https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/nph.14907

A global database for plants that hyperaccumulate metal and metalloid trace elements.

Background
Ocbil theory aims to develop hypotheses explaining the evolution and ecology of, and best conservation practices for, biota on very old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes (Ocbils).

Biodiversity hotspots and Ocbil theory

The taxonomic reference base Florical and characteristics of the native vascular flora of New Caledonia. The floristic inventory presented here comprises the evolving computerised database Florical (http://www.botanique.nc/herbier/florical). As of the date of publication, it lists all native vascular plant species (as well as infraspecific taxa) present in the territory of New Caledonia, whether validly published or in press, along with their basionym, organised according to the most recent classifications systems (APG III 2009 for the angiosperms, Smith et al. [2006] for the ferns and lycophytes, and Mabberley [2009] for the gymnosperms), accompanied by their status (native or endemic) and the various vegetation types in which they occur. After a brief historical review of our knowledge of New Caledonian botany, the characteristics (richness, composition and endemism) of the different taxonomic groups (ferns and lycophytes, gymnosperms and then angiosperms -mono- and dicotyledons) are analyzed, ...

/pdf/le-referentiel-taxonomique-florical-et-les-caracteristiques-24xyriw4c4.pdf

Le référentiel taxonomique Florical et les caractéristiques de la flore vasculaire indigène de la Nouvelle-Calédonie

Red Listing plants under full national responsibility: Extinction risk and threats in the vascular flora endemic to Italy

There is growing interest among conservationists in biodiversity mapping based on stacked species distribution models (SSDMs), a method that combines multiple individual species distribution models to produce a community-level model. However, no user-friendly interface specifically designed to provide the basic tools needed to fit such models was available until now.
The “ssdm” package is a computer platform implemented in r providing a range of methodological approaches and parameterisation at each step in building the SSDM: e.g. pseudo-absence selection, variable contribution and model accuracy assessment, inter-model consensus forecasting, species assembly design, and calculation of weighted endemism.
The object-oriented design of the package is such that: users can modify existing methods, extend the framework by implementing new methods, and share them to be reproduced by others.
The package includes a graphical user interface to extend the use of SSDMs to a wide range of conservation scientists and practitioners.

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/2041-210X.12841

SSDM : an R package to predict distribution of species richness and composition based on stacked species distribution models

New Caledonia is a global biodiversity hotspot facing extreme environmental degradation. Given the urgent need for conservation prioritisation, we have made a first-pass quantitative assessment of the distribution of Narrow Endemic Species (NES) in the flora to identify species and sites that are potentially important for conservation action. We assessed the distributional status of all angiosperm and gymnosperm species using data from taxonomic descriptions and herbarium samples. We characterised species as being NES if they occurred in 3 or fewer locations. In total, 635 of the 2930 assessed species were classed as NES, of which only 150 have been subjected to the IUCN conservation assessment. As the distributional patterns of un-assessed species from one or two locations correspond well with assessed species which have been classified as Critically Endangered or Endangered respectively, we suggest that our distributional data can be used to prioritise species for IUCN assessment. We also used the distributional data to produce a map of “Hotspots of Plant Narrow Endemism” (HPNE). Combined, we used these data to evaluate the coincidence of NES with mining activities (a major source of threat on New Caledonia) and also areas of conservation protection. This is to identify species and locations in most urgent need of further conservation assessment and subsequent action. Finally, we grouped the NES based on the environments they occurred in and modelled the habitat distribution of these groups with a Maximum Entropy Species Distribution Model (MaxEnt). The NES were separable into three different groups based primarily on geological differences. The distribution of the habitat types for each group coincide partially with the HPNE described above and also indicates some areas which have high habitat suitability but few recorded NES. Some of these areas may represent under-sampled hotspots of narrow endemism and are priorities for further field work.

/pdf/conservation-priorities-in-a-biodiversity-hotspot-analysis-4dyrqmk6ja.pdf

Conservation priorities in a biodiversity hotspot: analysis of narrow endemic plant species in New Caledonia.

Presentation de l'editeur : Les substrats ultramafiques - ou terrains miniers - a l'origine du minerai de nickel, couvrent pres du tiers de la Nouvelle-Caledonie, qui se place parmi les premiers producteurs de ce metal dans le monde. Mais l'exploitation miniere a ciel ouvert necessite d'importants decapages qui generent des problemes d'erosion des sols, de dereglement des debits hydriques, de pollution des cours d'eau et de perte de biodiversite. Ces substrats datant de 37 millions d'annees portent une flore riche et originale, qui a largement contribue au classement de la Nouvelle-Caledonie comme un des principaux hotspots de biodiversite de la planete. Elle comprend environ 2150 especes vegetales dont 82 % sont endemiques. Ces especes sont en outre specialisees, adaptees a des sols tres pauvres en plusieurs elements nutritifs et inversement tres riches en magnesium, en nickel et en d'autres metaux. Ces milieux abritent egalement une faune d'une grande diversite. Ainsi la Nouvelle-Caledonie est confrontee a un double defi : celui d'exploiter une ressource miniere considerable a meme d'assurer au pays un developpement economique important, et celui de proteger cette biodiversite exceptionnelle au nom des principes fondamentaux edictes mondialement. Dans ce contexte, la conservation des milieux abritant la plus grande part de la biodiversite, ainsi que la restauration des sites degrades par l'exploitation miniere s'imposent comme des necessites incontournables. L'ouvrage decrit et illustre tout d'abord la variete des substrats ultramafiques, ainsi que la diversite des ecosystemes et de leurs composantes floristiques, zoologiques et microbiologiques. Le concept de restauration ecologique des sites degrades et les moyens necessaires pour sa mise en oeuvre sont ensuite developpes ; puis les modes de collecte, de germination, de conservation des semences et de production de plants d'especes locales sont decrits, de meme que les methodes de revegetalisation. Enfin pres de 100 especes vegetales utiles pour la restauration sont presentees. Cet ouvrage est destine a un large public, allant des professionnels du secteur minier (societes minieres, operateurs de la revegetalisation, bureaux d'etude...) aux personnels des collectivites impliquees dans la gestion du patrimoine minier et biologique du pays, ainsi qu'aux scientifiques, enseignants, etudiants, et plus largement a toute personne interessee par les terrains miniers et leur gestion environnementale

Mines et environnement en Nouvelle-Calédonie : les milieux sur substrats ultramafiques et leur restauration

Premise of the study: High-throughput sequencing of genomic DNA can recover complete chloroplast genome sequences, but the sequence data are usually dominated by sequences from nuclear/mitochondrial genomes. To overcome this deficiency, a simple enrichment method for chloroplast DNA from small amounts of plant tissue was tested for eight plant species including a gymnosperm and various angiosperms. Methods: Chloroplasts were enriched using a high-salt isolation buffer without any step gradient procedures, and enriched chloroplast DNA was sequenced by multiplexed high-throughput sequencing. Results: Using this simple method, significant enrichment of chloroplast DNA-derived reads was attained, allowing deep sequencing of chloroplast genomes. As an example, the chloroplast genome of the conifer Callitris sulcata was assembled, from which polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated successfully. Discussion: This chloroplast enrichment method from small amounts of plant tissue will be particularly useful fo...

https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.3732/apps.1700002

Application of a Simplified Method of Chloroplast Enrichment to Small Amounts of Tissue for Chloroplast Genome Sequencing

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Cryptic species represent a conservation challenge, because distributions and threats cannot be accurately assessed until species are recognized and defined. Cryptic species are common in diminutive and morphologically simple organisms, but are rare in charismatic and/or highly visible groups such as conifers. New Caledonia, a small island in the southern Pacific is a hotspot of diversity for the emblematic conifer genus Araucaria (Araucariaceae, Monkey Puzzle trees) where 13 of the 19 recognized species are endemic. METHODS We sampled across the entire geographical distribution of two closely related species (Araucaria rulei and A. muelleri) and screened them for genetic variation at 12 nuclear and 14 plastid microsatellites and one plastid minisatellite; a subset of the samples was also examined using leaf morphometrics. KEY RESULTS The genetic data show that populations of the endangered A. muelleri fall into two clearly distinct genetic groups: one corresponding to montane populations, the other corresponding to trees from lower elevation populations from around the Goro plateau. These Goro plateau populations are more closely related to A. rulei, but are sufficiently genetically and morphological distinct to warrant recognition as a new species. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows the presence of a previously unrecognized species in this flagship group, and that A. muelleri has 30% fewer individuals than previously thought. Combined, this clarification of species diversity and distributions provides important information to aid conservation planning for New Caledonian Araucaria.

Adrien S. Wulff

Papers

Conservation priorities in a biodiversity hotspot: analysis of narrow endemic plant species in New Caledonia.

Mines et environnement en Nouvelle-Calédonie : les milieux sur substrats ultramafiques et leur restauration

Application of a Simplified Method of Chloroplast Enrichment to Small Amounts of Tissue for Chloroplast Genome Sequencing

Hidden in plain view: Cryptic diversity in the emblematic Araucaria of New Caledonia

La restauration des sites miniers