MSGID: 1:317/3 640ff867   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Thousands of native plants are unphotographed, and citizen scientists   
   can help fill the gaps    
      
     Date:   
         March 13, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of New South Wales   
     Summary:   
         New research finds almost 4000 Australian plant species have not   
         been photographed before in the wild, which may lead to their   
         extinction.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   Scientists have documented plant species for centuries to help us   
   understand and protect the incredible diversity of flora in our world. But   
   according to new research, many have never actually been photographed   
   in their natural habitats -- and that's a problem.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Researchers from UNSW Sydney and the Australian Institute of Botanical   
   Science, part of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, surveyed 33   
   major online databases of plant photographs to examine the photographic   
   record of Australian plant species. The findings, published in New   
   Phytologist, reveal out of 21,077 native Australian vascular plant   
   species, almost 20 per cent lack a verifiable photograph.   
      
   Lead author of the study and UNSW Science PhD student Thomas Mesaglio says   
   Australia is one of the richest areas in the world for native species.   
      
   "It was surprising to see how many plant species had just line drawings,   
   illustrations, paintings, or even no media at all," Mr Mesaglio says.   
      
   Dr Herve' Sauquet, co-author of the study and Senior Research Scientist   
   at the Australian Institute of Botanical Science, is based at the National   
   Herbarium of New South Wales.   
      
   "All species of plants ultimately rely on specimens in herbarium   
   collections for their identification," Dr Sauquet says. "Yet, even in   
   this digital age where most herbarium specimens have been scanned and   
   are accessible on the web, photos of live plants in the wild remain in   
   critical need."  Senior author of the study from UNSW Science Associate   
   Professor Will Cornwell says a lack of detailed photos can have real   
   consequences. Many plant species that are difficult to identify in the   
   wild may go extinct if scientists cannot properly identify them with   
   the help of photos.   
      
   "We had assumed every plant species would have simply been photographed   
   by someone, somewhere, throughout history. But it turns out this isn't   
   the case," says A/Prof. Cornwell.   
      
   "This is where citizen scientists can come in and help us fill this   
   gap with their photos."  Gaps in the photographic record Photographs   
   can help botanists and taxonomists who work with plant specimens by   
   preserving characteristics like flower colour that get lost over time   
   in their samples. They can also show additional features, such as the   
   orientation of leaves or bark appearance, and add ecological context.   
      
   "Having a comprehensive photographic set helps us to be confident in our   
   identifications," Mr Mesaglio says. "Particularly when it is practically   
   challenging to collect and preserve the entire plant, photos complement   
   the physical voucher by showing the soil type, the habitat it's growing   
   in, and other species growing alongside it."  But it turns out not all   
   plant groups are photographed equally. Just as some animals receive   
   less attention than others, there might also be a bias against less   
   charismatic plants.   
      
   The study found the most well-photographed plant groups tend to be   
   shrubs or trees with more noticeable or spectacular features, such as   
   colourful flowers.   
      
   Banksia, for example, is one of only two Australian plant genera with   
   more than 40 species to have a complete photographic record. Meanwhile,   
   the family with the most significant photo deficit was Poaceae --   
   commonly known as grasses - - with 343 unphotographed species.   
      
   "We noticed a charisma deficit, so the species that tend to be harder to   
   see are the ones missing out," Mr Mesaglio says. "They may have innocuous   
   or pale- looking flowers or be smaller and harder to spot grasses, sedges   
   and herbs."  Geography also affected the photographic record. While most   
   species across the south-eastern states of Australia have comprehensive   
   records, Western Australia had the largest void, with 52 per cent of   
   all unphotographed species found there.   
      
   "The primary 'hotspots' for unphotographed Australian plants are areas   
   with high plant diversity, but the environments are rugged and often   
   difficult to access, particularly by road," Mr Mesaglio says. "But it   
   means there's an exciting opportunity to visit these locations because   
   we might capture something that has never before been photographed."   
   Activating citizen scientist snaps It's one thing to have comprehensive   
   photographic records for professional scientists to use in identification   
   guides. But when the plant world is under threat from multiple fronts,   
   including habitat clearing and climate change, photos can help engage   
   the public in plant science.   
      
   "People can engage with, sympathise with, and get much more excited about   
   plants with photographs, which is vital when our natural environments   
   are more at risk than ever," Mr Mesaglio says.   
      
   "Because digital photography is so accessible now, anyone can also help   
   make a meaningful contribution to science using the camera in their   
   pocket."  Using a platform like iNaturalist, keen citizen scientists can   
   have their snaps identified by experts and share the data with aggregators   
   like the Atlas of Living Australia and the Global Biodiversity Information   
   Facility to be used in research and conservation.   
      
   "Since April last year, we've identified nearly 10 per cent of those   
   previously unphotographed species thanks to members of the public   
   uploading their photographs and experts who've kindly identified them,"   
   Mr Mesaglio says.   
      
   "There could be many more in personal collections or behind paywalls just   
   waiting to be shared."  The researchers recommend a standardised system   
   for scientific plant photography be developed, starting with a requirement   
   in the International Code of Nomenclature for Plants to include at least   
   one field photograph where possible in new species descriptions. They   
   also suggest all new species descriptions be published as Open Access   
   in searchable databases with Creative Commons licensing to maximise   
   their usage.   
      
   "We also suspect more photos exist, but they're hidden away on social   
   media or behind scientific paywalls that aren't accessible, discoverable,   
   or searchable," Mr Mesaglio says.   
      
   "Of the species with photographs, many have a single photo. We not only   
   want to capture those unrepresented species but also continue building   
   the photographic record for all species.   
      
   "Doing so will help us identify, monitor and conserve our native species   
   for generations to come."   
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Plants_&_Animals   
                   # Nature # Endangered_Plants # New_Species   
             o Earth_&_Climate   
                   # Exotic_Species # Ecology # Environmental_Awareness   
             o Science_&_Society   
                   # Land_Management # Environmental_Policies # Ocean_Policy   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Permian-Triassic_extinction_event o Extinction_event o Zoo o   
             Wild_Horse o Extinction o Cretaceous-Tertiary_extinction_event   
             o Lead o Polyphenol_antioxidant   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by   
   University_of_New_South_Wales. Original written by Ben Knight. Note:   
   Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Thomas Mesaglio, Herve' Sauquet, David Coleman, Elizabeth Wenk,   
      William   
         K. Cornwell. Photographs as an essential biodiversity resource:   
         drivers of gaps in the vascular plant photographic record. New   
         Phytologist, 2023; DOI: 10.1111/nph.18813   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230313215104.htm   
      
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