensors were deployed in two habitats, leaf litter and 50 cm above the ground, and two vegetation types, grasslands and forest, at six altitudes over a 48-h period. Two significantly distinct forest types, lowland and montane, were present. Montane forest was found at higher elevations (>950 m asl) and had significantly higher stem density. Mean temperature decreased significantly with altitude and was strongly moderated by vegetation type (lower average and less variation in forest). While average relative humidity significantly increased with altitude, it was strongly moderated by both habitat and vegetation type (higher average and less variation in leaf litter and forest). The lapse rate varied with time of day (higher during the day) and vegetation type (higher in grasslands). Therefore, vegetation and microhabitats create unique microclimates, and this should be considered when investigating current or future climatic patterns along altitudinal gradients on forested mountains.

Over a century ago microfaunal diversity was first recorded by James Murray in lakes at Cape Royds, Ross Island, Antarctica. The report stands as the seminal study for today’s biodiversity investigations, and as a baseline to evaluate changes in faunal communities and introductions. In the present study, Cape Royds lakes were revisited and the mitochondrial c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and morphology were used to compare diversity of Rotifera, Tardigrada and Nematoda with the records Murray published in the early 1900s. Cyanobacterial mats and the water column were sampled for microfauna from the five largest lakes using methods described by Murray. Across all five lakes similar patterns were observed for species distribution of all three phyla reported by Murray over 100 years ago. Some changes in species assemblages were identified within and between lakes, but there were no new introductions of named species for the Cape Royds region. Some of the species included by Murray in his monograph have been recently redescribed as Antarctic endemics, but others still retain their original name from the Northern Hemisphere holotypes and are also in need of revision to adequately determine the true endemism for these faunal groups.

A new species of Begonia (B. lecongkietii N.S.Lý & M.Hughes) is described from Mount Dầu in the South Central Coast Region, Vietnam, an area with an abundance of recently described endemic plant taxa. The new species is allied to Begonia lamxayana Souvann., which occurs 600 km away in Laos, differing chiefly in having larger villose tepals with an undulate margin and larger androecium with 86–116 (versus 20–30) stamens. Begonia lecongkietii is considered Critically Endangered, owing to its small area of occupancy and decline of habitat quality.

The taxonomy of Mediterranean populations of Diodora is assessed based on new molecular (COI and 28S) data. The recently described Diodora demartiniorum Buzzurro & Russo, 2005, is found to be a valid species restricted to the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia) but possibly occurring also on the coast of Libya. However, specimens from the Aegean Sea previously identified as D. demartiniorum are molecularly (and morphologically pseudocryptically) distinct and represent a previously unrecognized species here described as D. giannispadai n. sp. It is hypothesized that the current distribution of these two species corresponds to glacial refuges during Pleistocene climate changes.

Although Brazil is the centre with the third highest diversity of Cactaceae, the distribution of species at the local scale in Brazil remains largely unknown. This article describes the distribution patterns of the Cactaceae communities in the protected area of the Contendas do Sincorá National Forest (CSNF) in a semiarid region in the north-east of Brazil. Trails were distributed between the altitudes of 290 and 596 m, along which 91 plots (1.8 ha) were established for quantitative surveys. The floristic data were also recorded separately on these trails. With the floristic survey, 18 taxa were recorded, and the quantitative surveys within the plots identified 10 species, represented by 1135 individuals. The distribution patterns of the species of Cactaceae were intermittent, which provided a likely explanation for the differences between the floristic survey and the species composition of the plots. The largest fraction of the floristic variation was not explained by environment or space, and this may be related to climatic alterations in the past, evolutionary processes, natural and anthropic disturbances and other unmeasured environmental variables. The recorded endemic, vulnerable and endangered species of the caatingas of Bahia indicate that broader protection areas for the Cactaceae species in the region of the CSNF are necessary.

Conservation planning relies heavily on representativeness patterns. In Chile, this has not been assessed at the species level. This study evaluates floristic representativeness in the National System of Protected Areas (SNASPE). Species rarefaction and non-parametric estimators were used to extrapolate total representativeness. Given that conservation planning in Chile is mainly based on protecting vegetation types, the effectiveness of using vegetation types as a surrogate of plant species was evaluated based on richness and complementarity. The study found available information for 42% of the 96 protected areas of continental Chile. According to this information the SNASPE protects at least 48% of the native vascular flora. The southern area protects the largest number of species, most of which are non-endemic natives. The largest number of endemic protected species was found in the central-northern area. The SNASPE in its full range is projected to protect 64% of the vascular flora of Chile. Richness and complementarity surrogacy analyses showed weak effectiveness of vegetation types as a surrogate of plant species, although complementarity performed slightly better than richness. Surrogacy effectiveness was lower for endemic species, probably due to their narrow distributions that are more easily missed when vegetation types are considered instead.

In this study, we report species diversity and endemism of the poorly known but highly diverse Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (SDTF) flora of the Marañón valley in northern Peru. We characterise woody vascular plant species diversity across the valley in order to define the conservation value of the area at national and international level. Based on 32 rapid botanical inventories, 92 plots of 50 × 20 m, and a herbarium study across local and international herbaria, we report 440 woody vascular plant species of which 143 (33%) are endemic to the valley. Two centres of endemism within the valley are identified, each with clear elevational zonation of diversity. Data show that the Marañón valley is a good representative of Peruvian SDTFs as a whole, with an average of 56% SDTF species and 78% SDTF genera found in the one valley. The results show that there is wide variation in the set of dominant species across the valley, and that many local endemics are locally abundant unlike in neighbouring SDTFs where the dominant species are all geographically widespread. Our results demonstrate that the Marañón includes a rare combination of both nationally representative yet globally unique plant species, which makes the valley an ideal conservation target. The high level of endemism structured within elevational zones implies that conservation areas should be established across elevational zones in order to maximise the protection of this globally unique flora.

The island of Folegandros, located between the Milos and Santorini archipelagos in the southern Kiklades (Greece), constitutes together with Ios and Sikinos the south-central part of the phytogeographical region of the Kiklades. Its flora consists of 474 taxa, 47 of which are under statutory protection, 40 are Greek endemics and 145 are reported here for the first time. We show that Folegandros has the highest percentage of Greek endemics in the phytogeographical area of the Kiklades. The known distribution of the endemic Muscari cycladicum subsp. cycladicum is expanded, being reported for the first time outside the South Aegean Volcanic Arc. The floristic cross-correlation between Folegandros and other parts of the phytogeographical region of the Kiklades by means of Sørensen’s index revealed that its phytogeographical affinities are stronger to Anafi Island than to any other part of the Kiklades.