BioSciencePub Date : 2025-08-23eCollection Date: 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf132
Juli G Pausas, Jon E Keeley, William J Bond
{"title":"The role of fire on Earth.","authors":"Juli G Pausas, Jon E Keeley, William J Bond","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf132","DOIUrl":"10.1093/biosci/biaf132","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fire is a defining feature of our biosphere, having appeared when the first plants colonized the land, and it continues to occur across the planet at different frequencies and intensities. Fire has been and remains as an evolutionary force in many plant and animal lineages and contributes to explaining the variability of our biodiversity. Fire has also shaped the structure of many ecosystems and the distribution of biomes, and it is an important contributor to the global biogeochemical cycles. In addition, fire has been a key factor in human evolution, and, in turn, humans have modified fire regimes with important consequences for the biosphere. Consequently, fire is an intrinsic factor on our planet. Our challenge now is to understand and predict the role of fire in a densely populated, highly technological world that imposes significant changes on the Earth.</p>","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"75 12","pages":"1028-1041"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12683530/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145713184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioSciencePub Date : 2025-08-21eCollection Date: 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf117
Mary Hagedorn, Nikolas Zuchowicz, E Michael Henley, Claire Lager, Riley Perry, Harvey Blackburn, Jessica Bouwmeester, Olivier Brunel, Claire Carter, Kathryn M Rodriguez-Clark, Pierre Comizzoli, Beth Firchau, Dean Miller, Jennifer Moore, Erinn M Muller, Keri O'Neil, Andrea M Quattrini, Didier Zoccola, Anastazia T Banaszak, Kristen L Marhaver, Rebecca Hobbs, Justine K O'Brien, Jonathan Daly
{"title":"Conservation of coral genetic diversity through a global biorepository network.","authors":"Mary Hagedorn, Nikolas Zuchowicz, E Michael Henley, Claire Lager, Riley Perry, Harvey Blackburn, Jessica Bouwmeester, Olivier Brunel, Claire Carter, Kathryn M Rodriguez-Clark, Pierre Comizzoli, Beth Firchau, Dean Miller, Jennifer Moore, Erinn M Muller, Keri O'Neil, Andrea M Quattrini, Didier Zoccola, Anastazia T Banaszak, Kristen L Marhaver, Rebecca Hobbs, Justine K O'Brien, Jonathan Daly","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf117","DOIUrl":"10.1093/biosci/biaf117","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>If greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, 95% of the world's shallow water reef-building corals could die within decades. Reducing global carbon emissions is critical, but progress is slow, with relief likely arriving too late. Active conservation intervention is needed now to safeguard reefs. To this end, we have created a global partnership establishing and expanding a coral biorepository alliance to maintain diverse collections of corals in biosecure facilities using three main approaches: frozen nonliving tissue samples, live coral colonies in aquaculture, and frozen and alive cryopreserved samples. This alliance aims to integrate and standardize sample types and biorepository management processes through global collaboration, securing essential bio- and genetic diversity and creating a hedge against the extinction of species and populations in the wild. In addition, this network will serve to actively support long-term coral adaptation, resilience, and restoration through the production of new coral genotypes from live and cryopreserved samples.</p>","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"75 11","pages":"966-974"},"PeriodicalIF":9.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12650515/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145628991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioSciencePub Date : 2025-07-31eCollection Date: 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf102
Nathaniel J Dominy, Luke D Fannin, Erin R Vogel, Martha M Robbins, Catherine Hobaiter
{"title":"Fermented fruits: scrumping, sharing, and the origin of feasting.","authors":"Nathaniel J Dominy, Luke D Fannin, Erin R Vogel, Martha M Robbins, Catherine Hobaiter","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf102","DOIUrl":"10.1093/biosci/biaf102","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mounting evidence points to the importance of fermented fruits in the diets of tropical frugivores, especially African apes. But how has this fundamental aspect of ape ecology escaped scientific attention over the past six decades? Here we draw inspiration from the Middle Ages to fill an essential void in scientific discourse.</p>","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"75 9","pages":"774-778"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12412291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioSciencePub Date : 2025-07-30eCollection Date: 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf090
Andrew Salisbury, Stephanie Bird, Helen Bostock, Carol Barrie, Saskia Harris, Rosalyn Marshall, Richard Sanford, Mark Tuson, Nick Tew
{"title":"Choosing to be picky: an evidence-based system for selecting pollinator-friendly garden plants to support biodiversity.","authors":"Andrew Salisbury, Stephanie Bird, Helen Bostock, Carol Barrie, Saskia Harris, Rosalyn Marshall, Richard Sanford, Mark Tuson, Nick Tew","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pollinator declines are a global concern, and garden plants can help mitigate declines in biodiversity. The availability, functionality, variety, and desirability of plants in cultivation have resulted in many lists of pollinator-friendly garden plants, but these often lack clear evidence, being based largely on author expertise. By reviewing the Royal Horticultural Society's <i>Plants for Pollinators</i> garden plants list, we evaluated 354 plant taxa using a decision tree and a working group. Over 90% of taxa have good evidence of being beneficial to pollinators, whereas 4% were excluded, and 5% required further investigation. This methodology provides a practical approach to creating, reviewing, and refining plant lists for pollinators, ensuring they are based on robust empirical data. This process has the potential to be adapted and applied globally to enhance pollinator-friendly planting schemes. We present a structured evidence-based methodology of assessing evidence for cultivated plants for pollinators.</p>","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"75 11","pages":"926-936"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12650512/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145629077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioSciencePub Date : 2025-07-29eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf124
Alice C Hughes, Stefano Cannicci, Bayden Russell, Gray A Williams, Benoit Guénard
{"title":"Toward a more effective funding model for conservation.","authors":"Alice C Hughes, Stefano Cannicci, Bayden Russell, Gray A Williams, Benoit Guénard","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf124","DOIUrl":"10.1093/biosci/biaf124","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"76 1","pages":"10-12"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12771516/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145916846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioSciencePub Date : 2025-07-28eCollection Date: 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf104
Brittany M Mason, Thomas Mesaglio, Jackson Barratt Heitmann, Mark Chandler, Shawan Chowdhury, Simon B Z Gorta, Florencia Grattarola, Quentin Groom, Colleen Hitchcock, Levi Hoskins, Samantha K Lowe, Marina Marquis, Nadja Pernat, Vaughn Shirey, Shukherdorj Baasanmunkh, Corey T Callaghan
{"title":"iNaturalist accelerates biodiversity research.","authors":"Brittany M Mason, Thomas Mesaglio, Jackson Barratt Heitmann, Mark Chandler, Shawan Chowdhury, Simon B Z Gorta, Florencia Grattarola, Quentin Groom, Colleen Hitchcock, Levi Hoskins, Samantha K Lowe, Marina Marquis, Nadja Pernat, Vaughn Shirey, Shukherdorj Baasanmunkh, Corey T Callaghan","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf104","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf104","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Participatory citizen science is expanding, with iNaturalist emerging as one of the most widely used platforms globally. However, its application in research is often anecdotal. To evaluate the impact of how iNaturalist is contributing to biodiversity and conservation research, we conducted a systematic review of iNaturalist data use and compared our findings with Global Biodiversity Information Facility literature citing iNaturalist. We found that the use of iNaturalist data in peer-reviewed research has grown tenfold in the last 5 years, matching the growing increase in iNaturalist observations. Geographic and taxonomic representation in the literature generally aligns with data availability, with iNaturalist data derived from 128 countries and 638 taxonomic families being used in peer-reviewed literature. Currently, data from iNaturalist are primarily used for species distribution models and range dynamics. We highlight emerging trends in the use of iNaturalist data in the literature lending to its future potential across biodiversity sciences.</p>","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"75 11","pages":"953-965"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12650526/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145629053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioSciencePub Date : 2025-07-21eCollection Date: 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf081
Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Kelly Le Quesne, A Katharina Makower
{"title":"Where, when, and how FAIR do data from aquatic mesocosm experiments get published?","authors":"Heidrun Feuchtmayr, Kelly Le Quesne, A Katharina Makower","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf081","DOIUrl":"10.1093/biosci/biaf081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We analyzed 192 publications from two EU projects focused on aquatic mesocosm facilities for a) the number of data publications in a repository on its own and the number of data publications associated with a scientific paper, b) the time lag between mesocosm experiments and data or paper publication, and c) adherence of scientific papers to FAIR principles of data publication. More data sets were published alongside scientific papers (103) than in a data repository alone (17). The time lag between experimental end to paper publication (34.9 months) was not significantly different from the time lag between experimental end to data publication (36.7 months). Regarding FAIR principles, 32.6% of papers achieved the highest scores (7 or 8), emphasizing a high data transparency relative to other disciplines. To improve data publications, we recommend increased support (especially for interoperability) for and recognition of researchers, as well as increased efforts by journals, repositories, and funders.</p>","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"75 10","pages":"820-830"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12539342/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145343080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioSciencePub Date : 2025-07-17eCollection Date: 2025-08-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf042
Robert Turnbull, Emily Fitzgerald, Karen M Thompson, Joanne L Birch
{"title":"Hespi: a pipeline for automatically detecting information from herbarium specimen sheets.","authors":"Robert Turnbull, Emily Fitzgerald, Karen M Thompson, Joanne L Birch","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf042","DOIUrl":"10.1093/biosci/biaf042","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Specimen-associated biodiversity data are crucial for biological, environmental, and conservation sciences. A rate shift is needed to extract data from specimen images efficiently, moving beyond human-mediated transcription. We developed Hespi (for <i>herbarium specimen sheet pipeline</i>) using advanced computer vision techniques to extract authoritative data applicable for a range of research purposes from primary specimen labels on herbarium specimens. Hespi integrates two object detection models: one for detecting the components of the sheet and another for fields on the primary specimen label. It classifies labels as printed, typed, handwritten, or mixed and uses optical character recognition and handwritten text recognition for extraction. The text is then corrected against authoritative taxon databases and refined using a multimodal large language model. Hespi accurately detects and extracts text from specimen sheets across international herbaria, and its modular design allows users to train and integrate custom models.</p>","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"75 8","pages":"637-648"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12352312/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144871364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioSciencePub Date : 2025-07-16eCollection Date: 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf116
Jeremy T Bruskotter, L Mark Elbroch, John A Vucetich
{"title":"Government agencies in the United States are obstructing native species restoration, creating regulatory pits for wildlife.","authors":"Jeremy T Bruskotter, L Mark Elbroch, John A Vucetich","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf116","DOIUrl":"10.1093/biosci/biaf116","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"76 1","pages":"7-9"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12771513/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145916655","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
BioSciencePub Date : 2025-07-14eCollection Date: 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf097
Laura Toro, Leland K Werden, Shalom D Addo-Danso, Kelly M Andersen, Sarah Batterman, Matilde M Bragadini, Pooja Choksi, Rebecca J Cole, Liza S Comita, Daniela Cusack, Daisy H Dent, Lee H Dietterich, Joshua B Fisher, Katrin Fleischer, Lucia Fuchslueger, Nohemi Huanca-Nunez, Janey R Lienau, Lindsay A McCulloch, Ember M Morrissey, Jennifer S Powers, Mareli Sánchez-Juliá, Oscar Valverde-Barrantes, Anita Weissflog, Michelle Y Wong
{"title":"Integrating belowground recovery into tropical forest restoration design and monitoring.","authors":"Laura Toro, Leland K Werden, Shalom D Addo-Danso, Kelly M Andersen, Sarah Batterman, Matilde M Bragadini, Pooja Choksi, Rebecca J Cole, Liza S Comita, Daniela Cusack, Daisy H Dent, Lee H Dietterich, Joshua B Fisher, Katrin Fleischer, Lucia Fuchslueger, Nohemi Huanca-Nunez, Janey R Lienau, Lindsay A McCulloch, Ember M Morrissey, Jennifer S Powers, Mareli Sánchez-Juliá, Oscar Valverde-Barrantes, Anita Weissflog, Michelle Y Wong","doi":"10.1093/biosci/biaf097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biaf097","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There is growing recognition that tropical forest restoration is key for sequestering carbon and enhancing ecosystem resilience. Soils, roots, and soil biota are central to ecosystem function and services, but belowground recovery is largely overlooked in restoration monitoring frameworks. Here, we outline current understanding of the links between above- and belowground recovery in tropical forests by examining how belowground properties before and after intervention influence recovery; by evaluating whether aboveground recovery can serve as a proxy for belowground dynamics; and by proposing a blueprint for monitoring dynamic soil physical (bulk density, aggregate stability), chemical (organic matter or carbon, pH), and biological properties (decomposition rate, macrofauna abundance) in resource-constrained projects. Although we highlight some aboveground proxies for assessing belowground recovery, a better understanding of relationships between above- and belowground indicators across diverse restoration interventions remains essential. Overall, we provide an actionable path toward integrating belowground recovery into restoration design and assessment.</p>","PeriodicalId":9003,"journal":{"name":"BioScience","volume":"75 11","pages":"937-952"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12650528/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145629004","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}