Hypoxis bampsiana subsp. tomentosa, a New African Taxon of Hypoxidaceae

Volume: 18Start Page: 269End Page: 27

The Genus Hypoxis (Hypoxidaceae) in Central Africa

Volume: 88Start Page: 302End Page: 35

Taxonomic and morphological notes on Hypoxis angustifolia (Hypoxidaceae) from Africa, Madagascar, and Mauritius

Volume: 12Start Page: 142End Page: 15

Verification of Geometric Model-Based Plant Phenotyping Methods for Studies of Xerophytic Plants

This paper presents the results of verification of certain non-contact measurement methods of plant scanning to estimate morphological parameters such as length, width, area, volume of leaves and/or stems on the basis of computer models. The best results in reproducing the shape of scanned objects up to 50 cm in height were obtained with the structured-light DAVID Laserscanner. The optimal triangle mesh resolution for scanned surfaces was determined with the measurement error taken into account. The research suggests that measuring morphological parameters from computer models can supplement or even replace phenotyping with classic methods. Calculating precise values of area and volume makes determination of the S/V (surface/volume) ratio for cacti and other succulents possible, whereas for classic methods the result is an approximation only. In addition, the possibility of scanning and measuring plant species which differ in morphology was investigated

Current and future potential distributions of three Dracaena Vand. ex L. species under two contrasting climate change scenarios in Africa

Forest undergrowth plants are tightly connected with the shady and humid conditions that occur under the canopy of tropical forests. However, projected climatic changes, such as decreasing precipitation and increasing temperature, negatively affect understory environments by promoting light‐demanding and drought‐tolerant species. Therefore, we aimed to quantify the influence of climate change on the spatial distribution of three selected forest undergrowth plants, Dracaena Vand. ex L. species, D. afromontana Mildbr., D. camerooniana Baker, and D. surculosa Lindl., simultaneously creating the most comprehensive location database for these species to date. A total of 1,223 herbarium records originating from tropical Africa and derived from 93 herbarium collections worldwide have been gathered, validated, and entered into a database. Species‐specific Maxent species distribution models (SDMs) based on 11 bioclimatic variables from the WorldClim database were developed for the species. HadGEM2‐ES projections of bioclimatic variables in two contrasting representative concentration pathways (RCPs), RCP2.6 and RCP8.5, were used to quantify the changes in future potential species distribution. D. afromontana is mostly sensitive to temperature in the wettest month, and its potential geographical range is predicted to decrease (up to −63.7% at RCP8.5). Optimum conditions for D. camerooniana are low diurnal temperature range (6–8°C) and precipitation in the wettest season exceeding 750 mm. The extent of this species will also decrease, but not as drastically as that of D. afromontana. D. surculosa prefers high precipitation in the coldest months. Its potential habitat area is predicted to increase in the future and to expand toward the east. This study developed SDMs and estimated current and future (year 2050) potential distributions of the forest undergrowth Dracaena species. D. afromontana, naturally associated with mountainous plant communities, was the most sensitive to predicted climate warming. In contrast, D. surculosa was predicted to extend its geographical range, regardless of the climate change scenario

Dracaena coordinates

Dracaena species coordinates used in Maxent model. Coordinates for Dracaena afromontana, Dracaena camerooniana, Dracaena surculos

Dracaena_locations_GIS_format

GIS layers in shapefile format showing locations of three examined Dracaena species: Dracaena afromontana, Dracaena cameroonaina and Dracaena surculos

Open Access to the Digital Biodiversity Database: A Comprehensive Functional Model of the Natural History Collections

The Natural History Collections of Adam Mickiewicz University (AMUNATCOLL) in Poznań contain over 2.2 million specimens. Until recently, access to the collections was limited to specialists and was challenging because of the analogue data files. Therefore, this paper presents a new approach to data sharing called the Scientific, Educational, Public, and Practical Use (SEPP) Model. Since the stakeholder group is broad, the SEPP Model assumes the following key points: full open access to the digitized collections, the structure of metadata in accordance with certain standards, and a versatile tool set for data mining or statistical and spatial analysis. The SEPP Model was implemented in the AMUNATCOLL IT system, which consists of a web portal equipped with a wide set of explorative functionalities tailored to different user groups: scientists, students, officials, and nature enthusiasts. An integral part of the system is a mobile application designed for field surveys, enabling users to conduct studies comparing their own field data and AMUNATCOLL data. The AMUNATCOLL IT database contains digital data on specimens, biological samples, bibliographic sources, and multimedia nature documents. The metadata structure was developed in accordance with ABCD 2.06 and Darwin Core standards