TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Focusing on the role of abiotic and biotic drivers on cross-taxon congruence

Diversity patterns can show congruence across taxonomic groups. Consistent diversity patterns allow the identification of indicator surrogates potentially representative of unobserved taxa or the broader biodiversity patterns. However, the effective use of biodiversity surrogates depends on underlying mechanisms driving the strength of the relationship among taxonomic groups. Here, we explored congruence patterns in community composition among taxa occupying different trophic levels, accounting for abiotic and biotic factors: vascular plants and six groups of ground-dwelling arthropods (pseudoscorpions, spiders, darkling beetles, rove beetles, ground beetles and ants) were chosen as potential indicator surrogates. We evaluated the cross-taxon relationships using Mantel test; subsequently, we investigated if these relationships could partially depend on abiotic drivers, using partial Mantel tests; then, we evaluated the partial contributions of abiotic and biotic drivers in explaining these relationships through a series of variation partitioning analyses. Our results showed that a consistent cross-taxon congruence pattern was evident across almost all group pairs: pseudoscorpions, spiders, ground beetles and vascular plants showed the largest number of significant correlations with other taxa. Environmental gradients resulted as drivers of cross-taxon congruence, shaping composition patterns. However, they were not the only ones. Biotic drivers account for part of cross-taxon congruence among vascular plants and arthropod predators (i.e., pseudoscorpions and spiders, but also ground beetles), as well as among taxa at high trophic levels. Almost all strictly predatory taxa, known as biological control agents, emerged as the best predictors of plant community composition even when the role of environmental factors was considered. Spiders/ants and spiders/ground beetles showed close relationships and congruent composition patterns, irrespective of environmental parameters. Relationships among taxa might be driven by several complex biotic interactions (e.g., non-trophic and trophic interactions, direct and indirect interactions). Bottom-up and top-down forces, consumptive and non-consumptive interactions may play a role in influencing the community composition of taxa and driving the observed relationships. Future studies should broaden knowledge about the role of these forces and interactions in determining the congruence across taxa. The multi-trophic perspective in cross-taxon studies can be promising for identifying biodiversity surrogates and their application in conservation planning

Contribution to a new vascular flora of Sardinia (Italy): II (31-60)

Following the first contribution for a new, updated, and revised vascular flora of Sardinia, this work adds new data on the distribution of 30 taxa growing in the island. The treated taxa are both native and alien, and are characterised by their rarity, phytogeographical significance, endemicity, conservation issues, or novelty to Sardinia and Italy. These updates result from floristic research mostly conducted in South Sardinia but include several discoveries from the rest of the island. The first report of Commelina erecta, Ficus watkinsiana, Morus kagayamae, Opuntia elatior (casual alien species) in Sardinia is documented here. Additionally, Casuarina glauca and Robinia ×ambigua, are reported for the first time in Italy (casual alien). Moreover, the confirmation of Ajuga chamaepitys subsp. chamaepitys is here provided. Furthermore, new distributional data for 23 taxa, some of which known for their rarity, are gathered. Notably, Elatine hexandra and Cosentinia vellea subsp. bivalens, previously reported only once in recent years, along with Elatine alsinastrum and Halopeplis amplexicaulis, which were indicated only for a few sites. For others, an expansion or an improvement of their distribution range on the island is documented, as for rare endemics including Artemisia campestris subsp. variabilis, Bellium crassifolium, Borago morisiana, Dianthus cyathophorus subsp. cyathophorus, Filago tyrrhenica, Helicodiceros muscivorus, Limonium racemosum, Phleum sardoum, and Torilis nemoralis. New findings are also reported for Asplenium sagittatum, Ludwigia palustris, Malva lusitanica, Mandragora autumnalis, Persicaria decipiens, Piptatherum caerulescens, Rorippa sylvestris subsp. sylvestris, and Veronica anagalloides (rare or scattered native). In addition, new information on the distribution of Artemisia verlotiorum and Lycium ferocissimum (invasive alien species) is here reported. Finally, new data about some of the taxa recorded in the first contribution are added or modified

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 18

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, exclusions, and status changes from casual to naturalized or invasive for Italy or for Italian administrative regions for taxa in the genera Acacia, Akebia, Allocasuarina, Aloë, Brachychiton, Convolvulus, Freesia, Gleditsia, Hesperocyparis, Kalanchoë, Liriope, Mazus, Melia, Phyla, Platycladus, Prunus, and Retama. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as Suppl. material 1

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 15

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, exclusions for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as Suppl. material 1

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 16

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records and status changes from casual to naturalized for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as supplementary material

Notulae to the Italian native vascular flora: 14

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of native vascular flora in Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, and status changes to the Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrigenda are provided as Suppl. material

Notulae to the Italian alien vascular flora: 14

In this contribution, new data concerning the distribution of vascular flora alien to Italy are presented. It includes new records, confirmations, and status changes for Italy or for Italian administrative regions. Nomenclatural and distribution updates, published elsewhere, and corrections are provided as Suppl. material 1