Plants under pressure: the impact of environmental change on plant ecology and evolution

Plants have demonstrated tremendous resilience through past mass extinction events. However, anthropogenic pressures are rapidly threatening plant survival. To develop our understanding of the impact of environmental change on plant ecology and evolution and help solve the current biodiversity crisis, BMC Ecology and Evolution has launched a new article Collection titled "Plants under Pressure".

Evolution of Dispersal, Habit, and Pollination in Africa Pushed Apocynaceae Diversification After the Eocene-Oligocene Climate Transition

Apocynaceae (the dogbane and milkweed family) is one of the ten largest flowering plant families, with approximately 5,350 species and diverse morphology and ecology, ranging from large trees and lianas that are emblematic of tropical rainforests, to herbs in temperate grasslands, to succulents in dry, open landscapes, and to vines in a wide variety of habitats. Despite a specialized and conservative basic floral architecture, Apocynaceae are hyperdiverse in flower size, corolla shape, and especially derived floral morphological features. These are mainly associated with the development of corolline and/or staminal coronas and a spectrum of integration of floral structures culminating with the formation of a gynostegium and pollinaria—specialized pollen dispersal units. To date, no detailed analysis has been conducted to estimate the origin and diversification of this lineage in space and time. Here, we use the most comprehensive time-calibrated phylogeny of Apocynaceae, which includes approximately 20% of the species covering all major lineages, and information on species number and distributions obtained from the most up-to-date monograph of the family to investigate the biogeographical history of the lineage and its diversification dynamics. South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia (potentially including Oceania), were recovered as the most likely ancestral area of extant Apocynaceae diversity; this tropical climatic belt in the equatorial region retained the oldest extant lineages and these three tropical regions likely represent museums of the family. Africa was confirmed as the cradle of pollinia-bearing lineages and the main source of Apocynaceae intercontinental dispersals. We detected 12 shifts toward accelerated species diversification, of which 11 were in the APSA clade (apocynoids, Periplocoideae, Secamonoideae, and Asclepiadoideae), eight of these in the pollinia-bearing lineages and six within Asclepiadoideae. Wind-dispersed comose seeds, climbing growth form, and pollinia appeared sequentially within the APSA clade and probably work synergistically in the occupation of drier and cooler habitats. Overall, we hypothesize that temporal patterns in diversification of Apocynaceae was mainly shaped by a sequence of morphological innovations that conferred higher capacity to disperse and establish in seasonal, unstable, and open habitats, which have expanded since the Eocene-Oligocene climate transition.

A list of land plants of Parque Nacional do Caparaó, Brazil, highlights the presence of sampling gaps within this protected area

Background

Brazilian protected areas are essential for plant conservation in the Atlantic Forest domain, one of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots. A major challenge for improving conservation actions is to know the plant richness, protected by these areas. Online databases offer an accessible way to build plant species lists and to provide relevant information about biodiversity. A list of land plants of “Parque Nacional do Caparaó” (PNC) was previously built using online databases and published on the website "Catálogo de Plantas das Unidades de Conservação do Brasil." Here, we provide and discuss additional information about plant species richness, endemism and conservation in the PNC that could not be included in the List. We documented 1,791 species of land plants as occurring in PNC, of which 63 are cited as threatened (CR, EN or VU) by the Brazilian National Red List, seven as data deficient (DD) and five as priorities for conservation. Fifity-one species were possible new ocurrences for ES and MG states.

New information

"Parque Nacional do Caparaó" houses 8% of the land plant species endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, including 6% of its angiosperms, 31% of its lycophytes and ferns and 14% of its avascular plants. Twelve percent of the threatened species listed for the State of Espírito Santo and 7% listed for the State of Minas Gerais are also protected by PNC. Surprisingly, 79% of the collections analysed here were carried out in Minas Gerais, which represents just 21% of the total extension of the Park. The compiled data uncover a huge botanical collection gap in this federally-protected area.

Ruehssia quirinopolensis (Apocynaceae), a new species from the Cerrado Domain, Brazil

Abstract A new species of Apocynaceae, Ruehssia quirinopolensis, endemic to Serra da Confusão do Rio Preto and Serra da Igrejinha, Quirinópolis, state of Goiás, Brazil, is described and illustrated. It resembles R. rupestris, differing by the white corolla, adaxially villose and with a longer tube, and by its corona lobes with the upper portion lanceolate. Besides a distribution map for the new species, we provide a key to identify the nine species of Ruehssia that occur in Goiás. Ruehssia quirinopolensis is assessed here as Critically Endangered (CR).

An escape-to-radiate model for explaining the high plant diversity and endemism in campos rupestres†

With extraordinary levels of plant diversity and endemism, the Brazilian campos rupestres across the Espinhaço Range have a species/area ratio 40 times higher than the lowland Amazon. Although diversification drivers in campos rupestres remain a matter of debate, the Pleistocene refugium hypothesis (PRH) is often adopted as the most plausible explanation for their high diversity. The PRH has two main postulates: highland interglacial refugia and a species pump mechanism catalysed by climatic changes. We critically assessed studies on campos rupestres diversification at different evolutionary levels and conclude that most of them are affected by sampling biases, unrealistic assumptions or inaccurate results that do not support the PRH. By modelling the palaeo-range of campos rupestres based on the distribution of 1123 species of vascular plants endemic to the Espinhaço Range and using climate and edaphic variables, we projected a virtually constant suitable area for campos rupestres across the last glacial cycle. We challenge the great importance placed on Pleistocene climatic oscillations in campos rupestres plant diversification and offer an alternative explanation named escape-to-radiate model, which emphasizes niche shifts. Under this biogeographic model of diversification, the long-term fragmentation of campos rupestres combined with recurrent extinctions after genetic drift and sporadic events of adaptive radiation may provide an explanation for the current diversity and endemism in the Espinhaço Range. We conclude that long-term diversification dynamics in campos rupestres are mainly driven by selection, while most endemic diversity is ephemeral, extremely fragile and mainly driven by drift.

El género Ruehssia (Apocynaceae) en la Argentina: filogenia, nuevas combinaciones y nuevos registros

Ruehssia was recently reestablished to classify all American species of the tribe Marsdenieae. Here, we provide a revision of the genus in Argentina, with an identification key, comments, a distribution map, and images of all species. The phylogenetic position of all species has been assessed using chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequences. We recognize six species. Besides R. altissima and R. macrophylla, we include two new records, R. hilariana and R. brasiliensis, and propose two new combinations in the genus, R. castillonii (Lillo ex T. Mey.) H.A. Keller & Liede and R. tressensiae (S.A. Cáceres & Morillo) H.A. Keller & Liede. Ruehssia montana and R. ulei, previously reported to Argentina, do not occur in the country.

Using online databases to produce comprehensive accounts of the vascular plants from the Brazilian protected areas: The Parque Nacional do Itatiaia as a case study

Background

Brazil is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with about 37,000 species of land plants. Part of this biodiversity is within protected areas. The development of online databases in the last years greatly improved the available biodiversity data. However, the existing databases do not provide information about the protected areas in which individual plant species occur. The lack of such information is a crucial gap for conservation actions. This study aimed to show how the information captured from online databases, cleaned by a protocol and verified by taxonomists allowed us to obtain a comprehensive list of the vascular plant species from the "Parque Nacional do Itatiaia", the first national park founded in Brazil. All existing records in the online database JABOT (15,100 vouchers) were downloaded, resulting in 11,783 vouchers identified at the species level. Overall, we documented 2,316 species belonging to 176 families and 837 genera of vascular plants in the "Parque Nacional do Itatiaia". Considering the whole vascular flora, 2,238 species are native and 78 are non-native.

New information

The "Parque Nacional do Itatiaia" houses 13% of the angiosperm and 37% of the fern species known from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Amongst these species, 82 have been cited as threatened, following IUCN categories (CR, EN or VU), seven are data deficient (DD) and 15 have been classified as a conservation priority, because they are only known from a single specimen collected before 1969.

Extinction risk of narrowly distributed species of seed plants in Brazil due to habitat loss and climate change

In a world where changes in land cover and climate happen faster than ever due to the expansion of human activities, narrowly distributed species are predicted to be the first to go extinct. Studies projecting species extinction in tropical regions consider either habitat loss or climate change as drivers of biodiversity loss but rarely evaluate them together. Here, the contribution of these two factors to the extinction risk of narrowly distributed species (with ranges smaller than 10,000 km²) of seed plants endemic to a fifth-order watershed in Brazil (microendemics) is assessed. We estimated the Regional Climate Change Index (RCCI) of these watersheds (areas with microendemics) and projected three scenarios of land use up to the year 2100 based on the average annual rates of habitat loss in these watersheds from 2000 to 2014. These scenarios correspond to immediate conservation action (scenario 1), long-term conservation action (scenario 2), and no conservation action (scenario 3). In each scenario, areas with microendemics were classified into four classes: (1) areas with low risk, (2) areas threatened by habitat loss, (3) areas threatened by climate change, and (4) areas threatened by climate change and habitat loss. We found 2,354 microendemic species of seed plants in 776 areas that altogether cover 17.5% of Brazil. Almost 70% (1,597) of these species are projected to be under high extinction risk by the end of the century due to habitat loss, climate change, or both, assuming that these areas will not lose habitat in the future due to land use. However, if habitat loss in these areas continues at the prevailing annual rates, the number of threatened species is projected to increase to more than 85% (2,054). The importance of climate change and habitat loss as drivers of species extinction varies across phytogeographic domains, and this variation requires the adoption of retrospective and prospective conservation strategies that are context specific. We suggest that tropical countries, such as Brazil, should integrate biodiversity conservation and climate change policies (both mitigation and adaptation) to achieve win-win social and environmental gains while halting species extinction.

A brainstorm on the systematics of Turnera (Turneraceae, Malpighiales) caused by insights from molecular phylogenetics and morphological evolution

With 145 species, Turnera is the largest genus of Turneraceae (Malpighiales). Despite several morphotaxonomic and cytogenetic studies, our knowledge about the phylogenetic relationships in Turnera remains mainly based on morphological data. Here, we reconstruct the most comprehensive phylogeny of Turnera with molecular data to understand the morphological evolution within this group and to assess its circumscription and infrageneric classification. We analyzed two nuclear and six plastid markers and 112 taxa, including species and infraspecific taxa, 97 from Turnera, covering the 11 series of the genus. Bayesian inference, maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses show that Turnera, as traditionally circumscribed, is not monophyletic. The genus is divided into two well-supported independent clades; one of them is sister to the genus Piriqueta and is here segregated as the new genus Oxossia. According to our reconstructions, Turnera probably evolved from an ancestor without extrafloral nectaries and with solitary, homostylous flowers with yellow petals. The emergences of extrafloral nectaries and distyly, both common in extant taxa, played an important role in the diversification of the genus. An updated infrageneric classification reflecting the relationships within Turnera is now possible based on morphological synapomorphies and is here designed for further studies.

The diversity and evolution of pollination systems in large plant clades: Apocynaceae as a case study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Large clades of angiosperms are often characterized by diverse interactions with pollinators, but how these pollination systems are structured phylogenetically and biogeographically is still uncertain for most families. Apocynaceae is a clade of >5300 species with a worldwide distribution. A database representing >10 % of species in the family was used to explore the diversity of pollinators and evolutionary shifts in pollination systems across major clades and regions.

METHODS

The database was compiled from published and unpublished reports. Plants were categorized into broad pollination systems and then subdivided to include bimodal systems. These were mapped against the five major divisions of the family, and against the smaller clades. Finally, pollination systems were mapped onto a phylogenetic reconstruction that included those species for which sequence data are available, and transition rates between pollination systems were calculated.

KEY RESULTS

Most Apocynaceae are insect pollinated with few records of bird pollination. Almost three-quarters of species are pollinated by a single higher taxon (e.g. flies or moths); 7 % have bimodal pollination systems, whilst the remaining approx. 20 % are insect generalists. The less phenotypically specialized flowers of the Rauvolfioids are pollinated by a more restricted set of pollinators than are more complex flowers within the Apocynoids + Periplocoideae + Secamonoideae + Asclepiadoideae (APSA) clade. Certain combinations of bimodal pollination systems are more common than others. Some pollination systems are missing from particular regions, whilst others are over-represented.

CONCLUSIONS

Within Apocynaceae, interactions with pollinators are highly structured both phylogenetically and biogeographically. Variation in transition rates between pollination systems suggest constraints on their evolution, whereas regional differences point to environmental effects such as filtering of certain pollinators from habitats. This is the most extensive analysis of its type so far attempted and gives important insights into the diversity and evolution of pollination systems in large clades.

Amazon plant diversity revealed by a taxonomically verified species list

Recent debates on the number of plant species in the vast lowland rain forests of the Amazon have been based largely on model estimates, neglecting published checklists based on verified voucher data. Here we collate taxonomically verified checklists to present a list of seed plant species from lowland Amazon rain forests. Our list comprises 14,003 species, of which 6,727 are trees. These figures are similar to estimates derived from nonparametric ecological models, but they contrast strongly with predictions of much higher tree diversity derived from parametric models. Based on the known proportion of tree species in neotropical lowland rain forest communities as measured in complete plot censuses, and on overall estimates of seed plant diversity in Brazil and in the neotropics in general, it is more likely that tree diversity in the Amazon is closer to the lower estimates derived from nonparametric models. Much remains unknown about Amazonian plant diversity, but this taxonomically verified dataset provides a valid starting point for macroecological and evolutionary studies aimed at understanding the origin, evolution, and ecology of the exceptional biodiversity of Amazonian forests.

The Tetramerium lineage (Acanthaceae: Justicieae) does not support the Pleistocene Arc hypothesis for South American seasonally dry forests

PREMISE OF THE STUDY

The Tetramerium lineage (Acanthaceae) presents a striking ecological structuring in South America, with groups concentrated in moist forests or in seasonally dry forests. In this study, we investigate the circumscription and relationships of the South American genera as a basis for better understanding historic interactions between dry and moist biomes in the Neotropics.

METHODS

We dated the ancestral distribution of the Tetramerium lineage based on one nuclear and four plastid DNA regions. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference analyses were performed for this study using 104 terminals. Phylogenetic divergences were dated using a relaxed molecular clock approach and ancestral distributions obtained from dispersal-vicariance analyses.

KEY RESULTS

The genera Pachystachys, Schaueria, and Thyrsacanthus are nonmonophyletic. A dry forest lineage dispersed from North America to South America and reached the southwestern part of the continent between the end of the Miocene and beginning of the Pleistocene. This period coincides with the segregation between Amazonian and Atlantic moist forests that established the geographic structure currently found in the group.

CONCLUSIONS

The South American genera Pachystachys, Schaueria, and Thyrsacanthus need to be recircumscribed. The congruence among biogeographical events found for the Tetramerium lineage suggests that the dry forest centers currently dispersed throughout South America are relatively old remnants, probably isolated since the Neogene, much earlier than the Last Glacial Maximum postulated by the Pleistocene Arc hypothesis. In addition to exploring the Pleistocene Arc hypothesis, this research also informs evolution in a lineage with numerous geographically restricted and threatened species.

Three new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from Bahia, Brazil

The taxonomic treatment of Begoniaceae for the state of Bahia, Brazil, led to the recognition of three new species of Begonia with narrow distributions, which are described and illustrated here: Begoniadelicata Gregório & J.A.S. Costa, sp. nov. is a herb restricted to the region of the Recôncavo; Begoniaelianeae Gregório & J.A.S. Costa, sp. nov. is a shrub endemic to the Atlantic forest of the southern part of the state; and Begoniapaganuccii Gregório & J.A.S. Costa, sp. nov. is a subshrub known only from the type material, collected in the Piedmont of Paraguaçu. Notes on morphology, comparisons with morphologically similar species, etymology, geographic distribution, habitat and phenological data for each species are also presented. Furthermore, keys are provided as an aid to separating the new species from congeneric species that occur in their surroundings. Due to the sparse knowledge of the new species, there is as yet insufficient data to accurately assess their conservation status.

Growing knowledge: an overview of Seed Plant diversity in Brazil

Abstract An updated inventory of Brazilian seed plants is presented and offers important insights into the country's biodiversity. This work started in 2010, with the publication of the Plants and Fungi Catalogue, and has been updated since by more than 430 specialists working online. Brazil is home to 32,086 native Angiosperms and 23 native Gymnosperms, showing an increase of 3% in its species richness in relation to 2010. The Amazon Rainforest is the richest Brazilian biome for Gymnosperms, while the Atlantic Rainforest is the richest one for Angiosperms. There was a considerable increment in the number of species and endemism rates for biomes, except for the Amazon that showed a decrease of 2.5% of recorded endemics. However, well over half of Brazillian seed plant species (57.4%) is endemic to this territory. The proportion of life-forms varies among different biomes: trees are more expressive in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest biomes while herbs predominate in the Pampa, and lianas are more expressive in the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforest, and Pantanal. This compilation serves not only to quantify Brazilian biodiversity, but also to highlight areas where there information is lacking and to provide a framework for the challenge faced in conserving Brazil's unique and diverse flora.

Floral structure of Emmotum (Icacinaceae sensu stricto or Emmotaceae), a phylogenetically isolated genus of lamiids with a unique pseudotrimerous gynoecium, bitegmic ovules and monosporangiate thecae

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Icacinaceae sensu stricto consist of a group of early branching lineages of lamiids whose relationships are not yet resolved and whose detailed floral morphology is poorly known. The most bizarre flowers occur in Emmotum: the gynoecium has three locules on one side and none on the other. It has been interpreted as consisting of three fertile and two sterile carpels or of one fertile carpel with two longitudinal septa and two sterile carpels. This study focused primarily on the outer and inner morphology of the gynoecium to resolve its disputed structure, and ovule structure was also studied. In addition, the perianth and androecium were investigated.

METHODS

Flowers and floral buds of two Emmotum species, E. harleyi and E. nitens, were collected and fixed in the field, and then studied by scanning electron microscopy. Microtome section series were used to reconstruct their morphology.

KEY RESULTS

The gynoecium in Emmotum was confirmed as pentamerous, consisting of three fertile and two sterile carpels. Each of the three locules behaves as the single locule in other Icacinaceae, with the placenta of the two ovules being identical, which shows that three fertile carpels are present. In addition, it was found that the ovules are bitegmic, which is almost unique in lamiids, and that the stamens have monosporangiate thecae, which also occurs in the closely related family Oncothecaceae, but is not known from any other Icacinaceae sensu lato so far.

CONCLUSIONS

The flowers of Emmotum have unique characters at different evolutionary levels: the pseudotrimerous gynoecium at angiosperm level, the bitegmic ovules at lamiid level and the monosporangiate thecae at family or family group level. However, in general, the floral morphology of Emmotum fits well in Icacinaceae. More comparative research on flower structure is necessary in Icacinaceae and other early branching lineages of lamiids to better understand the initial evolution of this large lineage of asterids.

Chave interativa para a identificação das espécies da Aliança Tabebuia (Bignoniaceae) no estado da Bahia, Brasil

Foi elaborada uma chave interativa para a identificação das 26 espécies da Aliança Tabebuia (Bignoniaceae) nativas do estado da Bahia, Brasil. A partir de uma página web, contendo caixas de seleção com caracteres botânicos, de marcação livre e não sequencial, vão se eliminando as espécies que não atendem aos critérios selecionados até a identificação completa do material. A chave está inserida em um site, contendo informações sobre Bignoniaceae, a Aliança Tabebuia e o estado da Bahia, bem como um glossário dos termos botânicos utilizados na chave e um banco de imagens. O sistema foi desenvolvido a partir das linguagens HTML e Javascript, é autoexecutável em CD-ROM e está disponível para download em: http://www.mendeley.com/profiles/alessandro-rapini/publications/ComputerProgram/. A utilização das chaves interativas facilita e dinamiza o processo de identificação dos táxons, contribuindo para a difusão do conhecimento biológico e elaboração de programas voltados ao reconhecimento e conservação da biota.

Taxonomy "under construction": advances in the systematics of Apocynaceae, with emphasis on the Brazilian Asclepiadoideae

The Apocynaceae comprise approximately 5,000 species and are widely distributed. The family belongs to the Gentianales and can be easily recognized by the presence of latex and a style-head derived from the fusion of two carpels at the apex of the styles. The largest subfamily in Apocynaceae is Asclepiadoideae. Treated as the Asclepiadaceae for almost two centuries, it comprises about 3,000 species and is defined by stamens with bisporangiate anthers and pollen transferred in specialized units called pollinaria. Since the 19th century, floristic studies and taxonomic monographs have significantly contributed to the taxonomy of Brazilian Asclepiadoideae. Nevertheless, advances in understanding the internal relationships in the subfamily were not done until this millennium, with the popularization of phylogenetic studies based on molecular data and powerful computer analyses. Advances in the systematics of Apocynaceae have provided new interpretations on the morphological evolution and biogeography of the family and have led to important changes in its classification. Nevertheless, several taxonomic rearrangements are still needed and it can be said that the taxonomy of Apocynaceae is "under construction". In this article, the major taxonomic changes in the family are reviewed, with special attention given to the systematics of Neotropical groups. A cladogram of the Apocynaceae is presented, which highlights the phylogenetic position of the Brazilian genera and their diversity in number of native species. The main studies and the diversity of Asclepiadoideae in Brazil are summarized and perspectives for future research on the subfamily are presented.

Rauvolfia anomala, uma nova espécie de Apocynaceae da Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brasil

Resumo Uma nova espécie de Apocynaceae, Rauvolfia anomala Rapini & I. Koch, é descrita e ilustrada. Ela foiencontrada em cerrado-anão, na Chapada dos Guimarães, estado do Mato Grosso, simpatricamente a R. weddelliana. Aparentemente, as duas espécies são proximamente relacionadas, mas podem ser facilmentedistinguidas pelas flores, cuja corola é esverdeada, com lobos mais longos que o tubo em R. anomala, enquanto em R. weddelliana ela é avermelhada, com lobos mais curtos que o tubo. A nova espécie apresentaum polimorfismo floral surpreendente e pode se tratar de um novo exemplo de dioicia no gênero. Esta é aprimeira espécie de Rauvolfia com distribuição restrita registrada para o Mato Grosso.

Oxypetalum laciniatum, uma espécie nova de Asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae) do sul da Bahia, Brasil

Resumo Uma nova espécie de Oxypetalum, O. laciniatum Rapini & Farinaccio, é descrita e ilustrada. Ela foi coletada apenas uma vez, em mata higrófila, no sul do estado da Bahia, e pertence ao complexo O. cordifolium (Vent.) Schltr. Diferencia-se prontamente das demais espécies desse grupo pelas flores com lacínias da corola mais longas (ca. 2,85 cm compr.), polínios mais curtos (até 0,3 mm compr., cerca de um terço do comprimento do retináculo) e apêndice do ginostégio com ápice levemente bifurcado em ramos subparalelos.

Notas taxonômicas em Justicieae (Acanthaceae) no estado da Bahia, Brasil

Resumo Poikilacanthus harleyi é sinonimizada em P. bahiensis e Dicliptera xipotensis é transferida para Justicia. A nova combinação J. xipotensis (Roem. & Schult.) A. Côrtes & Rapini é o nome correto para J. leucophloea; a lista de sinônimos homotípicos (nomenclaturais) dessa espécie é fornecida.

[First record of simuliidae (Diptera) with pollinaria of asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae) attached]

The presence of pollinaria of two species of Asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae), possibly Tassadia cf. martiana Decne. and T. cf. obovata Decne., attached to the mouth parts of simulid black flies [Cerqueirellum amazonicum (Goeldi), C. argentiscutum (Shelley & Luna Dias), C. oyapockense (Floch & Abonnenc), and Cerqueirellum sp.] are reported for the first time. The frequency and distribution of simulids recorded with pollinaria suggest that removal of pollinaria by these flies is not casual. Simulids probably use nectar in flowers of Asclepiadoideae as source of sugar, being able to remove their pollinaria. This finding demonstrates that simulids are not only vector of pathogenic parasites, but also carry pollinaria, and thus may represent a group of pollinators for species of Asclepiadoideae with small flowers.

Modernizando a taxonomia

A taxonomia é a disciplina responsável pela classificação dos organismos, permitindo o intercâmbio de informações entre as áreas da biologia. Entretanto, essa atividade tem perdido prestígio frente a outras disciplinas. Isso tem gerado iniciativas para tentar modernizar a taxonomia, tornando-a mais precisa e acessível ao público em geral. Algumas propostas implicam modificações de normas arraigadas à prática taxonômica há décadas, como o princípio de prioridade, a associação do tipo ao nome e a utilização de ranques taxonômicos. Se aceitas, essas mudanças influenciarão significativamente o desenvolvimento de estudos relacionados a biodiversidade. É necessário, portanto, que pesquisadores que trabalham em regiões com alta diversidade biológica como o Brasil estejam cientes e possam se posicionar com propriedade frente a essas propostas.