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@cabbageleek.bsky.social Oct 3, 2026, 6:23 AM

Taxonomic research reflects not only how many species there are, but also what policy pays attention to. That creates a risk: poorly studied taxa can remain invisible to policy, and therefore remain poorly studied.
doi.org/10.1371/jour....

#Taxonomy #Biodiversity #Policy #TaxonomicCapacity #TETTRIX

Nine-panel phylogenetic heat-tree figure showing how European biodiversity policy priorities are distributed across major taxonomic groups. Panels represent taxa needing taxonomic research, the European Red List, crop wild relatives, invasive alien species on the horizon, the EU Union List of Concern, Birds Directive, Habitats Directive, Marine Framework Directive, and pollinators. Coloured branches indicate taxa represented in each policy area, while grey branches are absent. Policy attention is uneven, with strong emphasis on vertebrates, vascular plants and selected insect groups, and much less coverage of fungi, algae and many invertebrates.

Three phylogenetic heat trees showing the distribution of taxonomic research activity across (A) plants, (B) fungi and (C) animals. Branch and node colour and size indicate increasing numbers of taxonomic authors and studied taxa, while grey branches have little or no detected activity. Plant research is concentrated in vascular plants, especially Magnoliopsida and Liliopsida. Fungal research is concentrated in Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, including Agaricomycetes and several plant-pathogenic groups. Animal research is more broadly distributed but is especially prominent in insects and vertebrates, while many non-insect invertebrate groups show comparatively limited research activity.

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