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Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre
Newsletter | February 2022
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Sítio Bacchus: A new research hub in Brazil's Atlantic Forest led by Alex Antonelli
The Atlantic Forest of Brazil includes some of the most biodiverse biomes on the planet that are also highly threatened by human activity. A portion of this biodiversity hotspot has recently been secured for permanent protection and research by GGBC'er Alexandre Antonelli and his wife, Anna Sveide Antonelli, who purchased a property known as Sítio Bacchus.
In an exclusive sneak peek for the GGBC newsletter, Alex shares with us: "I am thrilled to announce the purchase of 120 hectares (1.2 million square metres) of largely pristine Atlantic rainforest just some 2.5 hours away from Rio de Janeiro’s international airport. My vision is for this place to become an international hub for long-term research, conservation and training. I hope many GGBC'ers will have the opportunity to not only visit the place, but also spend some time there to learn more about this amazingly complex, yet insufficiently understood, tropical ecosystem. There is still quite some work to be done to set it up properly as a station but you can already now consider this as an exciting opportunity for grant applications, courses, workshops and more."
The property was previously owned by a couple who purchased land with the intention to protect and document its biodiversity. In the late 1990s David Attenborough visited the site and was impressed by the lush surroundings. Congratulations Alex & Anna!
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GGBC Taxonomy Club Identifying Plants
at Universeum
What’s growing at Universeum? If you have been to the Universeum Rainforest you know that the lush, tropical space is filled with tropical vine, epiphytes and towering trees of all sorts. However, some of the species are unidentified and Taxonomy Club members from University of Gothenburg and Universeum have been working together to fix this.
Watch Anne-Sophie Quatela and Kathrin Fries talk about the initiative in this film produced by Jonas Stenström with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate strategic research area. Find out more about the club on our website and check out our YouTube channel for more videos featuring GGBC work. |
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Exploring land plant evolution on Naturmorgon
On Saturday Stina Weststrand joined the popular Swedish radio program Naturmorgon from Gothenburg Botanical Garden to talk about the diversity of plants through time.
Stina guides listeners through millions of years of plant evolution, live from the greenhouses! She explores how plants have managed through past climate changes, how they survive with so many hungry herbivores around, and reflects on why flowers are so beautiful.
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Registration open for the summer course, BIO090: Biodiversity in Western Sweden
July 4th-August 7th
In person, Gothenburg, Sweden
Registration is now open for the course "Biodiversity in Western Sweden," a part of the University of Gothenburg's Summer School for Sustainability.
This course will dig into the basics of biodiversity, while showcasing ongoing work from GGBC researchers and the valuable collections at our partner institutions around Western Sweden. Students will explore questions including: What is biodiversity? How do we measure it? Why is it threatened, and by what? and What can be done to conserve it?
Last year this course included contributions from 19 GGBC members, across 9 partner organisations!
The course has no pre-requisites, and will be held in English.
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Marine biodiversity on the menu
Kennet Lundin from the Gothenburg Museum of Natural History was interviewed in GU Journalen (in Swedish) about a book he is writing on the lesser known food from the sea. Kennet hopes the book will raise awareness of biodiversity in marine ecosystems, as described through his passion for unconventional gastronomy.
In the image above, Kennet is caught in the act of doing research for his book, more specifically, eating a Dendronotus lacteus nudibranch (mjölkträdnuding).
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New species for science:
Exploring palm diversity in the Dominican Republic
Christine Bacon from the Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences, GU has found at least two species of Coccothrinax palm in the Dominican Republic that had not previously been described scientifically. She will return in March to continue counting all individuals on the island, to conduct IUCN assessments, to describe the species, and collect leaf material for conservation genomic work.
This research is being carried out in collaboration with Dr. Rafael María Moscoco of the National Botanical Garden (Dominican Republic) and the New York Botanical Garden (USA).
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Ocean Blues promotes engagement across disciplines
The FORMAS-funded Ocean Blues project, led by Malin Rosengren from the Centre for Sea and Society, was featured on the nature blog, Natursidan (In Swedish). In the interview, Malin talks about the need for, and difficulties with, reaching out to classes with profiles other than natural sciences. She believes that solving the problems requires engagement from future experts in science and humanities alike.
The Ocean Blues team aims to turn climate anxiety into action by visiting secondary schools to educate students about threats to marine environment, and solutions to them.
Would you like to recommend Ocean Blues to a school or teacher you know? They can find out more in this video and book a visit on Sea and Society's website. |
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Fish at Universeum get SMS warnings
The ongoing construction work at Korsvägen in central Gothenburg requires ten minutes of blasting daily to break apart the bedrock. The vibrations were noticed to be affecting the animals at nearby Universeum, so action was quickly taken. In order to reduce the sudden vibration stress to fish in the aquaria, an SMS is now sent before the blasting starts and a so-called bubble curtain is triggered to obscure the vibrations.
Watch GGBC member Terese Schwartz at Universeum tell SVT News (in Swedish) how fish perceive the blasting and how the measures have reduced their stress reactions. |
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Watch the octopus swim in the aquarium on Havets Hus' Facebook page.
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An octopus moves into Havets Hus
A specimen of Rossia macrosoma (stout bobtail or slät kragsepia) was accidentally captured by a fisherman and handed over to Havets Hus in Lysekil. The species is not particularly rare but as it inhabits marine depths of about 60 meters it is not often seen.
Listen to Martin Stjernstedt, marine biologist and educator from Havets Hus, talk about the new inhabitant in this interview on SverigesRadio P4.
Would you like to see some of the creatures inhabiting the Swedish seas?
Plan your visit to Havets Hus here.
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What can the Siberian jay tell us about the need for biodiversity?
Bengt Gunnarsson wrote an opinion article in Dagens Nyheter (in Swedish) describing what common species can tell us about biodiversity loss, which is listed as among the top three threats of the coming decade by a new report from the World Economic Forum.
Bengt discusses how the idea of preserving and conserving biodiversity has evolved, its interplay with ecosystem services and sustainable development, as well as our need to look beyond "pristine" habitats.
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Submit your biodiversity abstract
to the Swedish Climate Symposium
Abstract submission deadline: February 25th
Registration deadline: March 15th
Taking place: May 16-18th
The Swedish Climate Symposium, with Heather Reese as a member of the organising committee, is welcoming abstract submissions. The session Climate Change Impacts on Biological Diversity and Ecosystem Services will be held on May 17th and may be of particular interest to many GGBC'ers. PIs active in in BECC/MERGE will have their registration fee covered. To read more about the programme, submit your abstract and register, visit Symposium's website. |
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Nominations to Naturbonusen 2022 are open
Deadline: February 28th
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Watch participants share their thoughts on the program in this short information film.
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Join the ClimBEco Graduate Research School
Application deadline: March 3rd
Start of program: August 2022
The ClimBEco Graduate Research School aims to support PhD students in networking to facilitate interdisciplinarity. To make the most of their time as doctoral students, participants attend lectures, mentoring programs as well as meetings with their peers and senior researchers.
In this short information film current ClimBEco participants, including GGBC member James Hagan, share their thoughts on the program. Read more about the requirements, as well as core and optional activities, and apply here. |
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PhD position in Ecology
Application deadline: March 3rd
Applications are open for: Phylogenetic community ecology from a global sampling network which is part of the ERC Lifeplan project, a worldwide standardized sampling program. The PhD project will focus on insects and involve community ecology, metabarcoding and phylogenetics. The successful applicant will work in Uppsala co-supervised by GGBC member Nicolas Chazot. Read more and apply here. |
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Postdoctoral position in Zurich:
Shark extinction mechanisms
Application deadline: April 1st
Interested in analyzing large paleo-biological datasets to better understand the drivers of shark extinction? Check out this 2-year position based in the research group of Dr. Catalina Pimiento, in collaboration with GGBC member Dr. Daniele Silvestro. Read more and apply here.
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Work as a communicator with BECC
Application deadline: February 28th
The Centre for Environmental and Climate Science at Lund University is hiring a permanent full-time communicator. The position will include close work with the strategic research areas BECC (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate) and MERGE (Modelling the Regional and Global Earth system). |
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Our partners are hiring!
A number of job advertisements are open at our partners. These include positions from receptionist to digital content producer and summer jobs to permanent contracts.
Digital content producer, Universeum, Deadline: February 21st
Conservationist at Västkuststiftelsen i Dalsland, Deadline: February 25th, however, the post may be filled before then, therefore apply asap
Summer jobs as aquarium technician, aquarium guide and in guest service at Havets Hus, Deadline: February 27th
Animal keeper, Universeum, Deadline: February 28th
Receptionist and sales assistant at Gothenburg Museum of Natural History, Deadline: March 7th
Restaurant shift leader and cook, Nordens Ark, Deadline: December 31st
Internship in animal keeping, week 6-9, 2023, Universeum
Open applications for guest service, Universeum
Open applications for guide, Universeum
Open applications for sales assistant at the shop, Universeum
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Member Research Highlights
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The Bioeconomy–Biodiversity Nexus: Enhancing or Undermining Nature’s Contributions to People?
Mairon G. Bastos Lima and Ulrika Palme adopt the Nature’s contributions to people framework to consider relationships between bioeconomy and biodiversity. The “nature’s contributions to people (NCPs)” framework was developed by IPBES in 2017 and it builds upon the concept of “ecosystem services” to represent a greater variety of world views, knowledge systems and stakeholders, for example indigenous communities. According to the authors, the NCPs framework can help increase focus on the currently largely neglected, less "tangible" NCPs, such as psychological and social aspects. Together with inclusive governance, these NCPs make the bioeconomy sector more sustainable.
Read the publication in Conservation
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The Andes through time: evolution and distribution of Andean floras
Based on records from global distribution and fossil specimen databases as well as on existing phylogenetic and geological studies, Oscar Alejandro Pérez-Escobar and colleagues including Alexandre Antonelli review floral diversity of the Andes. Its evolutionary history is presented and key orogenetic events that contributed to diversification are indicated. Spatial and taxonomic gaps in knowledge are identified. The review is of importance for developing holistic approaches to the conservation of the region, which contains approximately 10% of all global vascular plant diversity.
Read the publication in Trends in Plant Science
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"The Mouldy Marshmallow” Amaurodon caeruleocaseus (Thelephorales, Basidiomycota) – the first stipitate species in the genus Amaurodon
Following DNA analyses, Sten Svantesson et al. describe the first known species in the genus Amaurodon with a basidiome which is stipulate, i.e. it has a stipe and an upright habit. This change of morphology appears to have evolved relatively recently and involves limited tissue differentiation from its corticioid ancestors. Genomic studies of the species and its close relatives would therefore likely provide key insights into the evolution of more complex morphologies from so-called ”flat fungi”.
Read the publication in Sydowia
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A taxonomic, genetic and ecological data resource for the vascular plants of Britain and Ireland
Marie Henniges et al., including Alexandre Antonelli, present a database of current British and Irish flora, which is easily accessible and downloadable. A full species list is included together with 26 different ecological, genomic and distribution traits. The database is the first taxonomically-harmonised repository for the region, encompassing the various types of information for one of the world's most researched floras. Moreover, the database is the most extensive yet with regard to non-native taxa, which constitute 50% of species in Britain and Ireland.
Read the publication in Scientific Data
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Nitrogen enriched organic fertilizer (NEO) and its effect on ryegrass yield and soil fauna feeding activity under controlled conditions
It is well-researched that fertilization increases crop yields in general; however, the impacts of fertilization on soil-dwelling communities are often neglected. This paper by Hesam Mousavi and colleagues discusses the effects of different fertilization regimes, including mineral fertilizer, organic fertilizer, combinations of both mineral and organic fertilizers, and a newly introduced organic-based fertilizer on ryegrass yield and soil fauna feeding activity. The endpoint addresses the changes in nutrient cycling as one of the principal functions of soil by fertilization under controlled conditions.
Read the publication in Sustainability
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Diversification dynamics of cheilostome bryozoans based on a Bayesian analysis of the fossil record
This study lead by Farideh Moharrek used mathematical models and software developed by Daniele Silvestro to analyse the rich fossil record of cheilostome bryozoans. This group of colonial marine invertebrates has survived several mass extinction events and inhabited Earth’s oceans for millions of years. The authors find that biodiversity within this group has varied significantly through time. Periods of expansion are contrasted by evidence of a strong extinction event at the end of the Cretaceous, when many other animal groups went extinct. Yet the cheilostomes survived and their diversity rebounded through increased speciation to make the most diverse and ecologically dominant group of bryozoans in modern oceans.
Read the publication in Paleontology
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Too old to be new? A recent discovery of a pteropod Limacina lesueurii (d'Orbigny 1836) at the Swedish west coast (Skagerrak, North Sea)
The pteropod Limacina lesueurii is a subtropical marine gastropod. It has, however been reported from as far north as the English Channel and Scotland. Irina Polovodova Asteman, Kennet Lundin and colleagues for the first time report the species in marine sediments off the west coast of Sweden. The records correspond to the period of 1920-1950 characterised by high temperature anomalies and oceanic water inflows. The species is, therefore, proposed as a new stratigraphic marker for the latter.
Read the publication in Marine Micropaleontology
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Volcanic events coincide with plant dispersal across the Northern Andes
María José Sanín and colleagues, including GGBC'ers María Fernanda Torres Jiménez and Christine Bacon integrate high throughout DNA sequence data of Andean wax palms with geological samples of ignimbritic rocks to reciprocally illuminate patterns of change in the Andes Mountains. They determine that local topographic growth resulting from volcanic eruptions played a key role in increasing mountain chain connectivity by uplift and valley filling, which favored dispersal throughout the Northern Andes. The study spatially and temporally links a biogeographical distribution pattern to a traceable geological event.
Read the publication in Global and Planetary Change
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Have you recently published using your GGBC affiliation?
Email the publication link to anna.pielach@bioenv.gu.se and we will share your paper!
Are you a GGBC member publishing biodiversity-related research?
Don't forget to use this affiliation in addition to your main employment affiliation(s):
Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 461, Gothenburg, Sweden
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The first true millipede has 1306 legs
The first millipede that is true to the Latin origin of its name (mille = thousand; ped = foot) was described from 60 meters underground in Australia, with 1306 legs. Eumillipes persephone was found during subterranean environmental impact assessment work. See the images of this spectacular creature in the publication in Science. |
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Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre
Box 461, 40530, Gothenburg, SWEDEN
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