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Documenting the flora of a diversity hotspot: Richard Thomas Lowe (1802–1874) and his botanical exploration of Madeira island

2022Journal article Open access
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dc.contributor.authorMesquita, Sandra
dc.contributor.authorCarine, Mark
dc.contributor.authorCastel-Branco, Cristina
dc.contributor.authorSequeira, Miguel Menezes de
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-22T10:31:12Z
dc.date.available2022-03-22T10:31:12Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractOceanic island floras often exhibit remarkable concentrations of endemic diversity, provide spectacular examples of rapid evolutionary radiations and harbour floras under significant threat due to anthropogenic pressures. They have attracted the interest of biologists for centuries, but their floras continue to yield new taxa and, at a global scale, the extent of their plant diversity remains imperfectly known. Both natural characteristics and historical factors have shaped the development of knowledge of island floras. In this paper, we investigate the approach of Richard Thomas Lowe (1802–1874), to documenting the flora of Madeira island in the North Atlantic. Lowe collected abundantly in Madeira between 1826 and 1873, resulting in several works on Madeira’s flora, pub lished from the 1830s. At a time when taxonomic research on island floras was often based on limited collections made during brief expeditions, Lowe’s research on the flora, spanning almost half a century, was exceptional. In this study, 2579 herbarium specimens collected by Lowe were georeferenced and used to investigate temporal, spatial and taxonomic patterns in Lowe’s collecting activities. We also examine the distribution of specimens by Lowe to other botanists. Some biases are evident in Lowe’s collecting efforts, with steep slopes under-sampled and coastal sites over-sampled. These reflect constraints imposed by topography and transport links. These limitations aside, Lowe’s work on the Madeiran flora was conducted in a systematic manner, resulting in a comprehensive study of the entire flora. His approach was distinctly modern: he gathered and studied all available information in herbaria and in the pub lished and unpublished writings from earlier visitors; his initial fieldwork was conducted widely to gain knowledge of all habitats and their floras; later fieldwork focussed on less-explored and most promising areas; duplicates were sent to other botanists, facilitating taxonomic exchanges on critical taxa; and his later fieldwork focussed on plant groups where taxonomic problems had been detected. As a result of Lowe’s sustained and systematic approach, he is the single most prolific contributor to the study of Madeira’s endemic flora. His approach is a model to documenting island floras still relevant today. Areas poorly sampled by Lowe were areas that were difficult to access, which also protected them from anthropic destructive activities and allowed them to serve as refuges for endemic flora. Those areas deserve particular attention in efforts to complete the survey of Madeira’s plant diversity, using technological ad vancements such as drones to prospect areas that are otherwise still largely inaccessible.pt_PT
dc.description.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionpt_PT
dc.identifier.citationMesquita, S., Carine, M., Castel‐Branco, C., & Sequeira, M. (2022). Documenting the flora of a diversity hotspot: Richard Thomas Lowe (1802–1874) and his botanical exploration of Madeira island. TAXON. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12661pt_PT
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/tax.12661pt_PT
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.13/4162
dc.language.isoengpt_PT
dc.peerreviewedyespt_PT
dc.publisherWileypt_PT
dc.relationArte e Ciência na representação botânica do século XIX: dos herbários às artes decorativas
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/pt_PT
dc.subjectGeoreferencing historical datapt_PT
dc.subjectHistorical herbariapt_PT
dc.subjectHistory of botanypt_PT
dc.subjectIsland florapt_PT
dc.subjectMacaronesiapt_PT
dc.subjectRichard Thomas Lowe (1802–1874)pt_PT
dc.subjectMadeira island (Portugal)pt_PT
dc.subject.pt_PT
dc.subjectFaculdade de Ciências da Vidapt_PT
dc.titleDocumenting the flora of a diversity hotspot: Richard Thomas Lowe (1802–1874) and his botanical exploration of Madeira islandpt_PT
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.awardTitleArte e Ciência na representação botânica do século XIX: dos herbários às artes decorativas
oaire.awardURIinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT//SFRH%2FBD%2F117226%2F2016/PT
oaire.citation.titleTAXONpt_PT
person.familyNameMesquita
person.familyNameCarine
person.familyNameCastel-Branco
person.familyNameSequeira
person.givenNameSandra
person.givenNameMark
person.givenNameCristina
person.givenNameMiguel
person.identifier.ciencia-id9B1B-4F5B-FC42
person.identifier.ciencia-idDD13-96B1-4A6C
person.identifier.ciencia-id6F10-92EC-698B
person.identifier.ciencia-idCA1C-1AC6-6346
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-7522-3493
person.identifier.orcid0000-0002-1817-0281
person.identifier.orcid0000-0003-1876-3818
person.identifier.orcid0000-0001-9728-465X
person.identifier.scopus-author-id6503916708
person.identifier.scopus-author-id35101791200
project.funder.identifierhttp://doi.org/10.13039/501100001871
project.funder.nameFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
rcaap.rightsopenAccesspt_PT
rcaap.typearticlept_PT
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