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Scientists are becoming increasingly aware that disparities in opportunities for conducting and publishing research among scientists living under different socio-economic contexts have created pervasive biases and long-lasting impacts on our views of the natural world. These disparities are challenging the establishment of a global research agenda for a variety of disciplines, including seed ecology. Seed ecology has progressed enormously recently, but multiple barriers have hindered progress in the Global South where biodiversity and environmental complexity are highest. Here, we identify ten major challenges that seed ecologists from developing countries face in relation to planning, designing, conducting and publishing their research. We also propose several measures to overcome these challenges: (1) closing biodiversity knowledge shortfalls, (2) enhancing and creating long-term seed ecological networks, (3) supporting better infrastructure, (4) making fieldwork easier and safer, (5) unlocking funding opportunities, (6) promoting inclusive scientific meetings, (7) alleviating language barriers, (8) improving education, (9) shifting the notion of novelty and relevance and (10) supporting native seed markets. The authors recommend that the proposed solutions can be implemented by seed ecologists and the broader scientific community including funding agencies, research directors, journal editors and the academic publishing industry. Solutions can help mitigate multiple challenges simultaneously, thus offering a relatively inexpensive, fast and productive pathway for the development of seed ecology into a truly global research discipline that benefits scientists irrespective of their geographic location and background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientists who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or members of other marginalized sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+) face serious disparities compared to their non‐LGBTQ+ peers. Restoration science presents additional risks for LGBTQ+ researchers, including extensive time in the field—sometimes in locations that are hostile to LGBTQ+ people or create discomfort around gender expression and sexual orientation. At the same time, restoration science is uniquely positioned to create change: the same principles that shape ecosystem restoration also provide a blueprint for cultivating inclusion in science. We present 10 recommendations for LGBTQ+ inclusion based on four guiding restoration principles: (1) Context is key; (2) Healthy environments require support; (3) Success needs to be defined; and (4) A diverse future is worth striving for. We provide concrete actions that individuals and institutions can take and emphasize the positive outcomes that LGBTQ+ inclusion can generate for a healthier restoration community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancing functional ecology depends fundamentally on the availability of data on reproductive traits, including those from tropical plants, which have been historically underrepresented in global trait databases. Although some valuable databases have been created recently, they are mainly restricted to temperate areas and vegetative traits such as leaf and wood traits. Here, we present Rock n' Seeds, a database of seed functional traits and germination experiments from Brazilian rock outcrop vegetation, recognized as outstanding centers of diversity and endemism. Data were compiled through a systematic literature search, resulting in 103 publications from which seed functional traits were extracted. The database includes information on 16 functional traits for 383 taxa from 148 genera, 50 families, and 25 orders. These 16 traits include two dispersal, six production, four morphological, two biophysical, and two germination traits—the major axes of the seed ecological spectrum. The database also provides raw data for 48 germination experiments, for a total of 10,187 records for 281 taxa. Germination experiments in the database assessed the effect of a wide range of abiotic and biotic factors on germination and different dormancy‐breaking treatments. Notably, 8255 of these records include daily germination counts. This input will facilitate synthesizing germination data and using this database for a myriad of ecological questions. Given the variety of seed traits and the extensive germination information made available by this database, we expect it to be a valuable resource advancing comparative functional ecology and guiding seed‐based restoration and biodiversity conservation in tropical megadiverse ecosystems. There are no copyright restrictions on the data; please cite this paper when using the current data in publications; also the authors would appreciate notification of how the data are used in publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce the concept of Biome Awareness Disparity (BAD)—defined as a failure to appreciate the significance of all biomes in conservation and restoration policy—and quantify disparities in (a) attention and interest, (b) action and (c) knowledge among biomes in tropical restoration science, practice and policy.By analysing 50,000 tweets from all Partner Institutions of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, and 45,000 tweets from the main science and environmental news media world‐wide, we found strong disparities in attention and interest relative to biome extent and diversity. Tweets largely focused on forests, whereas open biomes (such as grasslands, savannas and shrublands) received less attention in relation to their area. In contrast to these differences in attention, there were equivalent likes and retweets between forest versus open biomes, suggesting the disparities may not reflect the views of the general public.Through a literature review, we found that restoration experiments are disproportionately concentrated in rainforests, dry forests and mangroves. More than half of the studies conducted in open biomes reported tree planting as the main restoration action, suggesting inappropriate application of forest‐oriented techniques.Policy implications. We urge scientists, policymakers and land managers to recognise the value of open biomes for protecting biodiversity, securing ecosystem services, mitigating climate change and enhancing human livelihoods. Fixing Biome Awareness Disparity will increase the likelihood of the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration successfully delivering its promises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Los jardines botánicos son una estrategia mundial para la conservación de la diversidad vegetal. Igualmente, son una herramienta clave para la investigación, educación y divulgación sobre la misma. Siendo consciente de esto, la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana sede Bogotá, ha adelantando desde 2008, a través del proyecto Historia Verde, una iniciativa en torno a la recuperación de las especies nativas de los Andes colombianos. Lo anterior, con la intención de establecer un jardín botánico que cumpla a cabalidad los propósitos de este tipo de estrategias de conservación. El objetivo del presente estudio es evaluar los avances hacia la consolidación del Jardín Botánico Javeriano, considerando los cuatro propósitos de los jardines botánicos: conservación, investigación, educación y divulgación [1]. Para el cumplimiento del primero, se revisó el número de especies nativas presentes en el campus desde los inicios del proyecto comparándolo con la cifra actual. En cuanto a investigación y educación, se hizo un recuento de los trabajos de investigación que se relacionan con la flora del campus y de las actividades pedagógicas que involucra a la comunidad universitaria. Finalmente, en términos de divulgación, se listaron las publicaciones científicas y divulgativas realizadas por el proyecto. Como resultados, se encontró que el número de especies nativas presentes en el campus ha aumentado significativamente, empezando con 32 especies en 2007, hasta más de 120 en la actualidad. Dentro de estas, sobresale la presencia de especies amenazadas como Magnolia polyhypsophylla, Ceroxylon vogelianum y Aniba perutilis. En lo que respecta a la investigación, hasta el momento se han elaborado 31 trabajos de grado. Sobre el componente educativo, se han realizado 19 jornadas de siembra con los estudiantes que ingresan a primer semestre en la universidad y varios recorridos por el campus tanto con niños como estudiantes de diferentes asignaturas. Finalmente, se recuperaron 7 publicaciones donde se ha difundido el trabajo realizado en el proyecto, que incluyen pósters en congresos, artículos en revistas especializadas y de divulgación. Terminada la evaluación, se reconoce que el Jardín Botánico Javeriano ha avanzado de manera importante en todos sus propósitos, particularmente en términos de conservación y educación. Se espera que con los próximos puntos a realizar por Historia Verde, se fortalezca el quehacer del proyecto en los diferentes objetivos del Jardín Botánico Javeriano. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La determinación taxonómica de especies vegetales a partir de frutos y semillas, a pesar de ser una actividad común para una gran variedad investigaciones, es una tarea que requiere alta experticia y para la cual disponemos pocas herramientas en Colombia. Adicionalmente, las publicaciones existentes que tratan estos temas suelen estar concentradas a regiones específicas del país o a grupos ecológicos concretos [1]. Por estas razones, el Herbario de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (HPUJ) y el Semillero de Investigación en Ecofisiología de Semillas y Plántulas han venido adelantando, desde el año 2015, una serie de esfuerzos por consolidar una colección de referencia de frutos y semillas representativa de la flora del país y útil para la identificación de especies en estudios ecológicos [2]. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el avance de la Carpoteca del HPUJ, año a año, desde el 2015 hasta la fecha. Dicho avance se midió en términos del aumento del número de especímenes depositados en la colección y el incremento de su representatividad taxonómica y geográfica. Para ello, se consultaron las revisiones del estado de la Carpoteca realizadas anualmente y se compararon entre sí. Finalizada la revisión, se encontró que la colección ha tenido un incremento en 77 ejemplares desde el año 2015. Concretamente, la Carpoteca empezó con 352 ejemplares en 2015, pasando por 385 en el 2016, hasta alcanzar la cifra de 429 que tiene en la actualidad. Los nuevos ejemplares que se han añadido a la colección, representan 21 familias, 39 géneros y 55 especies que no estaban consignadas en la colección en sus inicios. Entre estos ejemplares, se destaca la inclusión de 44 provenientes de bosques húmedos de tierras bajas de Vaupés y 26 de bosques altoandinos de Cundinamarca. En términos de representatividad geográfica, se conoce que la colección actualmente cuenta con registros de 11 departamentos y 23 municipios, dos departamentos y cuatro municipios adicionales a los reportados en el año 2015. Los departamentos mejor representados son Quindío, Risaralda y Vaupés. La representatividad actual de la carpoteca, comparada con la revisión de su estado en el 2015, muestra su fortalecimiento como una herramienta para la determinación de semillas en estudios realizados en la región Andina. Adicionalmente, muestra un incremento en su representatividad y potencial para estudios en la Orinoquía colombiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Rock outcrop vegetation is distributed worldwide and hosts a diverse and unique flora that evolved under harsh environmental conditions. Unfortunately, seed ecology in such ecosystems has received little attention, especially regarding seed traits, germination responses to abiotic factors and the potential role of phylogenetic relatedness on such features Here, we provide the first quantitative and phylogenetically-informed synthesis of the seed functional ecology of Brazilian rock outcrop vegetation, with a particular focus on quartzitic and ironstone campo rupestre., Methods: Using a database of functional trait data, we calculated the phylogenetic signal of seven seed traits for 371 taxa and tested whether they varied among growth forms, geographic distribution, and microhabitats. We also conducted meta-analyses that included 4,252 germination records for 102 taxa to assess the effects of light, temperature, and fire-related cues on the germination of campo rupestre species and explored how the aforementioned ecological groups and seed traits modulate germination responses., Key Results: All traits and germination responses showed a moderate-to-strong phylogenetic signal. Campo rupestre species responded positively to light and had maximum germination between 20-25 ºC. The effect of temperatures beyond this range was moderated by growth form, species geographic distribution, and microhabitat. Seeds exposed to heat shocks above 80 °C lost viability, but smoke accelerated germination. We found a moderating effect of seed mass for in responses to light and heat shocks, with larger, dormant seeds tolerating heat better but less sensitive to light. Species from xeric habitats evolved phenological strategies to synchronise germination during periods of increased soil water availability., Conclusions: Phylogenetic relatedness plays a major role in shaping seed ecology of Brazilian rock outcrop vegetation. Nevertheless, seed traits and germination responses varied significantly between growth forms, species geographic distribution and microhabitats, providing support to the regeneration niche hypothesis and the role of functional traits in shaping germination in these ecosystems., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)