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Hansen SE, Monfils MJ, Hackett RA, Goebel RT, Monfils AK. Data-centric species distribution modeling: Impacts of modeler decisions in a case study of invasive European frog-bit. APPLICATIONS IN PLANT SCIENCES 2024; 12:e11573. [PMID: 38912123 PMCID: PMC11192162 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
Premise Species distribution models (SDMs) are widely utilized to guide conservation decisions. The complexity of available data and SDM methodologies necessitates considerations of how data are chosen and processed for modeling to enhance model accuracy and support biological interpretations and ecological applications. Methods We built SDMs for the invasive aquatic plant European frog-bit using aggregated and field data that span multiple scales, data sources, and data types. We tested how model results were affected by five modeler decision points: the exclusion of (1) missing and (2) correlated data and the (3) scale (large-scale aggregated data or systematic field data), (4) source (specimens or observations), and (5) type (presence-background or presence-absence) of occurrence data. Results Decisions about the exclusion of missing and correlated data, as well as the scale and type of occurrence data, significantly affected metrics of model performance. The source and type of occurrence data led to differences in the importance of specific explanatory variables as drivers of species distribution and predicted probability of suitable habitat. Discussion Our findings relative to European frog-bit illustrate how specific data selection and processing decisions can influence the outcomes and interpretation of SDMs. Data-centric protocols that incorporate data exploration into model building can help ensure models are reproducible and can be accurately interpreted in light of biological questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara E. Hansen
- Central Michigan University2401 Biosciences BuildingMount Pleasant48858MichiganUSA
| | - Michael J. Monfils
- Michigan Natural Features InventoryMichigan State University1st Floor Constitution Hall, 525 W. Allegan St.Lansing48933MichiganUSA
| | - Rachel A. Hackett
- Michigan Natural Features InventoryMichigan State University1st Floor Constitution Hall, 525 W. Allegan St.Lansing48933MichiganUSA
| | - Ryan T. Goebel
- Central Michigan University2401 Biosciences BuildingMount Pleasant48858MichiganUSA
| | - Anna K. Monfils
- Central Michigan University2401 Biosciences BuildingMount Pleasant48858MichiganUSA
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Abstract
Integration of the world's natural history collections can provide a resource for decision-makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirk R Johnson
- National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ian F P Owens
- Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Wood CL, Vanhove MPM. Is the world wormier than it used to be? We'll never know without natural history collections. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:250-262. [PMID: 35959636 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many disease ecologists and conservation biologists believe that the world is wormier than it used to be-that is, that parasites are increasing in abundance through time. This argument is intuitively appealing. Ecologists typically see parasitic infections, through their association with disease, as a negative endpoint, and are accustomed to attributing negative outcomes to human interference in the environment, so it slots neatly into our worldview that habitat destruction, biodiversity loss and climate change should have the collateral consequence of causing outbreaks of parasites. But surprisingly, the hypothesis that parasites are increasing in abundance through time remains entirely untested for the vast majority of wildlife parasite species. Historical data on parasites are nearly impossible to find, which leaves no baseline against which to compare contemporary parasite burdens. If we want to know whether the world is wormier than it used to be, there is only one major research avenue that will lead to an answer: parasitological examination of specimens preserved in natural history collections. Recent advances demonstrate that, for many specimen types, it is possible to extract reliable data on parasite presence and abundance. There are millions of suitable specimens that exist in collections around the world. When paired with contemporaneous environmental data, these parasitological data could even point to potential drivers of change in parasite abundance, including climate, pollution or host density change. We explain how to use preserved specimens to address pressing questions in parasite ecology, give a few key examples of how collections-based parasite ecology can resolve these questions, identify some pitfalls and workarounds, and suggest promising areas for research. Natural history specimens are 'parasite time capsules' that give ecologists the opportunity to test whether infectious disease is on the rise and to identify what forces might be driving these changes over time. This approach will facilitate major advances in a new sub-discipline: the historical ecology of parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea L Wood
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Maarten P M Vanhove
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity & Toxicology, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
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Miller-Rushing AJ, Ellwood ER, Crimmins TM, Gallinat AS, Phillips M, Sandler RL, Primack RB. Conservation ethics in the time of the pandemic: Does increasing remote access advance social justice? BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2022; 276:109788. [PMID: 36408461 PMCID: PMC9643013 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2022.109788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is stimulating improvements in remote access and use of technology in conservation-related programs and research. In many cases, organizations have intended for remote engagement to benefit groups that have been marginalized in the sciences. But are they? It is important to consider how remote access affects social justice in conservation biology-i.e., the principle that all people should be equally respected and valued in conservation organizations, programs, projects, and practices. To support such consideration, we describe a typology of justice-oriented principles that can be used to examine social justice in a range of conservation activities. We apply this typology to three conservation areas: (1) remote access to US national park educational programs and data; (2) digitization of natural history specimens and their use in conservation research; and (3) remote engagement in conservation-oriented citizen science. We then address the questions: Which justice-oriented principles are salient in which conservation contexts or activities? How can those principles be best realized in those contexts or activities? In each of the three areas we examined, remote access increased participation, but access and benefits were not equally distributed and unanticipated consequences have not been adequately addressed. We identify steps that can and are being taken to advance social justice in conservation, such as assessing programs to determine if they are achieving their stated social justice-oriented aims and revising initiatives as needed. The framework that we present could be used to assess the social justice dimensions of many conservation programs, institutions, practices, and policies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth R Ellwood
- iDigBio, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Theresa M Crimmins
- USA National Phenology Network, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Amanda S Gallinat
- Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Molly Phillips
- iDigBio, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ronald L Sandler
- Department of Philosophy and Religion, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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Donahue MZ. Collections after Retirement: Addressing the Uncertain Fate of a Lifetime's Work. Bioscience 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biac054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Canhos DAL, Almeida EAB, Assad AL, Cunha Bustamante MMD, Canhos VP, Chapman AD, Giovanni RD, Imperatriz-Fonseca VL, Lohmann LG, Maia LC, Miller JT, Nelson G, Peterson AT, Pirani JR, Souza SD, Stehmann JR, Thiers B. speciesLink: rich data and novel tools for digital assessments of biodiversity. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2022-1394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract speciesLink is a large-scale biodiversity information portal that exists thanks to a broad collaborative network of people and institutions. CRIA’s involvement with the scientific community of Brazil and other countries is responsible for the significant results achieved, currently reaching more than 15 million primary biodiversity data records, 95% of which are associated with preserved specimens and about 25% with high-quality digital images. The network provides data on over 200,000 species, of which over 110,000 occur in Brazil. This article describes thematic networks within speciesLink, as well as some of the most useful tools developed. The importance and contributions of speciesLink are outlined, as are concerns about securing stable budgetary support for such biodiversity data e-infrastructures. Here we review the value of speciesLink as a major source of biodiversity information for research, education, informed decision-making, policy development, and bioeconomy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Gil Nelson
- Integrated Digitized Biocollections, USA
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Systematics of the rare Amazonian genus Eutrachelophis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae), with an emended diagnosis for Eutrachelophis papilio. ZOOL ANZ 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Mandeville CP, Koch W, Nilsen EB, Finstad AG. Open Data Practices among Users of Primary Biodiversity Data. Bioscience 2021; 71:1128-1147. [PMID: 34733117 PMCID: PMC8560312 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Presence-only biodiversity data are increasingly relied on in biodiversity, ecology, and conservation research, driven by growing digital infrastructures that support open data sharing and reuse. Recent reviews of open biodiversity data have clearly documented the value of data sharing, but the extent to which the biodiversity research community has adopted open data practices remains unclear. We address this question by reviewing applications of presence-only primary biodiversity data, drawn from a variety of sources beyond open databases, in the indexed literature. We characterize how frequently researchers access open data relative to data from other sources, how often they share newly generated or collated data, and trends in metadata documentation and data citation. Our results indicate that biodiversity research commonly relies on presence-only data that are not openly available and neglects to make such data available. Improved data sharing and documentation will increase the value, reusability, and reproducibility of biodiversity research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin P Mandeville
- Department of Natural History, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Wouter Koch
- Department of Natural History, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Erlend B Nilsen
- Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Nord University, Steinkjer, Norway
| | - Anders G Finstad
- Department of Natural History, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
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Monfils AK, Krimmel ER, Linton DL, Marsico TD, Morris AB, Ruhfel BR. Collections Education: The Extended Specimen and Data Acumen. Bioscience 2021; 72:177-188. [PMID: 35145351 PMCID: PMC8824687 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity scientists must be fluent across disciplines; they must possess the quantitative, computational, and data skills necessary for working with large, complex data sets, and they must have foundational skills and content knowledge from ecology, evolution, taxonomy, and systematics. To effectively train the emerging workforce, we must teach science as we conduct science and embrace emerging concepts of data acumen alongside the knowledge, tools, and techniques foundational to organismal biology. We present an open education resource that updates the traditional plant collection exercise to incorporate best practices in twenty-first century collecting and to contextualize the activities that build data acumen. Students exposed to this resource gained skills and content knowledge in plant taxonomy and systematics, as well as a nuanced understanding of collections-based data resources. We discuss the importance of the extended specimen in fostering scientific discovery and reinforcing foundational concepts in biodiversity science, taxonomy, and systematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K Monfils
- Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States
| | - Erica R Krimmel
- Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States
| | - Debra L Linton
- Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States
| | | | - Ashley B Morris
- Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina, United States
| | - Brad R Ruhfel
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
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Ceríaco LM, Parrinha D, Marques MP. Saving collections: taxonomic revision of the herpetological collection of the Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon (Portugal) with a protocol to rescue abandoned collections. Zookeys 2021; 1052:85-156. [PMID: 34393554 PMCID: PMC8346433 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1052.64607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The herpetological collections of the Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon, are amongst the most important collections from the former Portuguese territories in Africa and Asia. The collection comprises more than 5000 preserved specimens, including type specimens of nine taxa, Trachylepis adamastor, Trachypelis thomensis, Panaspis thomensis, Naja peroescobari, Dalophia angolensis, Hemidactylus nzingae, Boaedon fradei, Platysaurus maculatus maculatus, and Platysaurus maculatus lineicauda. The collection was abandoned in the early years of 2000s and was at risk of being lost. In this paper the entire collection is reviewed, a catalogue provided of the extant specimens, and a brief account of the history of herpetological research at IICT given. Details are also provided on the recovery of the collection and a protocol to rescue abandoned collections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M.P. Ceríaco
- Museu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto, Praça Gomes Teixeira 4099-002 Porto, PortugalUniversidade de LisboaLisboaPortugal
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, PortugalMuseu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Diogo Parrinha
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, PortugalMuseu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Mariana P. Marques
- Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia (Museu Bocage), Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua da Escola Politécnica, 58, 1269-102 Lisboa, PortugalMuseu de História Natural e da Ciência da Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas 7, Vairão, 4485-661 Porto, PortugalUniversidade do PortoPortoPortugal
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Brito J, Tinoco N, Curay J, Pardiñas UFJ. New morphological data on the rare sigmodontine Mindomys hammondi (Rodentia, Cricetidae), an arboreal oryzomyine from north-western Andean montane forests. NEOTROPICAL BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION 2021. [DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.16.e65875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The monotypic rodent Mindomys Weksler, Percequillo & Voss, 2006 (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) is one of the rarest members of the speciose tribe Oryzomyini. As this species is restricted to the Chocó forests of the western Andean slope in northern Ecuador, our knowledge is based on a few specimens collected decades ago. Here we add the first data on some aspects of external anatomy (cheiridia examined in fresh, ears, rhinarium), genital anatomy (penis), soft anatomy (palate, stomach, caecum) and postcranial skeleton retrieved from a full adult male, recently trapped in Reserva Drácula, Carchi, Ecuador. Several features of this specimen, paradoxically the first to be added to Ecuadorian mammal collections, reinforce the view that Mindomys is an arboreal sigmodontine.
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Méndez M, Cortés-Fossati F. Relative Contribution of Citizen Science, Museum Data and Publications in Delineating the Distribution of the Stag Beetle in Spain. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12030202. [PMID: 33673533 PMCID: PMC7997236 DOI: 10.3390/insects12030202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Conservation of insects requires a reliable knowledge of their distribution. Such knowledge is hard to obtain in many cases, due to lack of human power and funding for extensive surveys. Three ways out of this problem have been suggested: (1) data already available in museum collections, (2) data already available in the entomological literature and (3) use of citizen science projects as a cheap, efficient way to survey extensive territories. We assessed the contribution of each of these sources of information in delineating the Spanish distribution of the European stag beetle. Although citizen science quickly contributed more grid cells than the other sources, some grid cells were uniquely contributed by museum and publication data. Thus, the three sources of information need to be combined when targeting endangered species in a broad, heterogenous, sparsely populated territory such as Spain. Abstract Reliable distribution maps are in the basis of insect conservation, but detailed chorological information is lacking for many insects of conservation concern (the Wallacean shortfall). Museum collections, entomological publications and citizen science projects can contribute to solve this Wallacean shortfall. Their relative contribution to the knowledge on the distribution of threatened insects has been scarcely explored, but it is important given that each of these three sources of information has its own biases and costs. Here we explore the contribution of museum data, entomological publications and citizen science in delineating the distribution of the European stag beetle in Spain. Citizen science contributed the highest number of records and grid cells occupied, as well as the highest number of grid cells not contributed by any other information source (unique grid cells). Nevertheless, both museum data and publications contributed almost 25% of all unique grid cells. Furthermore, the relative contribution of each source of information differed in importance among Spanish provinces. Given the pros and cons of museum data, publications and citizen science, we advise their combined use in cases, such as the European stag beetle in Spain, in which a broad, heterogeneous, sparsely populated territory has to be prospected.
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Marsico TD, Krimmel ER, Carter JR, Gillespie EL, Lowe PD, McCauley R, Morris AB, Nelson G, Smith M, Soteropoulos DL, Monfils AK. Small herbaria contribute unique biogeographic records to county, locality, and temporal scales. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2020; 107:1577-1587. [PMID: 33217783 PMCID: PMC7756855 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE With digitization and data sharing initiatives underway over the last 15 years, an important need has been prioritizing specimens to digitize. Because duplicate specimens are shared among herbaria in exchange and gift programs, we investigated the extent to which unique biogeographic data are held in small herbaria vs. these data being redundant with those held by larger institutions. We evaluated the unique specimen contributions that small herbaria make to biogeographic understanding at county, locality, and temporal scales. METHODS We sampled herbarium specimens of 40 plant taxa from each of eight states of the United States of America in four broad status categories: extremely rare, very rare, common native, and introduced. We gathered geographic information from specimens held by large (≥100,000 specimens) and small (<100,000 specimens) herbaria. We built generalized linear mixed models to assess which features of the collections may best predict unique contributions of herbaria and used an Akaike information criterion-based information-theoretic approach for our model selection to choose the best model for each scale. RESULTS Small herbaria contributed unique specimens at all scales in proportion with their contribution of specimens to our data set. The best models for all scales were the full models that included the factors of species status and herbarium size when accounting for state as a random variable. CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that small herbaria contribute unique information for research. It is clear that unique contributions cannot be predicted based on herbarium size alone. We must prioritize digitization and data sharing from herbaria of all sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis D. Marsico
- Department of Biological SciencesArkansas State UniversityState UniversityPO Box 599AR72467USA
| | - Erica R. Krimmel
- Sagehen Creek Field StationUniversity of California Berkeley11616 Sagehen RoadTruckeeCA96160USA
- Present address:
iDigBioFlorida State University142 Collegiate LoopTallahasseeFL32306USA
| | - J. Richard Carter
- Department of BiologyValdosta State University1500 North Patterson StreetValdostaGA31698USA
| | - Emily L. Gillespie
- Department of Biological SciencesMarshall UniversityOne John Marshall DriveHuntingtonWV25755USA
- Present address:
Department of Biological SciencesButler University4600 Sunset AvenueIndianapolisIN46208USA
| | - Phillip D. Lowe
- Department of BiologyValdosta State University1500 North Patterson StreetValdostaGA31698USA
| | - Ross McCauley
- Department of BiologyFort Lewis College1000 Rim DriveDurangoCO81301USA
| | - Ashley B. Morris
- Department of BiologyMiddle Tennessee State UniversityBox 60MurfreesboroTN37132USA
- Present address:
Department of BiologyFurman University3300 Poinsett HighwayGreenvilleSC29613USA
| | - Gil Nelson
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State University142 Collegiate LoopTallahasseeFL32306USA
- Present address:
iDigBioFlorida Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of Florida1659 Museum RoadGainesvilleFL32611USA
| | - Michelle Smith
- Department of Biological ScienceFlorida State University142 Collegiate LoopTallahasseeFL32306USA
- Present address:
The Institute for Regional Conservation100 E. Linton Blvd, Suite 302BDelray BeachFL33483USA
| | - Diana L. Soteropoulos
- Department of Biological SciencesArkansas State UniversityState UniversityPO Box 599AR72467USA
- Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission1100 North StreetLittle RockAR72201USA
| | - Anna K. Monfils
- Department of BiologyCentral Michigan University2401 BiosciencesMount PleasantMI48859USA
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