When the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence: Nasa (Loasaceae) rediscoveries from Peru and Ecuador, and the contribution of community science networks

By

Henning, Tilo
Acuña-Castillo, Rafael H
Cornejo, Xavier
Gonzáles, Paúl
Segovia, Edgar
Wong Sato, Akira Armando
Weigend, Maximilian, 1969-

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2023

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

229

Pages

1--19

Subjects

Andes , Conservation , iNaturalist , specimen , threatened species

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.229.100082

 

Abstract

Documentation of plant taxa has long been subject to the temporal and spatial selectivity of professional research expeditions, especially in tropical regions. Therefore, rare and/or narrowly endemic species are sometimes known only from very few and very old herbarium specimens. However, these taxa are very important from a conservation perspective. The lack of observations of living plants and confirmation of the actual occurrence of taxa hinders the planning and implementation of effective conservation measures. Community science networks have recently made tremendous contributions to documenting biodiversity in many regions across the globe. The rediscovery of six species of Nasa (Loasaceae) from Peru and Ecuador primarily via the platform iNaturalist, is reported.