Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network.

BFG (2021)

TAXON

INT ASSOC PLANT TAXONOMY

Lugar: Viena; Año: 2022 vol. 71 p. 178 - 198

0040-0262

The shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxaand the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significanttaxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. Thetaxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlightingthe urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countriesworldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for PlantConservation (GSPC) which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world?s known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora brasiliensis concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of plants, algae, and fungi occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomicimpediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together togather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil.Overall, a team of 984 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project thatused cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of theBrazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the plants, algae,and fungi found in one of the world´s most biodiverse countries. We further identifycollection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results showthat Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the AtlanticRainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups exceptgymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledgeof Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and theCerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In timesof ?scientific reductionism,? with botanical and mycological sciences sufferingpervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, plants, and fungi from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely availableonline, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management,conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian flora.