Hugo de Boer

• Klemetsen, Terje; Endresen, Dag; Johnsen, Arild; Boer, Hugo de; Fossøy, Frode & Ekrem, Torbjørn [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2026). Strengthening molecular biodiversity research and monitoring in Norway – connecting tools, data and people. F1000 Research. 15, p. (ELIXIR)–(ELIXIR). doi: 10.12688/f1000research.179210.1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Norway’s diverse ecosystems and strong research community are well-positioned to leverage molecular approaches (DNA barcoding, eDNA, whole-genome sequencing) for biodiversity research and monitoring. However, progress is constrained by gaps in data accessibility, standardisation, and interoperability across molecular, ecological, and biobank datasets. Methods ELIXIR’s Norwegian Molecular Biodiversity Working Group mapped national actors and networks through a desk review (2024–2025) and conducted a national survey (58 questions; open from 18 February to 8 March 2024) targeting data management, standards, tooling, infrastructures, and training. The survey was implemented in Nettskjema and received 58 responses from biodiversity-related researchers. Results We identified 19 Norwegian institutes active in molecular biodiversity and 28 relevant networks, with 11 networks involving three or more institutes. The survey results highlight gaps between policy and practice: 60% of respondents were familiar with the FAIR principles, but only 29% consistently made data fully open or FAIR-compliant. Data linkage with physical specimens was often reported as missing (38% of respondents), and taxonomic assignment was frequently challenging (39.3%). Most researchers reuse published datasets (90%), but data discovery and reuse are hindered: only 41% find it easy to locate relevant data, 32% struggle to find appropriate sequence databases, 54% cite insufficient metadata, and 72% need to harmonise combined datasets. Tool discoverability and documentation were limited (32% knew bio.tools; 5% WorkflowHub; 32% agreed tools are well documented and user-friendly). Data publication is not straightforward (63.8% find it hard or answered neutral). Conclusions Norway can strengthen molecular biodiversity research by 1) connecting molecular and ecological data, collections, and biobanks using persistent identifiers; 2) adhering to international metadata standards (e.g., DwC, MIxS) and rewarding data stewardship; 3) consolidating national collaborative networks; and 4) building capacity through targeted training and dedicated data steward roles. Implementing these measures will enhance interoperability, FAIR data sharing, and Norway’s leadership in biodiversity research and conservation.

• Veltman, Margaretha A.; Anthoons, Bastien; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun; Ballesteros, Jesus Adrian Chimal; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset & Karahan, Arzu [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2026). Molecular evidence reveals unsustainable harvest of wild orchids. Current Biology. ISSN 0960-9822. 36(7), p. 1842–1856.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.066. Full text in Research Archive
• Wendmu, Tsedal Asres; Boer, Hugo de; Makate, Clifton & Westengen, Ola (2026). Seeds and social norms: sorghum seed exchange among smallholder farmers in Northern Ethiopia. Ecology & Society. 31(1). doi: 10.5751/ES-16855-310113. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Seed exchange is a major means for smallholder farmers to access seeds of both traditional and new crop varieties. This study explores how social and cultural norms influence farmers’ seed exchange and thereby shape the distribution of sorghum diversity among farmers from two ethnolinguistic groups in Northern Ethiopia. Network data on sorghum variety transactions for 300 households was analyzed to map the flow of seed and determine key characteristics of the farmers playing particularly important roles as nodes in the networks. Together with a household survey, ethnographic studies of cultural practices and norms informed the interpretation of the network data. We found that exchange with neighbors was the main seed transaction type and that exchange mainly happens within ethnolinguistic groups and villages. A norm saying that no one should be denied access to seeds underpins seed sharing within the communities. Sociocultural institutions like the labor exchange institutions Lifnti/Kowa, marriage, and religious institutions influence seed sharing within both ethnolinguistic groups. Seed sharing is common among all categories of farmers, and we found no significant association between farmers’ socioeconomic status and seed sharing. The dynamics of seed exchange can explain the sorghum diversity in the study areas, as the most exchanged sorghum varieties within each ethnolinguistic group are also the most cultivated. We discuss the implications of our findings for the conservation of sorghum diversity and seed system development and conclude that policies and extension programs should leverage farmers’ seed exchange networks for the management of crop diversity and in efforts to strengthen farmers’ access to seeds of both local and improved seeds.

• Heuvel-Greve, Martine J. van den; Polling, Marcel; Groot, G. Arjen de; Kodde, Linda; Mulder, Ingeborg M. & Verdaat, Hans [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2026). Tracking biodiversity in changing Arctic waters: insights from eDNA metabarcoding in Svalbard. Polar Biology. ISSN 0722-4060. 49. doi: 10.1007/s00300-026-03488-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Monitoring biodiversity patterns and their changes in Arctic coastal ecosystems is critical under ongoing climate change. However, common current approaches require high effort and expertise and this in turn limits the spatial and temporal scale of these monitoring efforts. Here, we investigated both the fish and the marine invertebrate communities across Svalbard using a multi-marker environmental DNA metabarcoding approach. We collected and analysed marine water, sediment and zooplankton filtered from marine water from sites influenced by the warm West Spitsbergen Current and the cold East Spitsbergen Current. Following metabarcoding amplification using mitochondrial COI, 12S, 16S and nuclear 18S markers and high-throughput sequencing, we retrieved an extensive overview of Svalbard marine biodiversity. Water, sediment and especially zooplankton samples collected across Svalbard revealed spatial differences in community composition, with significantly distinct assemblages in the northwest and southeast of Svalbard. We identified potential bioindicator species for use in rapid assessment of impacts of marine temperature increase and confirmed observed patterns of ongoing shifts in community structure as a response to changes in dominant water masses. Overall, our findings show that species composition depending on fine-scale climate variation of Arctic waters can be effectively studied and monitored using environmental DNA. These insights can help us understand current and evolving climate-driven changes.

• Anthoons, Bastien; Veltman, Margret; Tsiftsis, Spyros; Gravendeel, Barbara; Drouzas, Andreas D. & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Exploring the potential of Angiosperms353 markers for species identification of Eastern Mediterranean orchids. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. ISSN 1055-7903. 209. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108360. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Tuberous orchids are ecologically vulnerable species, threatened by a range of environmental pressures such as overharvesting, grazing and land use change. Conservation efforts require accurate species identification, but are impeded by limited phylogenetic resolution of traditional genetic markers, which is exacerbated by widespread taxonomic conflict regarding the classification of orchids. Target enrichment holds promise to resolve both these challenges by offering a large set of nuclear loci with which to increase phylogenetic resolution and evaluate competing species models. Here, we evaluate the effectiveness of the Angiosperms353 markers for distinguishing over 50 tuberous orchid species native to Greece and we explore the possibility of narrowing these markers to a smaller set that could function as a minimal probe set. Our methodology consists of a three-tiered approach: 1) generating a species-level phylogeny using all Angiosperms353 loci with sufficient target recovery, 2) evaluating competing species models based on “splitter” and “lumper” classifications through Bayes Factor species delimitation, and 3) ranking the potential of Angiosperms353 loci to discriminate representatives of lineages with different divergence times based on their phylogenetic informativeness. While the inferred multi-species coalescent phylogeny had overall high support, Bayes Factor delimitation revealed mixed outcomes, favouring splitting in Serapias, while favouring splitting in basal clades and lumping in more recently diverged clades in Ophrys. A molecular clock analysis of Ophrys confirms rapid and recent radiation in clades marked by phylogenetic uncertainty, suggesting the need for additional loci to fully resolve this genus. Finally, we found 30 loci to be highly phylogenetically informative across four epochs of Orchidinae evolution; we suggest these are promising candidates for future marker development. Our findings enhance the Plant Tree of Life (PAFTOL) by contributing additional phylogenomic data for species that were previously underrepresented in trees built with these markers, while shedding light on the ongoing “splitter”-vs-“lumper” debate and offering new directions for species identification of tuberous orchids, a group with distinct taxonomic and conservation challenges.

• Masters, Susanne; Bogarín, Diego; Viruel, Juan; Vugt, Rogier van; Andel, Tinde van & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Horticultural hybrid development of edible terrestrial orchids for verifiable sustainable trade. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 9. doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1526533. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction Edible terrestrial orchids are endangered worldwide due to overharvesting and illegal trade. One method to distinguish illegally traded wild-collected orchids from sustainably harvested and legally traded cultivated ones is to artificially create hybrids that do not occur naturally and can be morphologically recognized. Creating artificial orchid hybrids is relatively simple. As a result, thousands of artificial orchid hybrids have already been registered with the Royal Horticultural Society, but predominantly for ornamental purposes. We identified a potential hybrid parental pool for edible orchids from terrestrial species that possess desirable traits from both the grower and consumer perspective. Method From the pool of candidate species, we evaluated the possibility of crosses producing viable seed based on phylogenetic distance metrics, based on matK and nrITS sequences of 435 species. Subsequently, we checked the accuracy of our prediction of hybrid compatibility against registered records of hybrids on the International Orchid Register and by experimental production of hybrids. Results Our results show that phylogenetic distance can indeed be used as a proxy for predicting hybrid compatibility in orchids. Discussion Potential of creating edible orchid hybrids for sustainable trade has not yet been fully exploited.

• Quatela, Anne‐Sophie; Cangren, Patrik; Ferreira, Paola de Lima; Woudstra, Yannick; Zsoldos‐Skahjem, Andreas & Bacon, Christine D. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Phylogenetic relationships and the identification of allopolyploidy in circumpolar Silene sect. Physolychnis. American Journal of Botany. ISSN 0002-9122. 112(6). doi: 10.1002/ajb2.70051. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Premise Species complexes are groups of closely related species with ambiguous delimitation, often composed of recently diverged lineages. Polyploidization and uniparental reproduction (i.e., selfing and apomixis) can play important roles in the origin of species complexes. These complexes pose challenges for species-based scientific questions, such as the estimation of species richness or conservation prioritization. Methods We determined the potential of resolving taxonomically complex groups using target enrichment in the circumpolar Silene uralensis complex (Caryophyllaceae). We proposed a metric using genetic distances between phased alleles to distinguish diploids from allopolyploids. Results Our results identified geographic structure of populations, with the northern American and Greenlandic samples having a common ancestor. We found little phylogenetic support for the most recent taxonomic treatment of the Silene uralensis complex. Conclusions The study highlights the use of target enrichment in testing taxonomic hypotheses in diploids and the challenges of studying recently diverged lineages.

• Cei, Aisha Carolina; Silva, Dalila Costa; Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Sviggum, Silvana Melo; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa & Martins, Rasna Figueiredo [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2025). Invasive giant river prawns as opportunistic, generalist predators in the Amazon Delta: Insights from metabarcoding. Ecosphere. 16(11). doi: 10.1002/ecs2.70439. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Invasive species alter habitats and biological communities. The giant river prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man 1879) was introduced to Brazil for aquaculture, and invasive populations have established in the Amazon Delta region where they are believed to pose a risk to the native aquatic fauna. To assess potential impacts, we performed dietary metabarcoding using generalist COI primers on 105 stomach contents collected from prawns from the southern Amazon Delta. Overall, M. rosenbergii presents an opportunistic and generalist diet that reflects the dominant aquatic and terrestrial fauna of the region, including the orders Diptera, Characiformes, and Lepidoptera as dominant dietary items in terms of both frequency of occurrence and richness. One unidentified congeneric species was identified in the diet, indicating the potential for negative effects on the native prawn fauna. Additionally, while there is a general overlap in the diet for all categories of sex and reproductive phase, smaller immature individuals and molted females showed reduced diversity in their diet, suggesting limitations in prey handling or access. We conclude that dietary metabarcoding of opportunistic generalists and/or detritivores appears to be a potentially useful tool for monitoring biodiversity as well as understanding their role in the food web.

• Rodrigues, Alan Érik S.; Brito, Rafaela Maria S.; Charvet, Patricia; Faria, Vicente V.; Cabanillas-Torpoco, Mariano & Aleixo, Alexandre [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2025). Geographical variation in mitogenomes of the largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis: Challenges and perspectives for conservation efforts. Global Ecology and Conservation. 62. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03757. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sawfishes (Pristidae) have been severely impacted by coastal development and unregulated fisheries and are considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analyses have shown potential for monitoring elasmobranch species, with various studies focusing on using species-specific approaches to detect Pristis species. However positive detection using existing probes has not been confirmed in some geographic regions where they would be expected. Here, we aimed to verify the phylogenetic relationships within the Pristidae family, with a particular focus on P. pristis (Linnaeus, 1758) to test whether mutations at key sites have been detrimental to species-specific detection of P. pristis using the existing probe set. To test this hypothesis mitogenomes were assembled that were found to follow the typical pattern of vertebrate mitogenomic organization. Phylogenetic trees showed similar topologies and confirmed geographic mitochondrial variation in P. pristis. Mismatches for the published 12S species-specific probe set for P. pristis were identified that prevent amplification of positive control samples from Brazil. However, ddPCR detection of the positive control was possible using a newly designed species-specific probe set. This study highlights how geographical variation can severely impact the success of generally applying species-specific detection systems developed based on data from only one geographical region. The new mitogenomes and species-specific probe set developed here may also contribute to improving the potential to map and monitor these Critically Endangered species across the globe.

• Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa; Thorbek, Birgitte Lisbeth Graae; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun; Sviggum, Silvana Melo & Ready, Jonathan Stuart [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). eDNA Replicates, Polymerase and Amplicon Size Impact Inference of Richness Across Habitats. Environmental DNA. 7(3). doi: 10.1002/edn3.70095. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Environmental DNA-based monitoring has been increasingly used in the last decade to monitor biodiversity in aquatic and terrestrial systems. Molecular-based surveys now allow quick and reliable production of baseline knowledge of species community composition on a large scale, allowing a better understanding of ecosystem function and mitigation of stressors linked to anthropogenic activities. Despite this, technical hurdles often remain, and the impact of replicates, PCR polymerases, and amplicon size on the recovered species richness is still poorly understood. Here, we conducted a large controlled experiment, with bulk samples collected from terrestrial, marine, and freshwater environments to assess the impact of natural and technical replicates, PCR polymerases with different degrees of fidelity or proofreading activity, as well as amplicon size on species richness recovery across habitats. In this study, we consistently found variations in sample species richness depending on PCR polymerase choice. We further demonstrate the dissimilar impacts between natural and technical replicates on species richness recovery and the necessity of increasing natural replications in eDNA-based surveys. We highlight the benefits and limitations of replication strategies, polymerase choice, and amplicon size across terrestrial, marine, and freshwater habitats, and provide recommendations to increase the reliability of future eDNA-based metabarcoding studies.

• Mahlangu, Sibusiso; Ewers, Isabelle; Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun; Dunthorn, Micah & Karlsen, Hans Erik [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2025). Investigating the dynamics of the aquatic community in Oslofjord through time series analysis of eDNA. Journal of Fish Biology. ISSN 0022-1112. doi: 10.1111/jfb.70105. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Understanding the temporal dynamics of marine communities is critical for assessing ecosystem health and guiding conservation efforts. Here, we conducted a survey using environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding with two primer sets, MiFish and Elas02, to investigate seasonal and interannual changes in the fish community of Oslofjord (Norway) over two consecutive years. Using the MitoFish reference database through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility querying tool, we identified 63 fish species and found significant changes in the dominant taxa between seasons and years. Clupea harengus (Atlantic herring) consistently peaked in early spring, while Scomber scombrus (Atlantic mackerel) dominated winter months in the second year. The MiFish primer set showed increased species richness in the second year, whereas the Elas02 primer set showed stable richness despite compositional turnover. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed distinct community separation between years in presence/absence of data, driven by species turnover rather than abundance read changes. Our findings support the use of eDNA metabarcoding to capture fine-scale (bi-monthly) temporal dynamics and emphasise the importance of multi-year datasets for distinguishing ecological trends from stochastic changes. This strategy improves monitoring practices for marine ecosystems under anthropogenic stressors.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de; Gehrke, Berit; Hjermann, Tilde; Thorstad, Eva Bonsak & Grainger, Matthew [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2025). Scientific assessment of risk from trade to CITES-listed species of sturgeons and paddlefishes. VKM Report. 2025:06, p. 1–97. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) has assessed whether trade with sturgeons is a risk to wild populations. For two out of eleven species, international trade is considered non-detrimental to their survival. For the remaining nine species, all trade with wild-caught fish is considered detrimental, while VKM is unable to determine whether trade with fish from aquaculture will be detrimental to the species’ survival due to lack of information. VKM is the national Scientific Authority for the Convention on International Trade with Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). We have assessed the potential detriment of international trade to sturgeons on assignment from the Norwegian Environment Agency (NEA), who are the national Management Authority under CITES. The risk assessment will be used by NEA for processing import/export permits for sturgeons and products thereof, such as caviar, in compliance with the Norwegian CITES Regulation. The assessment comprises eleven species of sturgeons and paddlefishes, of which ten have been imported to or exported from Norway the past ten years. The last species is commonly traded internationally but has yet not been imported to or exported from Norway. For each species, the assessment is based on knowledge of the species’ biology, environment, use, and level of trade. For two of the eleven species that have been assessed, international trade does not pose a threat to their survival in the wild. For the remaining nine species, all trade with wild-caught fish will be detrimental to their survival. For fish and products of fish from aquaculture, VKM is unable to determine whether international trade is detrimental to the species’ survival in the wild, as the available information on the impact of aquaculture on wild populations is conflicting and insufficient. Trade is not detrimental for the following species: Acipenser transmontanus, Polyodon spathula Not concluded for the following species: Acipenser baerii, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Acipenser naccarii, Acipenser persicus, Acipenser ruthenus, Acipenser schrenckii, Acipenser stellatus, Huso dauricus, Huso huso “Sturgeons is the most threatened group of species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Even though most of the trade is with fish from aquaculture, the level of uncertainty regarding consequences for the wild populations is high,” says Scientific Leader Eli K. Rueness. VKM proposes that the risk assessment for each species could be applied for a period of five years, unless the IUCN Red List publishes updated assessments where any of the species are given a higher risk category.

• Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa; Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira; Queiroz, Anna Karolina Oliveira de; Ferreira, Silva Derlan Jose; Barreto, Silvia Britto & Thorbek, Birgitte Lisbeth Graae [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2025). From Nets to Molecules: A Comparative Study of Stream Fish Diversity Recovery Using Different Sampling Methods in Eastern Amazonia. BioRxiv. ISSN 0362-4331. doi: 10.1101/2025.01.02.631091. Full text in Research Archive
• Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira; Gromstad, William Esbjug; Dunthorn, Micah; Karlsen, Hans Erik; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun & Ready, Jonathan Stuart [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Harnessing eDNA metabarcoding to investigate fish community composition and its seasonal changes in the Oslo fjord. Scientific Reports. 14(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60762-8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the face of global ecosystem changes driven by anthropogenic activities, effective biomonitoring strategies are crucial for mitigating impacts on vulnerable aquatic habitats. Time series analysis underscores a great significance in understanding the dynamic nature of marine ecosystems, especially amidst climate change disrupting established seasonal patterns. Focusing on Norway's Oslo fjord, our research utilises eDNA-based monitoring for temporal analysis of aquatic biodiversity during a one year period, with bi-monthly sampling along a transect. To increase the robustness of the study, a taxonomic assignment comparing BLAST+ and SINTAX approaches was done. Utilising MiFish and Elas02 primer sets, our study detected 63 unique fish species, including several commercially important species. Our findings reveal a substantial increase in read abundance during specific migratory cycles, highlighting the efficacy of eDNA metabarcoding for fish composition characterization. Seasonal dynamics for certain species exhibit clear patterns, emphasising the method's utility in unravelling ecological complexities. eDNA metabarcoding emerges as a cost-effective tool with considerable potential for fish community monitoring for conservation purposes in dynamic marine environments like the Oslo fjord, contributing valuable insights for informed management strategies.

• Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa; Gasalla, Maria A.; Queiroz, Anna Karolina Oliveira de; Ribas, Talita Fernanda Augusto; Mauvisseau, Quentin & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Molecular analyses of carangid fish diets reveal inter-predation, dietary overlap, and the importance of early life stages in trophic ecology. Ecology and Evolution. 14(1). doi: 10.1002/ece3.10817. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Carangid fishes are commercially important in fisheries and aquaculture. They are distributed worldwide in both tropical and subtropical marine ecosystems. Their role in food webs is often unclear since their diet cannot be easily identified by traditional gut content analysis. They are suspected to prey on pelagic and benthic species, with clupeiform fishes being important dietary items for some species, though it is unknown whether carangids share food resources or show trophic segregation. Here, we used metabarcoding to overcome traditional challenges of taxonomic approaches to analyze the diet of seven carangid species caught as bycatch in the Brazilian southwest Atlantic sardine fishery. Stomach contents were processed from the following species: Caranx crysos, Caranx latus, Chloroscombrus chrysurus, Hemicaranx amblyrhynchus, Oligoplites saliens, Selene setapinnis, and Trachinotus carolinus. Identified diets were dominated by teleost fishes. The C. latus diet was the most distinct among the seven species, preferentially consuming Engraulis anchoita, but H. amblyrhynchus, O. saliens, and S. setapinnis also showed a trend of predominantly consuming small pelagic fishes. Finally, we found evidence of inter-predation in carangids, especially strong between S. setapinnis and C. crysos, suggesting that consumption of early life stages may result in indirect competition through reduced recruitment in these fishes. These findings provide unprecedented insights into the biodiversity in marine ecosystems, especially the poorly known diet of carangid fishes.

• Queiroz, Anna Karolina Oliveira de; Gasalla, Maria A.; Laux, Marcele; Oliveira, Renato Renison Moreira; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa & Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Dietary metabarcoding of keystone sardine species reveals the importance of their ichthyoplankton prey in food webs of the Southern Brazilian Bight fisheries. Fisheries Oceanography. ISSN 1054-6006. doi: 10.1111/fog.12668. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Clupeiform fishes are ecologically and economically important species contributing to industrial and artisanal fisheries worldwide. They represent key links in food webs, influencing the dynamic between trophic levels. The dietary interactions of these species are poorly studied in many regions, yet essential for fisheries management. To elucidate the role of these species in food webs of the Southern Brazilian Bight pelagic fisheries, we used metabarcoding analysis of fish stomach contents of Clupeiformes and possible predators. Onboard sampling from March to September 2016 allowed for processing of 87 stomach samples representing 31 species (including 12 samples representing three species of Clupeiformes). Links between trophic levels showed the predominance of Sardinella brasiliensis and Engraulis anchoita as important dietary items of a large range of fishes (28 species belonging to 18 families) and representing the majority of the total prey read abundance assigned to clupeiform fishes (~46% and ~32%, respectively). Opisthonema oglinum contributed to the diet of 16 species in 13 families and ~18% of total read abundance of clupeiform fishes as prey. The appearance of multiple clupeiform taxa in the diet of predators that are not commonly associated with pelagic prey indicates that ecosystem-based fisheries management should not be separated between pelagic and demersal fisheries. The diet of Clupeiformes revealed an unexpectedly large diversity of fish species and a low proportion of invertebrates (<5% of clupeiform prey reads). This was likely due to a combination of both a limitation of the metabarcoding method (primer bias and low success of invertebrate taxonomic identification) as well as a contribution of early life stages (ichthyoplankton) to the diet of these fishes. The potential role of clupeiform fish populations as a constraint to the recruitment from the ichthyoplanktonic phase of other ecologically or commercially important fishes should be considered as an important direction for future studies.

• Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira; Pazirgiannidi, Melina; Ravelomanana, Tsilavina; Andriambelomanana, Fetra; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun & Ready, Jonathan Stuart [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). Multi-method survey rediscovers critically endangered species and strengthens Madagascar's freshwater fish conservation. Scientific Reports. 14(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-71398-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Freshwater ecosystems are crucial for global biodiversity through supporting plant and animal species and providing essential resources. These ecosystems are under significant threat, particularly in island environments such as Madagascar. Our study focuses on the Amboaboa River basin, home to the rare and endemic fish species Rheocles derhami, last recorded in 2013. To assess the status of this and other threatened fish species including Ptychochromis insolitus and Paretroplus gymnopreopercularis, and to understand freshwater fish population dynamics in this biodiversity hotspot, we conducted a comprehensive survey using both environmental DNA (eDNA) and traditional fishing methods. While traditional methods effectively captured a diverse range of species, including several invasive aliens and the critically endangered endemic species that were the focus of this study, the eDNA approach detected only a fraction of these introduced species and struggled to identify some critically endangered endemics at the species level. This highlights the value of combining methods to enhance species detection. We also investigated the trade-offs associated with multi-primer assessments in eDNA analysis, focusing on three different primer combinations targeting the 12S mitochondrial gene: MiFish, Tele02, and Riaz. Additionally, we provided 12S reference barcodes for 10 species across 9 genera of fishes from the region to increase the coverage of the public reference databases. Overall, our study elucidates the current state of freshwater biodiversity in the Amboaboa River basin and underscores the value of employing multiple methods for effective conservation strategies.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Flø, Daniel; Gehrke, Berit; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Eldegard, Katrine [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Scientific assessment of risk to the populations of tortoises listed by CITES as a result of trade. VKM Report. p. 1–96. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  KM has assessed the risk from international trade with tortoises for the survival of the species in the wild. Twelve species that have been imported to, or exported from, Norway since 2010, and two additional species that are traded internationally in substantial volumes, were assessed. This report provides a scientific risk assessment based on the criteria given under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Risk assessments to determine speciesspecific detriment (cf. Res. Conf. 16.7 (Rev. CoP17)), Non-detriment findings (NDFs), were made for 14 tortoise species in international trade. The NDF is a determination of impact from legal international trade on survival of the species in the wild and considers various aspects of its biology, environment, usage, and management. In this report the outcome may be positive (no detriment), negative (detriment) or inconclusive (more documentation needed and NDFs should be made case-by-case). Based on the species-specific assessments VKM concludes no detriment (positive) for eight species (Aldabrachelys gigantea, Centrochelys sulcata, Chelonoidis carbonarius, Chersina angulata, Stigmochelys pardalis, Testudo graeca, Testudo hermanni, and Testudo marginata), detriment (negative) for four species (Chelonoidis denticulatus, Indotestudo forstenii, Kinixys homeana, and Manouria emys) and inconclusive for two species (Kinixys spekii and Testudo horsfieldii). The confidence level of the individual assessments (low to high) depends on the quantity and quality of data on biology, traded volumes, and management. Uncertainties and data gaps in the species assessments were in most cases pertaining to the current statuses and trends of wild populations, the extent of illegal trade and the management of the species in their range states. VKM proposes that the NDF for the species should be applied for a period of five years unless the IUCN assessments are updated and changed. Updates should also be made for the two species that have not yet been assessed by IUCN if assessments for these should be published during the next five years. Norsk: Hovedbudskap: De fleste landskilpaddeartene som er inn- eller utført til og fra Norge er ikke truet av handel. Det viser en ny risikovurdering fra Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM). Men for noen arter reduserer internasjonal handel evnen til å overleve i naturen.

• Salazar, Maria Ariza; Engelstad, Mari; Lieungh, Eva; Laux, Marcele; Ready, Jonathan & Mauvisseau, Quentin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2024). Evaluating the feasibility of using plant-specific metabarcoding to assess forest types from soil eDNA. Applied Vegetation Science. ISSN 1402-2001. 27(4). doi: 10.1111/avsc.12806. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Questions An essential aspect of variation in natural systems is that species respond to complex environmental gradients. Recognizing plant composition gradients associated with abiotic factors (ecoclines) can be foundational for defining habitat types, which, in turn, helps map natural variation. Typically, ecoclinal structures are assessed through visual evaluation of above-ground vegetation and analysis of covarying abiotic factors. However, the correlation between ecological structures detected by soil eDNA plant assessments and those identified by visual assessment remains largely unexplored. Location Hvaler archipelago, southern Norway. Methods Plant diversity assessments were conducted using metabarcoding of the trnL (UUA) intron p6 loop and ITS2 from 31 soil samples collected across six forest types. These forest types span gradients related to drought risk and calcium richness. Results The barcode amplicons identified 70 plant taxa, primarily vascular plants (67), with most assigned to the species level (59), representing common forest taxa across the sites. Comparisons between soil eDNA compositions and theoretical forest-type compositions showed a low to medium correspondence (26% to 76%) between the two. Ordinations of soil eDNA compositions revealed two axes without clear ecological interpretation and correlated poorly with the calcium–richness gradient previously identified by visual assessments. Conclusions Overall, our results emphasize the necessity for comprehensive sequence reference libraries to conduct thorough plant biodiversity assessments. They also highlight the potential of soil eDNA to assess plant composition, which can aid in ecosystem mapping.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de; Flø, Daniel; Gehrke, Berit; Grainger, Matthew & Hermansen, Jo Skeie [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Scientific assessment of risk posed by trade to crocodilians listed by CITES. VKM Report. p. 1–100. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Handel med krokodiller er ingen trussel for artenes videre overlevelse. En ny risikovurdering fra Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM) viser at de tolv krokodilleartene som har blitt innført til eller utført fra Norge siden 2011, ikke er truet av internasjonal handel. Vurderingen ble utført på oppdrag fra Miljødirektoratet, som er nasjonal forvaltningsmyndighet for Konvensjon om internasjonal handel med truede arter av vill fauna og flora (CITES) i Norge. Vurderingen skal brukes av Miljødirektoratet når de behandler søknader om innførsel og utførsel av krokodiller og krokodilleprodukter i henhold til CITES-forskriften. VKM, som er nasjonal vitenskapelig myndighet for CITES i Norge, har undersøkt om internasjonal handel med krokodiller utgjør en trussel for artenes videre overlevelse i naturen. Det er de tolv krokodilleartene som er innført til eller utført fra Norge siden 2011 som er vurdert. Risikovurderingen for hver art er basert på kunnskap om artens biologi, miljø, forvaltning, bruksområder og handelsnivåer. VKM konkluderer med at internasjonal handel for øyeblikket ikke er til skade for noen av de tolv artenes videre overlevelse i naturen. Artene som er vurdert er: Amerikaalligator (Alligator mississippiensis) Brillekaiman (Caiman crocodilus) Bredsnutekaiman (Caiman latirostris) Spisskrokodille (Crocodylus acutus) Filippinerkrokodille (Crocodylus mindorensis) Moreletskrokodille (Crocodylus moreletii) Nilkrokodille (Crocodylus niloticus) Ny-guineakrokodille (Crocodylus novaeguineae) Saltvannskrokodille (Crocodylus porosus) Rutekrokodille (Crocodylus rhombifer) Siamkrokodille (Crocodylus rhombifer) Dvergkaiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) – Den internasjonale forvaltningen av krokodiller har vært usedvanlig velorganisert gjennom flere tiår. Derfor utgjør ikke internasjonal handel i dag en trussel selv for arter som er truet av andre grunner, som at leveområdene blir ødelagt, sier faglig leder Eli Knispel Rueness, som har ledet arbeidet. VKM foreslår at risikovurderingene for artene gis en gyldighet på ti år, med mindre Verdens naturvernunion (IUCN) i mellomtiden skulle komme med nye vurderinger av artenes bevaringsstatus som gir grunn til økt bekymring. ISBN 978-82-8259-447-9

• Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa; Thorbek, Birgitte Lisbeth Graae; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun; Melo, Silvana & Ready, Jonathan Stuart [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2024). eDNA replicates, polymerase and amplicon size impact inference of richness across habitats. BioRxiv. ISSN 0362-4331. doi: 10.1101/2024.11.19.624235. Full text in Research Archive
• Krokene, Paal; Alsanius, Beatrix; Børve, Jorunn; Flø, Daniel; Hatteland, Bjørn Arild & Joner, Erik [Show all 20 contributors for this article] (2024). Risks to Norwegian plant health posed by import of plants with soil or other growing media from Europe. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Panel on Plant Health of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report. 2024(5), p. 1–178. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/plantpestsinimportedsoilandgrowingmediarisktoplanthealth.4.6b6641cb18a179b6780c2334.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: The Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) tasked the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø, VKM) to provide a scientific opinion identifying which growing media associated with import of live plants pose the greatest risk of introducing non-native species to Norway. VKM was also asked to assess how effective various risk-reducing measures are to prevent such introductions. In this report, we focus on the introduction of plant pests. Trade in plants for planting is a large and complex international business where live plants are grown in some areas and shipped to other areas where they are intended to be planted or replanted. Traded plants are usually shipped with associated growing media. Long-lived plants, like trees and bushes, may be imported to the EU (e.g., from Asia) and traded through different countries for several years of on-growth before being shipped to Norway. Long production cycles, partly in outdoor nurseries, suggest that the import of live plants with soil or other growing media into Norway comes with a high probability of introducing plant pests. Such pests could cause severe harm to Norwegian plant health and impact both agriculture and natural ecosystems. In this scientific opinion, we describe the most used growing media and assess the risks associated with these. We further evaluate what types of plants and which exporting countries are considered to pose the highest risks for introducing plant pests. Finally, we describe different risk reduction options and assess the effectiveness of current Norwegian regulations as a tool to reduce risks. Altogether, this assessment provides a comprehensive overview of the potential risks involved in importing soil and other growing media associated with plants for planting and of possible strategies for mitigating these risks. Key findings: Growing media constituents: The most used organic growing media constituents are peat, wood fiber, and compost, but a great array of other constituents is also used. In this report, we have focused on organic constituents, as these are frequently colonized by living organisms when sourced and may support pest species by acting as a food source or as a sheltering environment that provides water, oxygen, and other crucial factors for pest survival. Growing media as a plant pest carrier: Even though most growing media constituents initially are sterile or free from any plant pests, the processes of mixing, potting, plant cultivation, transport, and storage can easily allow contamination by and propagation of pests underway from a primary source to a customer in Norway. Many organisms can colonize and survive in growing media under conditions primarily designed to keep plants alive. Growing media thus poses a risk of introducing plant pests to Norway when such media are imported together with live plants. Identified pest species: Organisms that can arrive with the import of live plants and associated growing media will include organisms that are not plant pests, known plant pests, regulated pests, and species that may be problematic even though they are not currently listed as quarantine pests. By screening two international databases (CABI, 2022; EPPO, 2024b) and performing a structured literature search, we identified a total of 651 pest species, most of which are not present in Norway, that may be associated with plants imported from Europe with soil or other growing media (154 species from CABI, 87 from EPPO, and 410 from the literature search). Due to time limitations, only 89 species were assessed for their association with soil and growing media. This evaluation included 20 species from CABI, 24 from EPPO, and 45 from the literature search, as detailed in Appendix 5. Climate suitability analyses were carried out .........

• Xu, Maonian; Zhang, Yuetuan; Wu, Bing; Zhang, Yidan; Qiao, Mingyu & Singh, Garima [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2024). A critical review of the edible seaweed Palmaria palmata (L.) Weber & Mohr and its bioactive compounds in the “omics” era. Algal Research. ISSN 2211-9264. 82. doi: 10.1016/j.algal.2024.103606. Full text in Research Archive
• Hoel, Håvard; Boer, Hugo de; Kool, Anneleen & Wangensteen, Helle (2024). Analysis of bitter compounds in traditional preparations of Gentiana purpurea L. Fitoterapia. ISSN 0367-326X. 175. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2024.105932. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Roots of Gentiana purpurea are known to have an intense bitter taste due to its high content of secoiridoids. In folk medicine roots have commonly been prepared as water decoctions, soaked in ethanol, or boiled with milk, wine, or beer. The aim of this study was to explore how various historical preparation methods influence yields of major bitter compounds in G. purpurea. HPLC-DAD analysis revealed that maceration with 40% and 70% ethanol, boiling with acetic acid (3% and 6%), vinegar and raw milk gave the highest extraction yields of gentiopicrin. Erythrocentaurin was detected when the roots were added to cold water before boiling, possibly because of enzymatic degradation. In contrast, erythrocentaurin was not detected in preparations where roots were added to boiling water, or when they were extracted with acetic acid or alcohol. The results stress the significance of traditional preparation methods to optimize yield of bioactive compounds.

• Mueck, Felicitas; Scotti, Francesca; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Thorbek, Birgitte Lisbeth Graae; Wangensteen, Helle & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Three-tiered authentication of herbal traditional Chinese medicine ingredients used in women’s health provides progressive qualitative and quantitative insight. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 15. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1353434. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal products are increasingly used in Europe, but prevalent authentication methods have significant gaps in detection. In this study, three authentication methods were tested in a tiered approach to improve accuracy on a collection of 51 TCM plant ingredients obtained on the European market. We show the relative performance of conventional barcoding, metabarcoding and standardized chromatographic profiling for TCM ingredients used in one of the most diagnosed disease patterns in women, endometriosis. DNA barcoding using marker ITS2 and chromatographic profiling are methods of choice reported by regulatory authorities and relevant national pharmacopeias. HPTLC was shown to be a valuable authentication tool, combined with metabarcoding, which gives an increased resolution on species diversity, despite dealing with highly processed herbal ingredients. Conventional DNA barcoding as a recommended method was shown to be an insufficient tool for authentication of these samples, while DNA metabarcoding yields an insight into biological contaminants. We conclude that a tiered identification strategy can provide progressive qualitative and quantitative insight in an integrative approach for quality control of processed herbal ingredients.

• Veltman, Margret; Anthoons, Bastien; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun; Gravendeel, Barbara & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Orchidinae-205: A new genome-wide custom bait set for studying the evolution, systematics, and trade of terrestrial orchids. Molecular Ecology Resources. ISSN 1755-098X. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13986. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Terrestrial orchids are a group of genetically understudied, yet culturally and economically important plants. The Orchidinae tribe contains many species that produce edible tubers that are used for the production of traditional delicacies collectively called ‘salep’. Overexploitation of wild orchids in the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Asia threatens to drive many of these species to extinction, but cost-effective tools for monitoring their trade are currently lacking. Here we present a custom bait kit for target enrichment and sequencing of 205 novel genetic markers that are tailored to phylogenomic applications in Orchidinae s.l. A subset of 31 markers capture genes putatively involved in the production of glucomannan, a water-soluble polysaccharide that gives salep its distinctive properties. We tested the kit on 73 taxa native to the area, demonstrating universally high locus recovery irrespective of species identity, that exceeds the total sequence length obtained with alternative kits currently available. Phylogenetic inference with concatenation and coalescent approaches was robust and showed high levels of support for most clades, including some which were previously unresolved. Resolution for hybridizing and recently radiated lineages remains difficult, but could be further improved by analysing multiple haplotypes and the non-exonic sequences captured by our kit, with the promise to shed new light on the evolution of enigmatic taxa with a complex speciation history. Offering a step-up from traditional barcoding and universal markers, the genome-wide custom loci targeted by Orchidinae-205 are a valuable new resource to study the evolution, systematics and trade of terrestrial orchids.

• Prince, L.M.; Mood, J.D.; Mandáková, T. & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Molecular phylogeny of Boesenbergia (Zingiberaceae) reveals shared characters and infrageneric division. Blumea - Journal of plant taxonomy and plant geography. ISSN 0006-5196. 69(1), p. 1–12. doi: 10.3767/blumea.2024.69.01.01. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The classification of Boesenbergia (Zingiberaceae) has long been a challenge, and recent insights from molecular phylogenetic studies have both raised and resolved a number of questions. Combined morphological and molecular revisions resulted in the description of new species as well as merging of Haplochorema and Jirawongsea into Boesenbergia. This study uses the most complete set of Boesenbergia accessions and sister genera to investigate the evolutionary relationships of the genus in a phylogenetic framework. This framework confirms the previously identified clades and the placement of the included accessions within those clades. These clades share being single‐flowered and having a basipetalous flowering sequence, characters uniting all taxa in Boesenbergia, but also have unique or mostly unique characters that are clade specific. In addition, the phylogeny identifies two species, B. purpureorubra and B. siamensis, that are hard to place within these clades based on both molecular and morphological data, while the morphological data points to a stronger affiliation with the clade including the type of the genus.

• Quatela, Anne-Sophie; Cangren, Patrik; Jafari, Farzaneh; Michel, Thibauld; Boer, Hugo de & Oxelman, Bengt (2023). Retrieval of long DNA reads from herbarium specimens. AoB Plants. 15(6). doi: 10.1093/aobpla/plad074. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de & Gehrke, Berit (2023). Scientific assessment of risk to the population of Rhodiola rosea listed by CITES as a result of export from Norway. VKM Report. p. 1–7. Full text in Research Archive
• Xu, Maonian; Liu, Yingkui; Möller, Erik Johan; LaGreca, Scott; Moya, Patricia & Wang, Xinyu [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2023). Mycobiont-specific primers facilitate the amplification of mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA: a focus on the lichenized fungal genus Melanelia (Ascomycota, Parmeliaceae) in Iceland. MycoKeys. ISSN 1314-4057. 96, p. 57–75. doi: 10.3897/mycokeys.96.100037. Full text in Research Archive
• Wendmu, Tsedal Asres; Semere, Tesfakiros; Kovi, Mallikarjuna Rao; Ring, Kristoffer; Boer, Hugo de & Abera, Fetien Abay [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). “People Gathered by Sorghum”: Cultural Practices and sorghum Diversity in Northern Ethiopia. Human Ecology. ISSN 0300-7839. 51, p. 923–935. doi: 10.1007/s10745-023-00442-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Sorghum is an important crop in the livelihoods of Kunama and Tigrayan farmers in Northern Ethiopia and we present here a study of what factors have shaped the genetic diversity of the varieties cultivated in neighboring communities of the two ethnolinguistic groups. Using a combination of methods from crop science and cultural anthropology, we investigate patterns of historical and contemporary relationships between crop genetic diversity and cultural and social factors. The spatial genetic structure reveals patterns of ethnolinguistic differentiation and admixture that reflect deep affinities between cultures and crops, but the seed systems of the two communities are also open to exchange and gene-flow. Our findings highlight the importance of understanding cultural factors for genetic resource conservation, as well as for plant breeding and seed system development efforts.

• Bommerlund, Julie; Baars, Jan-Robert; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun; Brys, Rein; Mauvisseau, Christophe & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). eDNA-based detection as an early warning tool for detecting established and emerging invasive amphipods. Management of Biological Invasions. ISSN 1989-8649. 14(2), p. 321–333. doi: 10.3391/mbi.2023.14.2.09. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen (2023). Non-detriment finding for leopard (Panthera pardus). VKM Report. p. 1–9. Full text in Research Archive
• Baudry, Thomas; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Arqué, Alexandre; Goût, Jean-Pierre; Delaunay, Carine & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Environmental DNA survey to detect an endemic cryptic fish, Anablepsoides cryptocallus, in tropical freshwater streams. Aquatic conservation. ISSN 1052-7613. 33(3), p. 325–335. doi: 10.1002/aqc.3916. Full text in Research Archive
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de; Eldegard, Katrine; Gehrke, Berit; Grainger, Matthew & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for Heptner’s markhor. VKM Report. p. 1–6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Heptner’s markhor population in the Republic of Tajikistan has been surveyed repeatedly between 2014 and 2021 and has been documented to be increasing. In Tajikistan, trophy hunting of Heptner’s markhor is permitted within hunting management areas and is subjected to an annual quota. The hunt is run by local conservancies with the goal of being beneficial to both conservation of the markhor and development of the local community in the area. The IUCN Species Survival Commission Caprinae Specialist Group (IUCN SSC/CSG) advices the Committee for Environmental Protection of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on management and conservation strategies for the growing markhor population. The exporter of the trophy is the LLC Oxus Holding conservancy in the Shamsiddin Shohin district of the Kahtlon region that was surveyed in 2021. VKM concludes that the import of one trophy of Capra falconeri heptneri to Norway from the LLC Oxus Holding co

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de; Gehrke, Berit; Grainger, Matthew & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for Heptner’s markhor. VKM Report. p. 1–6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Heptner’s markhor population in the Republic of Tajikistan has been surveyed repeatedly between 2014 and 2021 and has been documented to be increasing. In Tajikistan, trophy hunting of Heptner’s markhor is permitted within hunting management areas and is subjected to an annual quota. The hunt is run by local conservancies with the goal of being beneficial to both conservation of the markhor and development of the local community in the area. The IUCN Species Survival Commission Caprinae Specialist Group (IUCN SSC/CSG) advices the Committee for Environmental Protection of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on management and conservation strategies for the growing markhor population. The exporter of the trophy is the LLC Oxus Holding conservancy in the Shamsiddin Shohin district of the Kahtlon region that was surveyed in 2021. VKM concludes that the import of one trophy of Capra falconeri heptneri to Norway from the LLC Oxus Holding conservancy in Tajikistan will not be detrimental to the survival of this species in the wild.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de; Eldegard, Katrine; Gehrke, Berit; Grainger, Matthew & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for Heptner’s markhor. VKM Report. p. 1–6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Heptner’s markhor population in the Republic of Tajikistan has been surveyed repeatedly between 2014 and 2021 and has been documented to be increasing. In Tajikistan, trophy hunting of Heptner’s markhor is permitted within hunting management areas and is subjected to an annual quota. The hunt is run by local conservancies with the goal of being beneficial to both conservation of the markhor and development of the local community in the area. The IUCN Species Survival Commission Caprinae Specialist Group (IUCN SSC/CSG) advices the Committee for Environmental Protection of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on management and conservation strategies for the growing markhor population. The exporter of the trophy is the LLC Oxus Holding conservancy in the Shamsiddin Shohin district of the Kahtlon region that was surveyed in 2021. VKM concludes that the import of one trophy of Capra falconeri heptneri to Norway from the LLC Oxus Holding conservancy in Tajikistan will not be detrimental to the survival of this species in the wild.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de; Eldegard, Katrine & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). VKM Report. p. 1–4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The golden eagle has a large and stable population and is listed as a species of Least Concern, globally, in Europe and in Norway. The feathers for export are taken from a prepared specimen of unknown geographic origin. VKM concludes that the export of eight Aquila chrysaetos feathers from Norway to the US for personal purposes will not be detrimental to the survival of the species.

• Helmstetter, Andrew J.; Zenil-Ferguson, Rosana; Sauquet, Hervé; Otto, Sarah P.; Méndez, Marcos & Vallejo-Marin, Mario [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2023). Trait-dependent diversification in angiosperms: Patterns, models and data. Ecology Letters. ISSN 1461-023X. doi: 10.1111/ele.14170. Full text in Research Archive
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de; Eldegard, Katrine & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). VKM Report. p. 1–4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The golden eagle has a large and stable population and is listed as a species of least Concern, globally, in Europe and in Norway. The feathers for export are taken from a prepared specimen of unknown geographic origin. VKM concludes that the export of eight Aquila chrysaetos feathers from Norway to the US for personal purposes will not be detrimental to the survival of the species.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de & Guldbrandsen, Asmyhr Maria (2023). Non-detriment finding for broadsnouted caiman. VKM Report. p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive
• Eldegard, Katrine; Boer, Hugo de; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for white-tailed sea-eagle. VKM Report. p. 1–9. Full text in Research Archive
• Eldegard, Katrine; Boer, Hugo de; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for export of osprey from Norway to Ireland. VKM Report. p. 1–7. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de & Gehrke, Berit (2023). Scientific assessment of risk to the population of Rhodiola rosea listed by CITES as a result of export from Norway. VKM Report. p. 1–7. Full text in Research Archive
• Eldegard, Katrine; Boer, Hugo de; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for export of osprey from Norway to Ireland. VKM Report. p. 1–7. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de; Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen; Flø, Daniel; Gehrke, Berit; Grainger, Matthew & Hermansen, Jo Skeie [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Scientific assessment of risk to populations of pythons listed by CITES as a result of trade. VKM Report. 17, p. 1–115. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This report provides a scientific risk assessment of the effects that international trade in selected species of pythons (Pythonidae spp.) and python products may have on populations of these species. The assessment is based on the criteria given under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The risk assessment is limited to species in the genera Apodora, Aspidites, Liasis, Malayopython, Morelia, and Python imported/exported to/from Norway since 2010 (ToR §3). Risk assessments to determine species-specific detriment (cf. Res. Conf. 16.7 (Rev. CoP17) Non-detriment findings) were made for 17 species using a standardized approach. Significant data gaps affected the degree of uncertaintyassociated with the assessments. Data gaps are mostly related to populations, trends, and illegal trade. Population and trade data for many species was more than a decade old and might therefore not reflect the current situation for these species. Based on the species-specific detriment assessments VKM concludes no detriment for 12 species (Apodora papuana, Aspidites melanocephalus, Liasis mackloti, Malayopython reticulatus, Morelia bredli, Morelia spilota, Morelia viridis, Python anchietae, Python bivittatus, Python breitensteini, Python brongersmai, Python curtus). For one species, VKM concludes detriment (Morelia boeleni). For two species, a split conclusion is made based on the region of origin (Python regius and Python sebae). Furthermore, sufficient data was lacking for Malayopython timoriensis and VKM is therefore unable to make a detriment assessment. The final species, Python molurus, is CITES Appendix I listed and should not be traded for commercial purposes. The degree of uncertainty associated with each assessment varied based on data availability and this is indicated as a confidence level of the individual assessments (low to high)

• Bachmann, Lutz; Beermann, Jan; Brey, Thomas; Boer, Hugo de; Dannheim, Jennifer & Edvardsen, Bente [Show all 20 contributors for this article] (2023). The role of systematics for understanding ecosystem functions: Proceedings of the Zoologica Scripta Symposium, Oslo, Norway, 25 August 2022. Zoologica Scripta. ISSN 0300-3256. 52(3), p. 187–214. doi: 10.1111/zsc.12593. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract On 25 August 2022, the Zoologica Scripta ‐ An International Journal of Systematic Zoology and the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters arranged a symposium entitled ‘The role of systematics for understanding ecosystem functions’ in the Academy's premises in Oslo, Norway. The symposium aimed at offering a forum for exploring and discussing trends and future developments in the field of systematics. Eleven international experts contributed expertise on various issues related to global challenges, such as biodiversity assessments, databases, cutting‐edge analysis tools, and the consequences of the taxonomic impediment. Here, we compiled a multi‐author proceedings paper of the symposium contributions that are arranged in chapters and presents the content and the key conclusions of the majority of the presentations.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de & Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen (2023). Non-detriment finding for grey wolf (Canis lupus). VKM Report. p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive
• Eldegard, Katrine; Boer, Hugo de; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for white-tailed sea-eagle. VKM Report. p. 1–9. Full text in Research Archive
• Mueck, Felicitas; Scotti, Francesca; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Raclariu, Ancuta Cristina; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun & Wangensteen, Helle [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2023). Complementary authentication of Chinese herbal products to treat endometriosis using DNA metabarcoding and HPTLC shows a high level of variability. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 14. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1305410. Full text in Research Archive
• Raclariu-Manolică, Ancuţa Cristina; Mauvisseau, Quentin & Boer, Hugo de (2023). Horizon scan of DNA-based methods for quality control and monitoring of herbal preparations. Frontiers in Pharmacology. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1179099. Full text in Research Archive
• Raclariu, Ancuta Cristina; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Paranaiba, Renato; Boer, Hugo de & Socaciu, Carmen (2023). Authentication of milk thistle commercial products using UHPLC-QTOF-ESI + MS metabolomics and DNA metabarcoding. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies. 23(1). doi: 10.1186/s12906-023-04091-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Milk thistle is one of the most popular hepatoprotectants, and is often sold in combination with other ingredients. Botanical supplements are known to be vulnerable to contamination and adulteration, and emerging technologies show promise to improve their quality control. Methods Untargeted and semi-targeted metabolomics based on UHPLC-QTOF-ESI+MS techniques, UV spectrometry, and DNA metabarcoding using Illumina MiSeq were used to authenticate eighteen milk thistle botanical formulations (teas, capsules, tablets, emulsion). Results Untargeted metabolomics separated 217 molecules and by multivariate analysis the discrimination between the different preparations was established. The semi-targeted metabolomics focused on 63 phytochemicals, mainly silymarin flavonolignans and flavonoids, that may be considered as putative biomarkers of authenticity. All formulations contained molecules from silymarin complexes at different levels. The quantitative evaluation of silybins was done using in parallel UV spectrometry and UHPLC-QTOF-ESI+MS and their correlations were compared. DNA metabarcoding detected milk thistle in eleven out of sixteen retained preparations, whereas two others had incomplete evidence of milk thistle despite metabolomics validating specific metabolites, e.g., silymarin complex, identified and quantified in all samples. Meanwhile, the DNA metabarcoding provided insights into the total species composition allowing the interpretation of the results in a broad context. Conclusion Our study emphasizes that combining spectroscopic, chromatographic, and genetic techniques bring complementary information to guarantee the quality of the botanical formulations.

• Burian, Alfred; Bruce, Kat; Tovela, E; Bakker, Judith; Balcells, Laia & Bennett, R [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2023). Merging two eDNA metabarcoding approaches and citizen-science-based sampling to facilitate fish community monitoring along vast Sub-Saharan coastlines. Molecular Ecology Resources. ISSN 1755-098X. 23(7), p. 1641–1655. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13839. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract The coastline of Sub‐Saharan Africa hosts highly diverse fish communities of great conservation value, which are also key resources for local livelihoods. However, many costal ecosystems are threatened by overexploitation and their conservation state is frequently unknown due to their vast spatial extent and limited monitoring budgets. Here, we evaluated the potential of citizen science‐based eDNA surveys to alleviate such chronic data deficiencies and assessed fish communities in Mozambique using two 12S metabarcoding primer sets. Samples were either collected by scientific personnel or trained community members and results from the two metabarcoding primers were combined using a new data merging approach. Irrespective of the background of sampling personnel, a high average fish species richness was recorded (38 ± 20 OTUs per sample). Individual sections of the coastline largely differed in the occurrence of threatened and commercially important species, highlighting the need for regionally differentiated management strategies. A detailed comparison of the two applied primer sets revealed an important trade‐off in primer choice with MiFish primers amplifying a higher number of species but Riaz primers performing better in the detection of threatened fish species. This trade‐off could be partly resolved by applying our new data‐merging approach, which was especially designed to increase the robustness of multiprimer assessments in regions with poor reference libraries. Overall, our study provides encouraging results but also highlights that eDNA‐based monitoring will require further improvements of, for example, reference databases and local analytical infrastructure to facilitate routine applications in Sub‐Saharan Africa.

• Anderson, Bruce; Pannell, John; Billiard, Sylvain; Burgarella, Concetta; Boer, Hugo de & Dufay, Mathilde [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2023). Opposing effects of plant traits on diversification. iScience. 26(4). doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106362. Full text in Research Archive
• Masters, Susanne; Anthoons, Bastien; Madesis, Panagiotis; Saroja, Seethapathy G.; Schermer, Maarten & Gerritsen, Wilfred [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2022). Quantifying an online wildlife trade using a web crawler. Biodiversity and Conservation. ISSN 0960-3115. 31, p. 855–869. doi: 10.1007/s10531-022-02367-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Legally protected plants are illegally traded through online sales platforms and orchids are a significant component of this wildlife trade. This study focused on salep, a compound product made from wild collected orchid tubers from several genera—including Anacamptis, Dactylorhiza, Himantoglossum, Ophrys, Orchis, Serapias—whose harvest endangers some of the species used, despite their collection and sale being restricted by national and international legislation. Using a custom designed web crawler in combination with DNA barcoding of a subset of products over 18 months 1942 items of salep were detected as sold at a total value of US$ 37,775, estimated to be equivalent to 90,000 to 180,000 wild orchids being destructively harvested. Wild harvested tubers traded at a value of $0.21 and equivalent cultivated orchids have a market price of $16–28; cultivation is currently no viable alternative to wild harvesting. Using a web crawler on open trade sites contributes to knowledge on illegal wildlife trade, which can be used to address illegal plant trade at the national and international level.

• Anthoons, Bastien; Lagiotis, Georgios; Drouzas, Andreas D.; Boer, Hugo de & Madesis, Panagiotis (2022). Barcoding High Resolution Melting (Bar-HRM) enables the discrimination between toxic plants and edible vegetables prior to consumption and after digestion. Journal of Food Science. ISSN 0022-1147. p. 1–12. doi: 10.1111/1750-3841.16253. Full text in Research Archive
• Wendmu, Tsedal Asres; Cuni-Sanchez, Aida; Abebe, Haftom Temesgen; Boer, Hugo de; Abera, Fetien Abay & Westengen, Ola Tveitereid (2022). Cultural Effects on Sorghum Varieties Grown, Traits Preferred, and Seed Management Practices in Northern Ethiopia. Economic Botany. ISSN 0013-0001. 76, p. 233–249. doi: 10.1007/s12231-022-09555-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Cultural Effects on Sorghum Varieties Grown, Traits Preferred, and Seed Management Practices in Northern Ethiopia. Agrobiodiversity is fundamentally shaped by farmers’ preferences and management practices, and these are again shaped by the farmers’ social and cultural background. This study investigates variety preferences and seed management practices in the crop sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) among the Kunama and the Tigrayan ethnolinguistic groups living side by side in Northern Ethiopia. Surveys were conducted in 10 villages located in two districts inhabited by the two ethnolinguistic groups and analyzed using descriptive and multinominal analysis. We find important differences in varieties grown across the ethnolinguistic groups, but we also find that ethnicity and geographic proximity interact and affect trait preference and seed management practices. Altogether, 22 varieties are cultivated, and few farmers cultivated improved varieties, especially among the Kunama. Respondents considered use traits as important as agronomic traits when selecting sorghum varieties. Notably, preferred use traits were not limited to food (e.g., construction materials were important for the Kunama), and preferred agronomic traits were not focused on drought resistance. Timing of seed selection, seed selection criteria (e.g., panicle size and color), and seed storage practices differed among the ethnic groups. Understanding cultural and social preferences towards sorghum varieties, their traits, and the criteria used for seed management is crucial for the success of crop breeding programs, climate change adaptation policies, and development interventions.

• Boer, Hugo de; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen (2022). Non-detriment finding for Bornean orangutang (Pogo pygmaeus). VKM Report. p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive
• Hien, Le Thi Thu; Nguyen, Linh Nhat; Pham, Hang Le Bich; Hao, Thi My Le; Toan, Duc Luong & Hue, Thi Thu Huynh [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2022). Target Capture Reveals the Complex Origin of Vietnamese Ginseng. Frontiers in Plant Science. 13. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.814178. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The global market of the medicinal plant ginseng is worth billions of dollars. Many ginseng species are threatened in the wild and effective sustainable development initiatives are necessary to preserve biodiversity at species and genetic level whilst meeting the demand for medicinal produce. This is also the case of Panax vietnamensis Ha &amp;amp; Grushv., an endemic and threatened ginseng species in Vietnam that is locally cultivated at different scales and has been the object of national breeding programs. To investigate the genetic diversity within cultivated and wild populations of P. vietnamensis we captured 353 nuclear markers using the Angiosperm-353 probe set. Genetic diversity and population structure were evaluated for 319 individuals of Vietnamese ginseng across its area of distribution and from wild and a varying range of cultivated areas. In total, 319 individuals were sampled. After filtering, 1,181 SNPs were recovered. From the population statistics, we observe high genetic diversity and high genetic flow between populations. This is also supported by the STRUCTURE analysis. The intense gene flow between populations and very low genetic differentiation is observed regardless of the populations' wild or cultivated status. High levels of admixture from two ancestral populations exist in both wild and cultivated samples. The high gene flow between populations can be attributed to ancient and on-going practices of cultivation, which exist in a continuum from understorey, untended breeding to irrigated farm cultivation and to trade and exchange activities. These results highlight the importance of partnering with indigenous peoples and local communities and taking their knowledge into account for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development of plants of high cultural value.

• Nesbakken, Truls; Steinshamn, Håvard; Thomsen, Iben Margrete; Basic, Dean; Klem, Thea B. Blystad & Gifstad, Tron Øystein [Show all 25 contributors for this article] (2022). Importation of roughage to Norway - Implications for plant health, biodiversity, animal and human health. Opinion of the Scientific Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report. 2022(02). Full text in Research Archive
• Xu, Maonian; Oppong-Danquah, Ernest; Wang, Xiaoyu; Oddsson, Sebastian; Abdelrahman, Asmaa & Pedersen, Simon Vilms [Show all 20 contributors for this article] (2022). Novel methods to characterise spatial distribution and enantiomeric composition of usnic acids in four Icelandic lichens. Phytochemistry. ISSN 0031-9422. 200. doi: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2022.113210. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Usnic acid is an antibiotic metabolite produced by a wide variety of lichenized fungal lineages. The enantiomers of usnic acid have been shown to display contrasting bioactivities, and hence it is important to determine their spatial distribution, amounts and enantiomeric ratios in lichens to understand their roles in nature and grasp their pharmaceutical potential. The overall aim of the study was to characterise the spatial distribution of the predominant usnic acid enantiomer in lichens by combining spatial imaging and chiral chromatography. Specifically, separation and quantification of usnic acid enantiomers in four common lichens in Iceland was performed using a validated chiral chromatographic method. Molecular dynamics simulation was carried out to rationalize the chiral separation mechanism. Spatial distribution of usnic acid in the lichen thallus cross-sections were analysed using Desorption Electrospray Ionization-Imaging Mass Spectrometry (DESI-IMS) and fluorescence microscopy. DESI-IMS confirmed usnic acid as a cortical compound, and revealed that usnic acid can be more concentrated around the algal vicinity. Fluorescence microscopy complemented DESI-IMS by providing more detailed distribution information. By combining results from spatial imaging and chiral separation, we were able to visualize the distribution of the predominant usnic acid enantiomer in lichen cross-sections: (+)-usnic acid in Cladonia arbuscula and Ramalina siliquosa, and (−)-usnic acid in Alectoria ochroleuca and Flavocetraria nivalis. This study provides an analytical foundation for future environmental and functional studies of usnic acid enantiomers in lichens.

• Polling, Marcel; Sin, Melati; Weger, Letty A de; Speksnijder, Arjen; Koenders, Mieke M.J.F. & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). DNA metabarcoding using nrITS2 provides highly qualitative and quantitative results for airborne pollen monitoring. Science of the Total Environment. ISSN 0048-9697. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150468. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Airborne pollen monitoring is of global socio-economic importance as it provides information on presence and prevalence of allergenic pollen in ambient air. Traditionally, this task has been performed by microscopic investigation, but novel techniques are being developed to automate this process. Among these, DNA metabarcoding has the highest potential of increasing the taxonomic resolution, but uncertainty exists about whether the results can be used to quantify pollen abundance. In this study, it is shown that DNA metabarcoding using trnL and nrITS2 provides highly improved taxonomic resolution for pollen from aerobiological samples from the Netherlands. A total of 168 species from 143 genera and 56 plant families were detected, while using a microscope only 23 genera and 22 plant families were identified. NrITS2 produced almost double the number of OTUs and a much higher percentage of identifications to species level (80.1%) than trnL (27.6%). Furthermore, regressing relative read abundances against the relative abundances of microscopically obtained pollen concentrations showed a better correlation for nrITS2 (R2 = 0.821) than for trnL (R2 = 0.620). Using three target taxa commonly encountered in early spring and fall in the Netherlands (Alnus sp., Cupressaceae/Taxaceae and Urticaceae) the nrITS2 results showed that all three taxa were dominated by one or two species (Alnus glutinosa/incana, Taxus baccata and Urtica dioica). Highly allergenic as well as artificial hybrid species were found using nrITS2 that could not be identified using trnL or microscopic investigation (Alnus × spaethii, Cupressus arizonica, Parietaria spp.). Furthermore, perMANOVA analysis indicated spatiotemporal patterns in airborne pollen trends that could be more clearly distinguished for all taxa using nrITS2 rather than trnL. All results indicate that nrITS2 should be the preferred marker of choice for molecular airborne pollen monitoring.

• Salazar, Maria Ariza; Fouks, Bertrand; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Halvorsen, Rune; Alsos, Inger Greve & Boer, Hugo de (2022). Plant biodiversity assessment through soil eDNA reflects temporal and local diversity. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. 14(2), p. 415–430. doi: 10.1111/2041-210X.13865. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  1. Several studies have shown the potential of eDNA-based proxies for plant identification, but little is known about their spatial and temporal resolution. This limits its use for plant biodiversity assessments and monitoring of vegetation responses to environmental changes. Here we calibrate the temporal and spatial plant signals detected with soil eDNA surveys by comparing with a standard visual above-ground vegetation survey.<p> <p>2. Our approach compares vegetation in an old-growth boreal forest in southern Norway, surveyed in 100 permanent 1-m2 plots seven times over a 30-year period, with a single soil eDNA metabarcoding-based survey from soil samples collected at the same 100 plots in the year of the last vegetation survey. <p>3. On average, 60% and 10% of the vascular plants and bryophytes recorded across all vegetation surveys were detected by soil eDNA. Taxa detected by soil eDNA were more representative for the local taxa pool than for the specific plot, and corresponded to those surveyed over the 30-year period although most closely matched the current taxa composition. Soil eDNA detected abundant taxa better than rare ones although both rare taxa and taxa unrecorded by the visual survey were detected. <p>4. Our study highlights the potential of soil eDNA assessments for monitoring of vegetation responses over broad spatial and temporal scales. The method's ability to detect abundant taxa makes it suitable for assessment of vegetation composition in a specific area and for broad-scale plant diversity assessments.

• Cadavid, Isabel Cristina; Giraldo, Carlos E.; Balbinott, Natalia; González, Mailyn Adriana; Uribe, Sandra Inés & Boer, Hugo de (2022). Molecular identification of the economically important Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum (Solanaceae) using DNA barcodes. Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology. ISSN 0971-7811. doi: 10.1007/s13562-022-00773-6. Full text in Research Archive
• Eldegard, Katrine; Flø, Daniel; Kirkendall, Lawrence Richard; Malmstrøm, Martin; Nielsen, Anders & Rasmussen, Claus [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2022). Assessment of the risks to honey bees and biodiversity in Norway posed by the predatory wasp species Vespa velutina and V. mandarinia - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered species of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Enviroment. VKM Report. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Med varmere klima er det mulig at asiatisk geithams (Vespa velutina) kan spre seg til Norge. Det er usannsynlig at japansk geithams (Vespa mandarina) vil spre seg til Norge.

• Schure, Anneke ter; Bruch, Angela A.; Kandel, Andrew W.; Gasparyan, Boris; Bussmann, Rainer W. & Brysting, Anne Krag [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Sedimentary ancient DNA metabarcoding as a tool for assessing prehistoric plant use at the Upper Paleolithic cave site Aghitu-3, Armenia. Journal of Human Evolution. ISSN 0047-2484. 172. doi: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103258. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Current knowledge about Paleolithic human plant use is limited by the rare survival of identifiable plant remains as well as the availability of methods for plant detection and identification. By analyzing DNA preserved in cave sediments, we can identify organisms in the absence of any visible remains, opening up new ways to study details of past human behavior, including plant use. Aghitu-3 Cave contains a 15,000-yearlong record (from ∼39,000 to 24,000 cal BP) of Upper Paleolithic human settlement and environmental variability in the Armenian Highlands. Finds from this cave include stone artifacts, faunal remains, bone tools, shell beads, charcoal, and pollen, among others. We applied sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) metabarcoding to the Aghitu-3 sedimentary sequence and combined this with pollen data to obtain a temporal reconstruction of plant assemblages. Our results reveal a stratification of plant abundance and diversity where sedaDNA reflects periods of human occupation, showing higher diversity in layers with increased human activity. Low pollen concentrations combined with high sedaDNA abundance indicate plant remains may have been brought into the cave by animals or humans during the deposition of the lower two archaeological horizons. Most of the recovered plants are reported to be useful for food, flavor, medicine, and/or technical purposes, demonstrating the potential of the environment around Aghitu-3 Cave to support humans during the Upper Paleolithic. Moreover, we identified several specific plant taxa that strengthen previous findings about Upper Paleolithic plant use in this region (i.e., for medicine and the manufacturing and dyeing of textiles). This study represents the first application of plant sedaDNA analysis of cave sediments for the investigation of potential plant use by prehistoric humans.

• Kausrud, Kyrre Linné; Vandvik, Vigdis; Flø, Daniel; Geange, Sonya Rita; Hegland, Stein Joar & Hermansen, Jo Skeie [Show all 26 contributors for this article] (2022). Impacts of climate change on the boreal forest ecosystem. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report. 2022(15). Full text in Research Archive
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Kvie, Kjersti Sternang; Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland; Boer, Hugo de; Eldegard, Katrine & Hindar, Kjetil [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2022). Compilation of knowledge on the global population of common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report. 2022(01), p. 1–48. Full text in Research Archive
• Nielsen, Anders; Måren, Inger Elisabeth; Rosef, Line; Kirkendall, Lawrence Richard; Malmstrøm, Martin & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2021). Assessment of possible adverse consequences for biodiversity when planting vascular plants outside their natural range in Norway - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). VKM Report. 2021(15), p. 1–97. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  We sow or plant vascular plant species on a large scale in revegetation and restoration projects in Norway today. Some of the species used are already found in Norway, but many of the species, subspecies or populations used though native are not local, that is, they are regionally alien. A regionally alien species is a species that is native to Norway (has been in Norway since 1800) somewhere in the country, but which has been spread by humans to places in Norway where they do not occur. In theory, and according to the Biodiversity Act, it is desirable to use local seeds or plants to preserve local biodiversity. The aim of this report is to define guidelines that helps prevent the planting of vascular plant species with a high potential for negative effects on local biodiversity. It is assumed that the native or local populations are better adapted to local environmental conditions than populations from other areas or regions, and the risk of harmful genetic changes is therefore considered small when using local plant and seed sources. Arriving at a common definition for the area within which plants are “local” is difficult, though; vascular plant species are numerous (3317 species in mainland Norway, of which more than half are alien species introduced after 1800, Artdatabanken 2015), have different growth forms, different environmental requirements, and different reproductive and dispersal ecology. Even closely related vascular plant species can differ in such characteristics and hence in the extent of the "place" or “area”. The dispersal ecology of a plant species is of great importance for whether the species has genetically distinct populations within its range or not. Different strategies (wind pollination vs. insect pollination, vegetative propagation vs. seed dispersal, large seeds vs. small seeds) have an impact on the degree of gene flow between populations and thus also how locally adapted the species is in different areas. Whether the species has primarily vegetative reproduction or whether it spreads mainly by means of seeds, and whether the seed dispersal takes place ballistically, with wind or water, or by zookori (attached to animals or eaten by animals) determines how far the species can spread and how large gene flow there is between different populations. Whether the species is pollinated by wind or by the help of insects also affects the degree of gene flow differently. In Norway, there is great variation in many biophysical and ecological conditions (climate, topography, hydrology, and geology) over relatively short distances. This means that species that grow only a few meters apart can grow under different environmental conditions. This large variation in environmental conditions - on different spatial scales - can give rise to local genetic adaptation. However, plants have been moved around the landscape for several hundred years by our livestock (as seeds in fur and hooves, and in faeces) from lowland pasture to mountain pasture and along traffic arteries across the country due to the extensive transport of animals and people. Over time, this has led to expanded geographical distribution for several species and increased gene flow between populations over relatively large distances. .............

• Velle, Gaute; Edsman, Lennart; Evangelista, Charlotte; Johnsen, Stein Ivar; Malmstrøm, Martin & Vrålstad, Trude [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2021). Assessment of the risk to Norwegian biodiversity from import and keeping of crustaceans in freshwater aquaria. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report. 2021(02), p. 1–377. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Key words: Risk assessment, Crayfish, Shrimps, Crabs, Climate change, Aphanomyces astaci, White spot syndrome, Alien species, Biological invasion Introduction The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) was requested by the Norwegian Environment Agency to assess the risk of negative impacts to biodiversity in Norway resulting from import of crustacean decapods for keeping in freshwater aquariums. VKM was asked to 1) list species of crayfish, crabs and shrimps that are currently kept in freshwater aquaria in Norway, and species that are likely to be kept in freshwater aquaria in Norway within the next 10 years, 2) assess the ability of the species to survive under Norwegian conditions and cause impacts on ecosystems and other species, and 3) state the potential negative effects on the biological diversity of diseases caused by pathogens, regulated under the Norwegian Food Act. Methods The risk assessment, without focus on pathogens, was performed in two steps. First, we used a pre-screening toolkit to identify species of crayfish, crabs and shrimps with potential to become invasive in freshwater habitats in Norway. Each species was given an invasiveness score based on 55 questions on biogeography, ecology, and climate change. In a second step, a full risk assessment, including the potential impacts of pathogens, was conducted on those species receiving the highest invasiveness score. This assessment included questions on the organism’s probability of entry and pathways of entry, establishment and spread, potential impacts on biodiversity, and how climate change scenarios might affect the assessment. Likelyhood and confidence was assessed for each question. In conclusion, each species was designated as either low-, moderate-, or high risk. Many crustacean decapod species are confirmed or suspected carriers of pathogens that can cause mass mortality among native crustaceans. The risk posed by crustaceans as carriers of pathogens may be independent of the environmental risk that they pose through ecological interactions. Therefore, the four crustacean disease pathogens that are regulated under the Norwegian Food Act, were assessed separately. These include Aphanomyces astaci causing crayfish plague, white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) causing white spot disease, Taura syndrome virus (TSV) causing Taura syndrome, and yellow head virus genotype 1 (YHV1) causing yellow head disease. The assessments comprised questions on the pathogen’s probability of entry (as a hitchhiker organism with imported crustaceans), pathways of entry, establishment and spread, and potential impact on crustacean biodiversity. Likelihood and confidence were assessed for each question. In conclusion, each pathogen was designated as either low-, moderate-, or high risk. In a third step, we categorized the likelihood that a crustacean species introduces a pathogen associated with a high- or moderate risk into: I) known chronic carriers, II) suspected chronic carriers, III) suspected situational carrier, IV) possible pathogen transmitters, and V) no direct or circumstantial evidence for carrier status or pathogen transmission in the genus. Results Based on information from the Norwegian Pet Trade Association, the project group listed 112 taxa (mainly species and some genera) of freshwater crayfish, crabs and shrimps that are relevant for trade in Norway. These included 38 crayfish taxa, 28 crab taxa, and 45 shrimp taxa. In addition, one marine crab was included. Sixteen species of crayfish, four species of shrimps, and two species of crabs underwent a full ecological risk assessment. The probabilities of entry both into the aquarium trade in Norway, and potentially further into Norwegian nature, were based on the prevalence of the species in the aquarium trade in Norway. We assumed that all species were equally likely to escape captivity or to be .........

• Trucchi, Emiliano; Benazzo, Andrea; Lari, Martina; Iob, Alice; Vai, Stefania & Nanni, Laura [Show all 25 contributors for this article] (2021). Ancient genomes reveal early Andean farmers selected common beans while preserving diversity. Nature Plants. ISSN 2055-026X. 7, p. 123–128. doi: 10.1038/s41477-021-00848-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  All crops are the product of a domestication process that started less than 12,000 years ago from one or more wild populations1,2. Farmers selected desirable phenotypic traits (such as improved energy accumulation, palatability of seeds and reduced natural shattering3) while leading domesticated populations through several more or less gradual demographic contractions2,4. As a consequence, the erosion of wild genetic variation5 is typical of modern cultivars, making them highly susceptible to pathogens, pests and environmental change6,7. The loss of genetic diversity hampers further crop improvement programmes to increase food production in a changing world, posing serious threats to food security8,9. Using both ancient and modern seeds, we analysed the temporal dynamics of genetic variation and selection during the domestication process of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) in the southern Andes. Here, we show that most domestic traits were selected for before 2,500 years ago, with no or only minor loss of whole-genome heterozygosity. In fact, most of the changes at coding genes and linked regions that differentiate wild and domestic genomes are already present in the ancient genomes analysed here, and all ancient domestic genomes dated between 600 and 2,500 years ago are highly variable (at least as variable as modern genomes from the wild). Single seeds from modern cultivars show reduced variation when compared with ancient seeds, indicating that intensive selection within cultivars in the past few centuries probably partitioned ancestral variation within different genetically homogenous cultivars. When cultivars from different Andean regions are pooled, the genomic variation of the pool is higher than that observed in the pool of ancient seeds from north and central western Argentina. Considering that most desirable phenotypic traits are probably controlled by multiple polymorphic genes10, a plausible explanation of this decoupling of selection and genetic erosion is that early farmers applied a relatively weak selection pressure2 by using many phenotypically similar but genetically diverse individuals as parents. Our results imply that selection strategies during the past few centuries, as compared with earlier times, more intensively reduced genetic variation within cultivars and produced further improvements by focusing on a few plants carrying the traits of interest, at the cost of marked genetic erosion within Andean landraces.

• Polling, Marcel; Li, Chen; Cao, Lu; Verbeek, Fons; Weger, Letty A de & Belmonte, Jordina [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). Neural networks for increased accuracy of allergenic pollen monitoring. Scientific Reports. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-90433-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Monitoring of airborne pollen concentrations provides an important source of information for the globally increasing number of hay fever patients. Airborne pollen is traditionally counted under the microscope, but with the latest developments in image recognition methods, automating this process has become feasible. A challenge that persists, however, is that many pollen grains cannot be distinguished beyond the genus or family level using a microscope. Here, we assess the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to increase taxonomic accuracy for airborne pollen. As a case study we use the nettle family (Urticaceae), which contains two main genera ( Urtica and Parietaria ) common in European landscapes which pollen cannot be separated by trained specialists. While pollen from Urtica species has very low allergenic relevance, pollen from several species of Parietaria is severely allergenic. We collect pollen from both fresh as well as from herbarium specimens and use these without the often used acetolysis step to train the CNN model. The models show that unacetolyzed Urticaceae pollen grains can be distinguished with &gt; 98% accuracy. We then apply our model on before unseen Urticaceae pollen collected from aerobiological samples and show that the genera can be confidently distinguished, despite the more challenging input images that are often overlain by debris. Our method can also be applied to other pollen families in the future and will thus help to make allergenic pollen monitoring more specific.

• Manzanilla, Vincent; Toneu, Irene Teixidor; Martin, Gary; Hollingsworth, Peter M.; Boer, Hugo de & Kool, Anneleen (2021). Using target capture to address conservation challenges: Population-level tracking of a globally-traded herbal medicine. Molecular Ecology Resources. ISSN 1755-098X. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13472. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The promotion of responsible and sustainable trade in biological resources is widely proposed as one solution to mitigate current high levels of global biodiversity loss. Various molecular identification methods have been proposed as appropriate tools for monitoring global supply chains of commercialized animals and plants. Here, we demonstrate the efficacy of target capture genomic barcoding in identifying and establishing the geographic origin of samples traded as Anacyclus pyrethrum, a medicinal plant assessed as globally vulnerable in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Samples collected from national and international supply chains were identified through target capture sequencing of 443 low-copy nuclear makers and compared to results derived from genome skimming of plastome and DNA barcoding of standard plastid regions and ITS. Both target capture and genome skimming provided approximately 3.4 million reads per sample, but target capture largely outperformed standard plant barcodes and entire plastid genome sequences. We were able to discern the geographical origin of Anacyclus samples collected in Moroccan, Indian and Sri Lankan markets, differentiating between plant materials originally harvested from diverse populations in Algeria and Morocco. Dropping costs of analysing samples enables the potential of target capture to routinely identify commercialized plant species and determine their geographic origin. It promises to play an important role in monitoring and regulation of plant species in trade, supporting biodiversity conservation efforts, and in ensuring that plant products are unadulterated, contributing to consumer protection.

• Helmstetter, Andrew; Glémin, Sylvain; Käfer, Jos; Zenil-Ferguson, Rosana; Sauquet, Hervé & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2021). Pulled Diversification Rates, Lineages-Through-Time Plots, and Modern Macroevolutionary Modeling. Systematic Biology. ISSN 1063-5157. 71(3), p. 758–773. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syab083. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Estimating time-dependent rates of speciation and extinction from dated phylogenetic trees of extant species (timetrees), and determining how and why they vary, is key to understanding how ecological and evolutionary processes shape biodiversity. Due to an increasing availability of phylogenetic trees, a growing number of process-based methods relying on the birth-death model have been developed in the last decade to address a variety of questions in macroevolution. However, this methodological progress has regularly been criticised such that one may wonder how reliable the estimations of speciation and extinction rates are. In particular, using lineages-through-time (LTT) plots, a recent study (Louca and Pennell, 2020) has shown that there are an infinite number of equally likely diversification scenarios that can generate any timetree. This has led to questioning whether or not diversification rates should be estimated at all. Here we summarize, clarify, and highlight technical considerations on recent findings regarding the capacity of models to disentangle diversification histories. Using simulations we illustrate the characteristics of newly-proposed “pulled rates” and their utility. We recognize that the recent findings are a step forward in understanding the behavior of macroevolutionary modelling, but they in no way suggest we should abandon diversification modelling altogether. On the contrary, the study of macroevolution using phylogenetic trees has never been more exciting and promising than today. We still face important limitations in regard to data availability and methods, but by acknowledging them we can better target our joint efforts as a scientific community.

• Rodríguez-Ezpeleta, Naiara; Morissette, Olivier; Bean, Colin W.; Manu, Shivakumara; Banerjee, Pritam & Lacoursière-Roussel, AnaIs [Show all 26 contributors for this article] (2021). Trade-offs between reducing complex terminology and producing accurate interpretations from environmental DNA: Comment on “Environmental DNA: What's behind the term?” by Pawlowski et al., (2020). Molecular Ecology. ISSN 0962-1083. doi: 10.1111/mec.15942. Full text in Research Archive
• Saroja, Seethapathy Gopalakrishnan; Wold, Christian Winther; Ravikumar, Kaliamoorthy; Boer, Hugo de & Wangensteen, Helle (2021). Ethnopharmacology, biological activities and chemical compounds of Canarium strictum: An important resin-yielding medicinal tree in India. Fitoterapia. ISSN 0367-326X. 152, p. 104920–104920. doi: 10.1016/j.fitote.2021.104920. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The resin of Canarium strictum Roxb. is used for rheumatism and asthma; the bark is used as a mosquito repellent. The major compounds in the resin are triterpenoids, but as no studies have been performed on the bark, this study investigated this economically important resource. Ten folk healers were interviewed about their medicinal uses of C. strictum. Resin and bark were extracted with dichloromethane followed by methanol using accelerated solvent extraction. The extracts were fractionated using different chromatographic methods, and isolated compounds were identified by NMR spectroscopy and GC–MS. Resin and bark extracts were investigated for DPPH radical scavenging, 15-lipoxygenase inhibition, effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-activated dendritic D2SC/I cells and toxicity against Artemia salina nauplii. Traditional healers used resin to treat colds, airway afflictions and rheumatoid arthritis. α-Amyrin and β-amyrin were identified as the major constituents in the dichloromethane resin extract. From the stem bark, procyanidins, gallic acid, methyl gallate, scopoletin, 3,3′-di-O-methylellagic acid 4-O-α-arabinofuranoside and elephantorrhizol (3,3′,4′,5,6,7,8-heptahydroxyflavan) were isolated and identified. By GC–MS, α-amyrin and β-amyrin and their acetates, lupeol, and taraxasterol were identified. Radical scavenging, 15-lipoxygenase inhibitory activity and inhibition of NO production was observed from resin and bark extracts, and no toxicity towards Artemia salina nauplii was found. Triterpenoids and procyanidins are the major compounds in C. strictum resin and stem bark, respectively. The high content of triterpenoids might contribute to anti-inflammatory effects and give a rationale for the widespread usage of the resin in India.

• Ribas, Talita; Sales, João Bráullio de Luna; Boer, Hugo de; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Oliveira, Renato Renison Moreira & Laux, Marcele [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2021). Unexpected diversity in the diet of Doryteuthis sanpaulensis (Brakoniecki, 1984) (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) from the southern Brazilian sardine fishery identified by metabarcoding. Fisheries Research. ISSN 0165-7836. doi: 10.1016/j.fishres.2021.105936. Full text in Research Archive
• Hedrén, Mikael; Birkedal, Sven; Boer, Hugo de; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset; Gravendeel, Barbara & Hansson, Sven [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Asymmetric contributions of seed and pollen to gene dispersal in the marsh orchid Dactylorhiza umbrosa in Asia Minor. Molecular Ecology. ISSN 0962-1083. 30(8), p. 1791–1805. doi: 10.1111/mec.15848. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Orchids differ from other plants in their extremely small and partly air-filled seeds that can be transported long distances by wind. Seed dispersal in orchids is expected to contribute strongly to overall gene flow, and orchids generally express low levels of genetic differentiation between populations and low pollen to seed flow ratios. However, studies in orchids distributed in northern Europe have often found a poor geographic structuring of genetic variation. Here, we studied geographic differentiation in the marsh orchid Dactylorhiza umbrosa, which is widely distributed in upland regions from Asia Minor to Central Asia. These areas were less affected by Pleistocene ice ages than northern Europe and the orchid should have been able to survive the last ice age in local refugia. In the plastid genome, which is dispersed by seeds, populations at close distance were clearly divergent, but the differentiation still increased with geographic distance, and a significant phylogeographic structure had developed. In the nuclear genome, which is dispersed by both seeds and pollen, populations showed an even stronger correlation between genetic and geographic distance, but average levels of differentiation were lower than in the plastid genome, and no phylogeographic structure was evident. Combining plastid and nuclear data, we found that the ratio of pollen to seed dispersal (mp/ms) decreases with physical distance. Comparison with orchids that grow in parts of Europe that were glaciated during the last ice suggests that a balanced structure of genetic diversity develops only slowly in many terrestrial orchids, despite efficient seed dispersal.

• Thorstad, Eva Bonsak; Garseth, Åse Helen; Gjøen, Tor; Gulla, Snorre; Lo, Håvard & Malmstrøm, Martin [Show all 22 contributors for this article] (2021). Assessment of the risk of negative impact on biodiversity from import and release of eggs or live fish from landlocked Atlantic salmon from Klarälven in Sweden to Trysilelva in Norway. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report. 2021(04). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction Atlantic salmon in the River Klarälven in Sweden live the entire life in freshwater, undertaking feeding migrations to Lake Vänern. The upper part of the watershed is in Norway and comprises the River Trysilelva and associated rivers and lakes. Atlantic salmon previously lived in the Norwegian part of the watershed but were lost due to the construction of 11 hydropower stations that block the upstream migration from Vänern. The power stations also cause a high mortality among downstream migrating fish. Tagging studies showed that there is 71-84% mortality of juveniles (smolts) and 100% mortality of adults during downstream migration past the eight lowermost power stations. Extensive mitigation measures are needed to reduce the mortality of downstream migrants and reestablish a population that can reach areas in Norway naturally without being captured in Sweden and transported to Norway. In 2015, the total costs of establishing fishways bypassing the power stations and securing safe downstream migration was estimated to be 1000 million SEK. To compensate for a decline of salmon due to lost habitat, hatchery-produced juveniles have been released in the watershed for more than 100 years, and adult salmon have been captured in the lower reaches of Klarälven and released in upstream reaches. After the Höljes power station was built, 80% of the salmon transported upstream were released upstream of Höljes. In 1993, the Norwegian government stopped these releases due to the large mortality of downstream migrating fish at the power stations. The releases had already been stopped from late summer 1988 due to bacterial kidney disease (BKD) outbreaks in salmon populations in the watershed. Since 1988, transported fish have been released upstream of Edsforsen in Sweden, and have not been able to reach Norway. Aim of report The Norwegian Environment Agency asked VKM to carry out a risk assessment of three specified methods that can be used to reestablish salmon in the Norwegian part of the watershed. This risk assessment is pertinent because the occurrence of alien organisms and infectious agents have developed differently in the Swedish and Norwegian parts of the watershed after salmon became unable to migrate through the river system. In 2013, the fish parasite Gyrodactylus salaris was detected in Klarälven, but has not been recorded in Norwegian parts of the watershed. Here, we assess the risk of negative impacts on native biodiversity by importing Atlantic salmon eggs or live adults from Klarälven to Norway. Three methods of importing eggs or adults were assessed: I. Import of fertilised eggs to a local hatchery in Norway, which are planted in the river in the spring or hatched and released as juveniles or smolts. II. Import of fertilised eggs that will be used to establish a long-term broodstock in Norway using the gene bank model, from which eggs can be planted into the river, or transferred to a local hatchery with subsequent release of juveniles or smolts. III. Import of adult salmon spawners that are captured in the lower parts of Klarälven in Sweden, transported in tanks and released in the Norwegian parts of the watershed. Methods The risk assessment was based on a literature review and qualitative assessment of each of the three methods of importing eggs or adults. The risk of impacts on native biodiversity and ecosystems was assessed for infectious agents, including parasites, bacterial pathogens, and viruses, and for other alien species. For each of the infectious agents and alien species, the risk is based on the product of the magnitude of the potential negative impact to native biodiversity and ecosystems, and the likelihood that negative consequences occur. The risk assessment concludes in terms of low, moderate, or high risk. .......................

• Ichim, Mihael Cristi & Boer, Hugo de (2021). A Review of Authenticity and Authentication of Commercial Ginseng Herbal Medicines and Food Supplements. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 11. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.612071. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ginseng traditional medicines and food supplements are the globally top selling herbal products. Panax ginseng , Panax quinquefolius and Panax notoginseng are the main commercial ginseng species in herbal medicine. Prices of ginseng products vary widely based on the species, quality, and purity of the used ginseng, and this provides a strong driver for intentional adulteration. Our systematic literature search has reviewed the authenticity results of 507 ginseng-containing commercial herbal products sold in 12 countries scattered across six continents. The analysis of the botanical and chemical identity of all these products shows that 76% are authentic while 24% were reported as adulterated. The number of commercial products as well as the percentage of adulteration varies significantly between continents, being highest in South America (100%) and Australia (75%), and lower in Europe (35%), North America (23%), Asia (21%) and Africa (0%). At a national level, from the five countries for which more than 10 products have been successfully authenticated, the highest percentage of adulterated ginseng products were purchased from Taiwan (49%), followed by Italy (37%), China (21%), and USA (12%), while all products bought in South Korea were reported to be authentic. In most cases, labeled Panax species were substituted with other Panax species, but substitution of ginseng root, the medicinally recommended plant part, with leaves, stems or flowers was also reported. Efficient and practical authentication using biomarkers to distinguish the main ginseng varieties and secondary metabolite spectra for age determination are essential to combat adulteration in the global marketplace.

• Abihudi, Siri; Boer, Hugo de & Treydte, Anna C (2021). Conservation status revision and communities' perceptions of 22 Aloe species in Tanzania. Plant Ecology and Evolution. ISSN 2032-3913. 154(3), p. 391–404. doi: 10.5091/PLECEVO.2021.1838. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background and aims – Many Aloe species are globally threatened due to overharvesting for trade and habitat destruction. CITES regulates their international trade. In Tanzania, 50% of all existing Aloe species had previously been assessed, though some of these assessments were Data Deficient. For those with sufficient data, an update is required as the rate of decline has rapidly increased over the last years. Material and methods – We estimated Area of Occupancy (AOO), Extent of Occurrence (EOO), and number of locations for 22 Tanzanian Aloe species using the Geospatial Conservation Assessment software (GeoCAT). We assessed the reasons leading to their decline based on direct field observations and community perceptions. Key results – We revised the conservation status of 22 Aloe species; two were assessed as Critically Endangered, ten as Endangered, five as Vulnerable, and five as Least Concern. We re-discovered the Critically Endangered Aloe boscawenii, which had not been seen in Tanzania for more than six decades. We propose to downgrade the endemic Aloe dorotheae, Aloe leptosiphon, and Aloe flexilifolia from Critically Endangered to a lower threat level. The community perception on Aloe species availability did not accurately reflect their categorisation based on the IUCN criteria B. We identified agricultural activities and climate change effects as the two main threats to Tanzanian Aloe species.Conclusion – We conclude that overall numbers are declining for 22 Aloe species in Tanzania, mainly due to human activities. We recommend the implementation of laws and policies to protect their natural habitats.

• Moiloa, Ntwai A; Mesbah, Melilia; Nylinder, Stephan; Manning, John; Forest, Félix & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Biogeographic origins of southern African Silene (Caryophyllaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. ISSN 1055-7903. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107199. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Silene (Caryophyllaceae) is distributed predominantly in the northern Hemisphere, where it is most diverse around the Mediterranean Basin. The genus is also well represented in North Africa, extending into tropical, sub-Saharan and southern Africa. Eight native species are recognized in southern Africa, taxonomically placed in two sections: Elisanthe and Silene s.l. Although the taxonomy of the southern African taxa has recently been revised, their phylogenetic relationships and biogeographic history remain unclear. This study aims to infer the phylogenetic position and geographic origins of the southern African taxa. We generated DNA sequences of nuclear and plastid loci from several individuals belonging to all eight species of Silene recognized from southern Africa, and combined our DNA sequences with existing data representing species from major clades (i.e. sections) based on the recently revised Silene infrageneric taxonomy. We used a Bayesian coalescent species tree continuous diffusion approach to co-estimate the species tree and the ancestral areas of representative members of the genus. Our results show that the perennial southern African members of section Elisanthe form a strongly-supported clade with the Eurasian annual S. noctiflora and the Central Asian perennial S. turkestanica. The rest of the perennial species form a strongly-supported clade together with the annual S. aethiopica, which is nested in a larger Mediterranean clade comprising mostly annual species classified in section Silene s.l. Estimates of ancestral areas indicate a late Pleistocene dispersal to southern Africa from central and East Africa for the sub-Saharan members of section Silene s.l. The Elisanthe clade is inferred to have colonized southern Africa through long-distance dispersal from Eurasia during the late Pleistocene. Our findings support the hypothesis of a relatively recent colonization into southern Africa resulting from two independent dispersal events during the Pleistocene.

• Raclariu-Manolică, Ancuţa Cristina; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Kierczak, Marcin; Rafati, Nima; Thorbek, Birgitte Lisbeth Graae & Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). DNA Metabarcoding for Quality Control of Basil, Oregano, and Paprika. Frontiers in Plant Science. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.665618. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Herbs and spices are some of the most vulnerable products in terms of fraud and adulteration in the food sector. Although standard analytical methods are accurate for quality control of specific lead or marker compounds, they cannot accurately assess the entire species composition of many marketed products. Complementary analytical approaches are thus often used for comprehensive screening of herbs and spices. In this study we evaluate DNA metabarcoding for the identification and authentication of 62 products, containing basil, oregano, and paprika collected from different retailers and importers in Norway. Our results show varying degrees of discrepancy between the constituent species and those listed on the product labels, despite high product authenticity. We suggest the false positives result from the sensitivity of DNA metabarcoding and filtering thresholds should be integrated into protocols to reduce false positives. Our results highlight how integrating DNA metabarcoding into the toolbox of analytical methods for quality control of fresh and/or processed plant-based food can improve product quality.

• Polling, Marcel; Schure, Anna Theresia Maria Ter; Geel, Bas van; Bokhoven, Tom van; Boessenkool, Sanne & MacKay, Glen [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2021). Multiproxy analysis of permafrost preserved faeces provides an unprecedented insight into the diets and habitats of extinct and extant megafauna. Quaternary Science Reviews. ISSN 0277-3791. 267, p. 1–16. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107084. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The study of faecal samples to reconstruct the diets and habitats of extinct megafauna has traditionally relied on pollen and macrofossil analysis. DNA metabarcoding has emerged as a valuable tool to complement and refine these proxies. While published studies have compared the results of these three proxies for sediments, this comparison is currently lacking for permafrost preserved mammal faeces. Moreover, most metabarcoding studies have focused on a single plant-specific DNA marker region. In this study, we target both the commonly used chloroplast trnL P6 loop as well as nuclear ribosomal ITS (nrITS). The latter can increase taxonomic resolution of plant identifications but requires DNA to be relatively well preserved because of the target length (∼300–500 bp). We compare DNA results to pollen and macrofossil analyses from permafrost and ice-preserved faeces of Pleistocene and Holocene megafauna. Samples include woolly mammoth, horse, steppe bison as well as Holocene and extant caribou. Most plant identifications were found using DNA, likely because the studied faeces contained many vegetative remains that could not be identified using macrofossils or pollen. Several taxa were, however, identified to lower taxonomic levels uniquely with macrofossil and pollen analysis. The nrITS marker provides species level taxonomic resolution for commonly encountered plant families that are hard to distinguish using the other proxies (e.g. Asteraceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae). Integrating the results from all proxies, we are able to accurately reconstruct known diets and habitats of the extant caribou. Applying this approach to the extinct mammals, we find that the Holocene horse and steppe bison were not strict grazers but mixed feeders living in a marshy wetland environment. The mammoths showed highly varying diets from different non-analogous habitats. This confirms the presence of a mosaic of habitats in the Pleistocene ‘mammoth steppe’ that mammoths could fully exploit due to their flexibility in food choice.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen; Boer, Hugo de; Eldegard, Katrine; Hole, Lars Robert & Hindar, Kjetil [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2020). A CITES risk assessment for polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Opinion of the Panel on alien organisms and trade in endangered species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report. 2020(06), p. 1–85. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Key words: Ursus maritimus, CITES, polar bear, Non-Detriment Finding, Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, Norwegian Environment Agency, VKM Background: Canada is the only nation in the world that allows commercial export of polar bear products harvested from its own wild populations. Norway is among the destinations for exported material. Polar bears are listed on CITES appendix II and on list B of the Norwegian CITES Regulation. Import of harvested polar bears to Norway requires both export permits from the Canadian CITES authorities and import permits from the Norwegian Environment Agency. Consequently, a Non-Detriment Finding (NDF) is mandated and was commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency (Norwegian Management Authority for CITES) to the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) (Norway’s CITES Scientific Authority). The NDF is a scientific risk assessment evaluating whether or not international trade can be detrimental to the survival of polar bears. The risk assessment may also be used by the Norwegian Environment Agency to assess whether the polar bears should be placed on Norwegian CITES list A. Currently, the IUCN/SSC Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG) recognizes 19 subpopulations of polar bears in the circumpolar Arctic, of which 13 reside wholly (9) or partly (4) in Canada. Together, these 13 populations account for about two thirds of the world’s total polar bear population. This risk assessment considers the populations that are within the hunting areas. Methods: VKM has reviewed current knowledge about polar bear biological characteristics, population status and trends in subpopulations. Scenarios for the future development of the Arctic environment, to which the species is inextricably adapted, are presented. Habitat loss due to declining sea ice is widely recognized as the main threat to polar bears, and this, as well as other obstacles to the species survival, has been evaluated. The various legislations, regulations and monitoring regimes of the range countries are briefly summarised. Moreover, international trade in polar bear products has been analysed. VKM has further undertaken an assessment of data quality and uncertainties. In order to gain access to the most recent information on polar bear biology and management, four scientists from the PBSG were interviewed and the transcripts of the interviews (with consent from the hearing experts) are attached to this report. Results: The best scientific knowledge available for polar bears in Canada suggests that four subpopulations are in decline, two are stable, and one is increasing, while the population trends for the remaining subpopulations are unknown. Noteworthy, all the estimates of population size are highly uncertain. Survey methods also changed between the 2008 and 2018 population estimates used for quota setting. Moreover, data are in most areas collected too infrequently to detect rapid changes in population size. Particularly, under changing environmental conditions. The prognosis for the Arctic marine environment points towards continuing habitat loss and inevitably further decline for the polar bear population. Analyses of data from the CITES trade database reveal a dynamic international market for polar bear products with significant changes in destination countries and the purpose for transactions. The United States was the main importer of polar bear products, mainly hunting trophies, until listing the polar bear as a threatened species in 2008. In more recent years, China has become the major importer, with hides being the preferred product. Simultaneously with these changes, there has been a significant increase in the price of polar bear hides. Conclusion: Several polar bear subpopulations are in decline. Predictions of continuing habitat loss points to further decline. While not the main threat to polar bear survival, international trade .......

• Hindar, Kjetil; Hole, Lars Robert; Kausrud, Kyrre Linné; Malmstrøm, Martin; Rimstad, Espen & Robertson, Lucy [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2020). Assessment of the risk to Norwegian biodiversity and aquaculture from pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report. 2020(01), p. 1–157. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Key words: VKM, risk assessment, Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, Norwegian Environment Agency, Norwegian Food Safety Authority Introduction: The Norwegian Environment Agency and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority asked the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment to assess the risk to Norwegian biodiversity, to the productivity of native salmonid populations, and to aquaculture, from the spread and establishment of pink salmon in Norwegian rivers, and to assess mitigation measures to prevent the spread and establishment of this alien species. Pink salmon is native to rivers around the northern Pacific Ocean. The species usually has a strict two-year life cycle, with populations spawning in even and odd years being genetically isolated. Fertilized eggs of pink salmon were transferred from Sakhalin Island to Northwest Russia in the late 1950s, and fry were released in rivers draining to the White Sea. The first abundant return to rivers in Northwest Russia, as well as to Norway and other countries in northwestern Europe, was recorded in 1960. Stocking with fish from Sakhalin was terminated in 1979. By then, no self-sustaining populations had been established. From 1985 onwards, stocking in White Sea rivers was resumed with fish from rivers in the more northerly Magadan oblast on the Russian Pacific, resulting in the establishment of reproducing populations. Stocking was continued until 1999, when the last batch of evenyear fertilized eggs was imported, and the fry released in spring 2000. Thus, all pink salmon caught after 2001 in the Northeast Atlantic and the Atlantic side of the Arctic Ocean including the Barents Sea, as well as in rivers draining into these seas, are the result of reproduction in the wild. Pink salmon is now established with abundant and increasing stocks in Northwest Russia and regular occurrence in rivers in eastern Finnmark. Catches of odd-year adult pink salmon in Northwest Russia were usually below 100 tonnes before 2001 and increased to an annual average of 220.5 tonnes during the period 2001-2017. Even-year returns are smaller than odd-year returns both in Northwest Russia and in Norway. The number of pink salmon recorded in Norwegian rivers peaked in 2017, with a high number of fish in eastern Finnmark, and substantial numbers recorded in rivers all along the coast of Norway and in other European countries. In 2019, the area with abundant returns expanded in comparison with 2017, to include rivers in western Finnmark and Troms. The recorded numbers were perhaps lower in southern Norway in 2017 than in 2019 (full statistics not available when this report was finalised), but also in southern Norway there were more pink salmon in 2019 than in any year before 2017. The large numbers of pink salmon in western Finnmark and Troms in 2019 may indicate an expansion of the area in Norway with abundant odd-year pink salmon returns. In some small rivers in eastern Finnmark, between 1000 and 1500 pink salmon were fished out by local people in 2019, demonstrating the magnitude of the potential impact in terms of numbers of pink salmon. We cannot rule out that this will not happen over larger parts of Norway in the coming years. The even-year strain of pink salmon only occurs in low numbers in Russian rivers, as well as Norwegian, rivers. Adult pink salmon enter the rivers from early July, and spawning occurs in AugustSeptember. Spawning habitat requirements are like those of native salmonids: Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and Arctic charr. Spawning of pink salmon occurs earlier than the native salmonids, but observations in 2019 indicate a possible overlap with native salmonids in September in northern Norway. . Pink salmon eggs hatch in late winter or spring, and the alevins remain in the gravel until most of the yolk sac has been resorbed. Emerging fry are approximately 30 mm in length. ...................

• Abihudi, Siri; Venkataramana, Pavithravani; Boer, Hugo de & Treydte, Anna C (2020). Species-specific responses of “Critically Endangered” and “Least Concern” Aloe seed germination to environmental conditions in Tanzania. Global Ecology and Conservation. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01241. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The majority of Aloe species are threatened by anthropogenic activities, trade, and the effects of climate change, but little is known on seed biology and appropriate conservation measures. Hence, understanding the germination behaviour of Aloe species will help in mitigating the negative effect of changing environmental conditions. “Critically Endangered” (A. boscawenii and A. pembana) and “Least Concern” (A. lateritia, A. volkensii and A. secundiflora) Aloe species’ seed germination was tested under various environmental parameters which are said to be crucial for Aloe species seed germination and included treatments of possible climate change scenarios. We varied temperature, light, scarification, KNO3 addition and salinity and compared the response of the “Critically Endangered” versus the “Least Concern” Aloe species. “Least Concern” Aloe species were used as a control because they have adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions in contrast to “Critically Endangered” Aloe species, which often have a restricted range and specific environmental needs. All Aloe species germinated best at moderate temperatures (25 °C–30 °C) and low KNO3 levels (0.01 mg/l). Dark conditions triggered higher germination percentages for all Aloe species except for A. boscawenii. Saline water suppressed the germination of all Aloe species compared to Aloe species grown in distilled water medium only. Aloe seeds grown in filter paper distilled water medium germinated better than Aloe seeds grown on a soil medium. The “Least concern” (IUCN Red List) A. lateritia germinated better than other species, followed by “Critically endangered” A. pembana and A. secundiflora. Generally, Aloe seed germination is nurtured by moderate temperatures and low concentrations of KNO3. Hence, the effect of global warming will affect the survival of most Aloe species. The better germination performance under shade highlights the importance of parent plants, or at least a healthy canopy cover, in the Aloe species habitat. Aloe seeds showed species-specific responses to various environmental conditions (except for A. pembana), which reflects their Red List status.

• Xu, Maonian; Boer, Hugo de; Olafsdottir, Elin Soffia; Ómarsdóttir, Sesselja & Heiðmarsson, Starri (2020). Phylogenetic diversity of the lichenized algal genus Trebouxia (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta): a new lineage and novel insights from fungal-algal association patterns of Icelandic cetrarioid lichens (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota). Botanical journal of the Linnean Society. ISSN 0024-4074. doi: 10.1093/botlinnean/boaa050. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Lichens have high tolerance to harsh environmental conditions, where lichen symbiont interactions (e.g. myco- and photobionts) may play a crucial role. The characterization of fungal-algal association patterns is essential to understand their symbiotic interactions. This study investigated fungal-algal association patterns in Icelandic cetrarioid lichens using a multi-locus phylogenetic framework, including fungal nrITS, MCM7, mtSSU, RPB1 and RPB2 and algal nrITS, nrLSU, rbcL and mtCOXII data. Most Icelandic cetrarioid lichenized fungi were found to be specifically associated to the known Trebouxia clade “S” (Trebouxia simplex/suecica group), whereas the lichen-forming fungus Cetrariella delisei forms a symbiosis with a previously unrecognized lineage of Trebouxia, provisionally named as the “D” clade. This new Trebouxia lineage is supported by maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses using all four included algal loci.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen; Boer, Hugo de; Eldegard, Katrine; Hindar, Kjetil & Hole, Lars Robert [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2020). Status and trade assessment of parrots listed in CITES Appendix I. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and trade in endangered species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report. 2020(15), p. 1–129. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Key words: Psittaciformes, CITES, Appendix I parrots, Status and trade assessment, Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment, Norwegian Environment Agency, VKM Background: Parrots are one of the most species-rich groups of birds of which the majority inhabits tropical and subtropical forests. Nearly one-third of parrots are threatened with extinction (IUCN categories CR, EN or VU) and more than half of the world’s parrot species are assumed to be decreasing in numbers. Parrots are popular pets on all continents, mainly due to their colourful feathers, their capacity to mimic the human voice, and their tolerance to life in captivity. More than 250 species have been traded internationally. Since the inception of CITES in 1975, trade of about 12 million live wild-sourced parrots has been registered. Currently, 55 parrot species are listed on CITES Appendix I (Norwegian CITES regulation list A) that includes the most endangered among CITES-listed animals and plants. In compliance with CITES, Norway only permits import for commercial purposes of Appendix I listed parrots bred in captivity in operations included in the Secretariat's Register (Resolution Conf. 12.10 (Rev. CoP15). Presently, 9 of the Appendix I parrot species are bred in such facilities. Import of Appendix I species to Norway requires permits both from the exporter’s CITES authority and the Norwegian Environment Agency (Norwegian CITES Management Authority). All legal transactions of CITES Appendix I listed species should be recorded in the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) Trade Database. However, discrepancies are common, demonstrating that the trade monitoring is not accurate. Moreover, several studies suggest that regardless of efforts to regulate trade, the global conservation situation for parrots may be worse than estimated by the IUCN species statuses. Even though habitat loss is the main threat to most parrot species, it has been suggested that priority should be given to conservation actions aimed at reducing the illegal capture of wild parrots for the pet trade. As Norway’s CITES Scientific Authority, the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM) was assigned by the Norwegian Environment Agency to assess the status of populations and trade for Appendix I parrot species. Methods: As different trade patterns are typical for different geographic regions, the species were initially divided into three groups: Africa, Australasia and Central and South America. For species with commercial trade registered in the UNEP-WCMC trade database after year 2010 a full assessment was made. In addition, two species for which negative impact from illegal trade is suspected were also fully assessed. The assessments are based on the Norwegian Cites Regulation and Article III of the Convention and Resolution 16.7(Rev.CoP17). Information on the parrot species assessed in this report were gathered from the text accounts published by BirdLife International and Birds of the World as well as literature cited in the text. Results: VKM undertook full assessments of the population status and trade for 26 of the 55 CITES Appendix I species. The species assessments are presented as fact sheets. They each contain a brief summary of the species’ biology (name, taxonomy, distribution, life history, habitat and role in ecosystem), populations and trends, threats and conservation status, population surveillance and regulations, evaluation of legal/illegal trapping and trade, overall assessment of data quality and references. We found that the quantity, as well as quality, of the information available for the Appendix I parrot species varied much. This was the case for data on general biology, population size and trends and levels of illegal trade. For all of the 23 of species for which commercial trade was registered since 2010 in the UNEP-WCMC trade database discrepancies ........

• Mood, John; Ardiyani, Marlina & Boer, Hugo de (2020). Nomenclatural changes in Zingiberaceae: Haplochorema is reduced to Boesenbergia. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore. ISSN 0374-7859. doi: 10.26492/gbs72(1).2020-08. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The history of Haplochorema K.Schum. (Zingiberaceae) is reviewed, its morphology is compared to Boesenbergia Kuntze and the molecular phylogenetic position is shown in relation to other Zingiberaceae. Based on a comparative analysis of molecular and morphological data, Haplochorema is reduced to Boesenbergia with eight new combinations. A lectotype for Boesenbergia loerzingii (Valeton) K.Larsen ex M.F.Newman, Lhuillier & A.D.Poulsen is designated here.

• Ghorbani, Abdolbaset; Mosaddegh, Mahmoud & Boer, Hugo de (2020). Molecular Authentication of Radix Behen Albi (“Bahman Sefid”) Commercial Products Reveals Widespread Adulteration. Research Journal of Pharmacognosy. ISSN 2345-4458. doi: 10.22127/rjp.2020.226989.1570. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background and objectives: The roots of Centaurea behen L., (Asteraceae) known as Radix Behen Albi are used as an aphrodisiac, anti-lithiasis and general tonic. It is available as dried or powdered roots in the herbal markets of Iran. Confirming the identity of this medicinal root using conventional methods is challenging because of lack of the diagnostic characters and market samples are easy to misidentify or adulterate. Methods: This study aimed to authenticate 13 Radix Behen Albisamples purchased from different herbal markets in Iran and to identify the potential adulterants through DNA barcoding. Nuclear (nrITS) and plastid (trnL-F spacer, matK and rbcL) DNA regions were used as barcoding markers. A reference database was compiled using sequences from herbarium voucher specimens and publicly available sequences. Results: Among used barcode regions nrITS was the best marker for species identification followed by trnL-F spacer. MatK and rbcL were able to identify samples to the family level. This study showed that none of the market samples belonged to the authentic Centaurea behen L. Sixty-nine percent of samples were Cousinia spp. (Asteraceae), 23% Korshinskya spp. (Apiaceae) and 8% Crambe spp. (Brassicaceae). This substitution does not only hinder consumers obtain the desired medicinal effects of Radix Behen Albi but also raises concerns about the pharmacovigilance of this medicinal root sold in the markets. Conclusion: The present study shows the need for monitoring and authentication of crude herbal drugs in the markets of Iran, and that DNA barcoding is a suitable tool for this purpose.

• Masters, Susanne; Andel, Tinde R. van; Boer, Hugo de; Heijungs, Reinout & Gravendeel, Barbara (2020). Patent analysis as a novel method for exploring commercial interest in wild harvested species. Biological Conservation. ISSN 0006-3207. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108454. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Wildlife trade is a threat to species survival and wild collected orchids are a notable component of it. In the first systematic patent review of any wild species, we find many innovative and industrial uses of orchids, using the example of traditional product salep made with wild harvested Mediterranean and Central Asian terrestrial orchids. Despite considerable interest in the conservation of these orchids, no systematic analysis of innovation and technology transfer had been conducted for natural products using them. Our systematic review on salep found 244 patent applications, of which 89 were granted, spanning 163 years from 1855 to 2018. Uses included industrial materials and contemporary medicine formulations. This recalibration of the value of salep using patent analysis shows that, rather than being restricted to two specific products of limited regional circulation, these orchids are a rich source of unique materials with myriad applications around the world. In order to conserve wild terrestrial orchids collected for salep, conservation science must engage with the full extent of the utility of and commercial interest in these particular orchids. Additionally we demonstrate how conservationists can use patents as a source of information on incipient commercial interest in wild species.

• Schure, Anneke ter; Anusree, Ajitha Kumari Sethu KumaranPil; Thorbek, Birgitte Lisbeth Graae; Shankar, Maradani Bhavani; Puri, Rajindra & Ravikanth, Gudasalamani [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2020). eDNA metabarcoding reveals dietary niche overlap among herbivores in an Indian wildlife sanctuary. Environmental DNA. p. 1–16. doi: 10.1002/edn3.168. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  As many ecosystems are under increasing pressure from invasive species, habitat degradation, overgrazing and overharvesting, pollution, and climate change, dietary niche monitoring is gaining importance. The Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary (MMH) in southern India is home to several long‐standing ethnic and tribal groups and supports a considerable number of domestic herbivores (cattle, goats and water buffalo) as well as a range of wildlife (including several species of deer, bonnet macaque, and Asian elephant). We reconstructed dietary niche partitioning of the herbivores occurring in MMH using eDNA metabarcoding to quantify diet richness, composition, and overlap. In total, we distinguish 134 diet items (molecular operational taxonomic units), covering 31 plant families. Overall, our results indicate 35% overlap in domestic and wild herbivore diet items. The greatest overlap is found for the dietary niches of cattle and sambar deer (Pianka's niche overlap index: 0.68), and the dietary niche of cattle also overlaps considerably with those of Indian hare (0.65) and Asian elephant (0.46). This suggests that these herbivores may compete for these food plants in the case of limited availability, which could lead to exclusion of some herbivore species. Particular concern should go to bonnet macaque and Asian elephant as their below average dietary richness could make them vulnerable to changes in their environment. With increasing pressures on local wildlife from a range of different factors, DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples is a non‐invasive method for monitoring changes in animal diets, providing valuable information for the management of biodiversity in mosaic natural and anthropogenic landscapes.

• Anthoons, Bastien; Karamichali, Ioanna; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun; Drouzas, Andreas; Boer, Hugo de & Madesis, Panagiotis (2020). Metabarcoding reveals low fidelity and presence of toxic species in short chain-of-commercialization of herbal products. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis. ISSN 0889-1575. doi: 10.1016/j.jfca.2020.103767. Full text in Research Archive
• Saroja, Seethapathy Gopalakrishnan; Raclariu, Ancuta Cristina; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Wangensteen, Helle & Boer, Hugo de (2019). DNA Metabarcoding Authentication of Ayurvedic Herbal Products on the European Market Raises Concerns of Quality and Fidelity. Frontiers in Plant Science. 10, p. 1–11. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00068. Full text in Research Archive
• Prylutskyi, Oleh; Abrahamyan, Armine; Voronova, Nina; Aloyan, Tatevik; Borodin, Oleg & Darmostuk, Valerii [Show all 33 contributors for this article] (2019). BioDATA - Biodiversity Data for Internationalisation in Higher Education. Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO). 5. doi: 10.3897/rio.5.e36276. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  BioDATA is an international project on developing skills in biodiversity data management and data publishing. Between 2018 and 2021, undergraduate and postgraduate students from Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, have an opportunity to take part in the intensive courses to become certified professionals in biodiversity data management. They will gain practical skills and obtain appropriate knowledge on: international data standards (Darwin Core); data cleaning software, data publishing software such as the Integrated Publishing Toolkit (IPT), and preparation of data papers. Working with databases, creating datasets, managing data for statistical analyses and publishing research papers are essential for the everyday tasks of a modern biologist. At the same time, these skills are rarely taught in higher education. Most of the contemporary professionals in biodiversity have to gain these skills independently, through colleagues, or through supervision. In addition, all the participants familiarize themselves with one of the important international research data infrastructures such as the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The project is coordinated by the University of Oslo (Norway) and supported by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The project is funded by the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (DIKU).

• Xu, Maonian; Heidmarsson, Starri; Boer, Hugo Joris de; Kool, Anneleen & Olafsdottir, Elin Soffia (2019). Ethnopharmacology of the club moss subfamily Huperzioideae (Lycopodiaceae, Lycopodiophyta): A phylogenetic and chemosystematic perspective. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. ISSN 0378-8741. 245:112130, p. 1–8. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2019.112130. Full text in Research Archive
• Andel, Tinde R. van; Veltman, Margret; Bertin, Alice; Maat, Harro; Polime, Thomas & Lambers, Derk Hille Ris [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Hidden Rice Diversity in the Guianas. Frontiers in Plant Science. doi: 10.1101/562769. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Traditional crop varieties are an important source of genetic diversity for crop adaptation and modern breeding. Landraces of Asian (Oryza sativa) and African (Oryza glaberrima) rice have been well studied on the continents where they were domesticated. However, their history of cultivation in northern South America is poorly understood. Here, we reveal the rice diversity that is maintained by Maroons, descendants of enslaved Africans who fled to the interior forests of the Guianas ca. 300 years ago. We interviewed subsistence farmers who practice shifting cultivation along the Maroni and Lawa rivers that form the natural border between French Guiana and Suriname, and used ethnobotanical and morphological methods to identify around 50 varieties, of which 15 were previously undocumented. The genetic origin of these varieties was explored using the Angiosperms353 universal probe set. Despite the large distances between sites and relative inaccessibility of the area, phenotypic and genetic diversity did not display any geographic structure, which is consistent with knowledge of seed exchange among members of the same ethnolinguistic group. Although improved US cultivars were introduced in Maroon villages in the 1940s, these have not displaced the traditional landraces, which are cherished for their taste and nutritious qualities and for their importance in Maroon spiritual life. The unique agricultural and ritual practices of Maroons confirm their role as custodians of rice diversity, a role that is currently under threat from external pressures and encroaching globalization. We expect that the rice diversity uncovered in this study represents only a fraction of the total diversity in the Guianas and may constitute a large untapped resource that holds promise for future rice improvement. Further efforts to inventory and preserve these landraces will help to protect a precious cultural heritage and local food security.

• Veldman, Sarina; Ju, Yingzi; Otieno, Joseph; Abihudi, Siri; Posthouwer, Chantal & Gravendeel, Barbara [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). DNA barcoding augments conventional methods for identification of medicinal plant species traded at Tanzanian markets. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. ISSN 0378-8741. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2019.112495. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Ethnopharmalogical relevance In Africa, traditional medicine is important for local healthcare and plants used for these purposes are commonly traded. Identifying medicinal plants sold on markets is challenging, as leaves, barks and roots are often fragmented or powdered. Vernacular names are often homonymic, and identification of material lacking sufficient morphological characters is time-consuming, season-dependent and might lead to incorrect assessments of commercialised species diversity. Aim of the study In this study, we identified cases of vernacular heterogeneity of medicinal plants using a tiered approach of literature research, morphology and DNA barcoding. Material and methods A total of 870 single ingredient medicinal plant samples corresponding to 452 local names were purchased from herbal markets in Dar-es-Salaam and Tanga, Tanzania, and identified using conventional methods as well as DNA barcoding using rbcL, matK and nrITS. Results Using conventional methods, we could identify 70% of samples to at least family level, while 62% yielded a DNA barcode for at least one of the three markers. Combining conventional methods and DNA barcoding, 76% of the samples could be identified to species level, revealing a diversity of at least 175 species in 65 plant families. Analysis of the market samples revealed 80 cases of multilingualism and over- and under-differentiation. Afzelia quanzensis Welw., Zanthoxylum spp., Allophylus spp. and Albizia anthelmintica Brongn. were the most evident cases of multilingualism and over-differentiation, as they were traded under 8–12 vernacular names in up to five local languages. The most obvious case of under-differentiation was mwingajini (Swahili), which matched to eight scientific species in five different plant families. Conclusions Use of a tiered approach increases the identification success of medicinal plants sold in local market and corroborates findings that DNA barcoding can elucidate the identity of material that is unidentifiable based on morphology and literature as well as verify or disqualify these identifications. Results of this study can be used as a basis for quantitative market surveys of fragmented herbal medicine and to investigate conservation issues associated with this trade.

• Abihudi, Siri; Boer, Hugo de; Mahunnah, RLA & Treydte, Anna C (2019). Ethnobotanical knowledge and threat factors for Aloe species in Tanzania. Ethnobotany Research and Applications. 18, p. 1–28. doi: 10.32859/era.18.43.1-28. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: The genus Aloe has long been known for its use in healthcare and cosmetics. In Tanzania, overexploitation is threatening some Aloe species with extinction and yet, little has been documented on the abundance and biocultural uses. Material and Methods: Semi-structured questionnaires were used to obtain ethnobotanical information from 236 respondents across 22 villages in four regions of Tanzania (Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Mara, Katavi-Rukwa). Results: A total of 23 Aloe species were identified, 20 of which were being used locally and were mostly being collected from the wild. We report the uses of A. mzimbana, A. volkensii subsp. volkensii, A. leptosiphon, A. parvidens and A. bicomitum for the first time in East Africa. The most preferred species were A. lateritia, A. duckeri and A. secundiflora which are three common, widely distributed species. Diseases frequently treated with Aloe species include malaria and general stomachache in humans, and Newcastle disease in chickens. Some Aloe species were found to have gone extinct locally due to over-harvesting. Rare Aloe species were perceived to be less preferred as they mostly occurred far away from settlements. Conclusions: We conclude that the genus Aloe is widely used across Tanzania and needs strong conservation measures to prevent individual species from becoming extinct in the wild.

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• Boer, Hugo de; Rydmark, Marcella Christine Orwick; Verstraete, Brecht & Gravendeel, Barbara (2022). Molecular identification of plants: from sequence to species. Pensoft Publishers. ISBN 9786192480912. 300 p. doi: 10.3897/ab.e98875. Full text in Research Archive

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• Star, Bastiaan; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Gehrke, Berit; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander & Mauvisseau, Quentin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Non-detriment finding for stony corals (order Scleractinia). VKM Bulletin. 2026(16), p. 1–10. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the proposed export of live, asexually propagated stony coral specimens (Order Scleractinia) will be non-detrimental to the survival of the species and will not adversely affect their conservation status, in accordance with Article IV of the Convention and Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Norwegian CITES Regulation.

• Eldegard, Katrine; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Rueness, Eli Knispel; Star, Bastiaan & Boer, Hugo de (2026). Non-detriment finding for osprey (Pandion haliaetus). VKM Bulletin. 2026(15), p. 1–10. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the proposed export of a maximum of 26 live, wild-sourced osprey fledglings for reintroduction purposes will be non-detrimental to the survival of the species and will not adversely affect its conservation status, in accordance with Article IV of the Convention and Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Norwegian CITES Regulation.

• Star, Bastiaan; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander & Mauvisseau, Quentin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2026). Non-detriment finding for stony corals (order Scleractinia). VKM Bulletin. 2026(05), p. 1–10. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforexportoflivestonycoralsorderscleractinia.4.52ec987319c88eb5fde7ab90.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the proposed export of live, asexually propagated stony coral specimens (Order Scleractinia) will be non-detrimental to the survival of the species and will not adversely affect their conservation status, in accordance with Article IV of the Convention and Chapter 2, Section 5 of the Norwegian CITES Regulation.

• Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Mauvisseau, Quentin; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2026). Non-detriment finding for ocellated spinytail (Uromastyx ocellata). VKM Bulletin. 2026(04), p. 1–6. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforexportofliveoccelatedspinytailsuromastyxocellata.4.52ec987319c88eb5fde7a29c.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the export from Norway to Germany of 45 live ocellated spinytails (Uromastyx ocellata) bred in captivity will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species. The individuals in question, and their parents, were bred in captivity and have had no contact with wild conspecifics. Therefore, the export is not likely to have any harmful effects on the conservation status of the species in the wild.

• Bodin, Johanna Eva; Blaalid, Rakel; Duale, Nur; Tekle, Selamawit; Nielsen, Kaare Magne & Olsen, Siri Lie [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2025). Environmental risk assessment of genetically modified late blight resistant potato for use in field trials in Norway. VKM Bulletin. 2025(28), p. 1–39. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/nohazardsidentifiedinafieldtrialwithlateblightresistantpotato.4.26217ad5192ae2cc0cc94d7.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Upon a request from The Norwegian Environment Agency, VKM has assessed potential risks to the environment from genetically modified (GM) late blight resistant potato intended for cultivation in small scale field trials (100 m2) over several seasons in Norway. Late blight is the most severe disease affecting potato and tomato plants in Norway, and is caused by the pathogen Phytophthora infestans, a fungus-like microorganism. Increased resistance of the GM potato to the pathogen is enabled by expression of three genes acquired from wild potato relatives (Solanum spp.). The GM potato is also made resistant to a potato virus (PVY), as well as certain herbicides that were used for selection purposes during plant development. The application is presented by the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) and covers two GM potato breeding lines (SLJ25587_11 and SLJ25587_49) developed by the Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, England. The lines were generated from two independent T-DNA transformation events using an Agrobacterium-mediated transfer technique. VKM has assessed risks to the environment, including any effects on human and/or animal health, which may arise from the field trial. The environmental risk assessment (ERA) was structured according to EFSA guidance and included molecular characterisation of the GM potato, effects on the environment, and non-food/feed effects on human and animal health. The specific areas of concern included spread and survival of the GM potato outside of the field area, plant-to-plant gene flow, plant-to-microorganism gene flow, effects on specific potato pathogen target organisms (Phytophthora infestans and PVY), and effects on non-target organisms. The assessment also included an evaluation of the risk-reducing measures proposed in the application. VKM concludes that the applicant’s documentation on molecular characterisation is sufficient to demonstrate the presence of the intended target genes (T-DNA) as well as the absence of vector backbone elements in the two GM potato lines intended for use in the field trials. The insertion sites in the plant genome have not been described, but this is not considered critical for the evaluation of the planned field trial. Available scientific literature suggests that cultivated potato is a biologically contained species in Norway with the following characteristics: plants do not persist or invade natural habitats and have limited capacity of vertical gene transfer including outcrossing with cultivated or wild Solanum species. The likelihood of persistence and gene transfer from the GM potato is hence also considered very low as the introduced traits are not considered to affect these characteristics. A specific hazard has not been identified for these characteristics in relation to the GM potato. VKM therefore concludes that the risk of adverse effects from persistence or plant-to-plant gene transfer from the GM potatoes is low. VKM has not identified specific hazards from horizontal transfer of the inserted genes in the GM potatoes to microorganisms, and as these are derived from Solanum spp., microorganisms in the field area might already be naturally exposed to similar genes from local flora. Horizontal gene transfer is also considered very unlikely given that the T-DNA consists of plant derived genes with plant promoters. VKM therefore concludes that the risk of adverse effects from horizontal gene transfer from the GM potatoes is low. No indications of an increase in toxicity or allergenic potential of the GM potatoes have been identified compared to conventional non-GM potatoes. The target organisms are sufficiently defined, and potential adverse effects on non-target organisms are not expected from the novel traits expressed by the GM potato. As a specific hazard with a defined likelihood has not been identified, VKM concludes there is a low risk of adverse effects from these areas of concern. VKM concludes that the management proposed for the field trial is sufficient to contain the GM plants within the trial site for the duration of the experiment, which may include repeated planting over several seasons, and that the proposed measures for monitoring, removing, and disposal of GM material, as well as the follow up period of the site, is adequate. The limited field trial area, with a maximum of 200 plants/year, limited invasive and hybridizing potential of potatoes, and low survivability beyond a growing season, further mitigates potential risks.

• Ekrem, Torbjørn; Alsos, Inger Greve; Boer, Hugo de; Hosia, Aino Laila Johanna; Aspaas, Aina Mærk & Kongshavn, Katrine [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). What’s up with the Norwegian Barcode of Life (NorBOL). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Norwegian Barcode of Life Network (NorBOL) has played a central role in mapping Norway’s biodiversity since its establishment in 2008, and has served as the national DNA barcoding infrastructure since 2014. Together with its partners and collaborators, NorBOL has generated DNA barcodes for around 23,000 species, nearly one third of all species thought to occur in Norway. In this talk, we will celebrate some of the milestones of NorBOL and share our vision for the future: the transition of NorBOL into the Norwegian Infrastructure for Molecular Biodiversity Research. This next phase will bring together efforts in biodiversity biobanking across university museums, the development of cutting-edge molecular methods for challenging specimens, and the creation of richer reference libraries spanning DNA barcodes to complete genomes

• Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander; Mauvisseau, Quentin & Rueness, Eli Knispel [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Non-detriment finding for cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). VKM Bulletin. 2025(26), p. 1–7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the export of one live male cheetah bred in captivity will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species.

• Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander; Mauvisseau, Quentin & Rueness, Eli Knispel [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Non-detriment finding for cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). VKM Bulletin. 2025(25), p. 1–7. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforimportoftwolivecheetahsacinonyxjubatusbredincaptivity.4.58ee4108199ffd2732b508e9.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the import of two live male cheetahs bred in captivity will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Kopatz, Alexander & Star, Bastiaan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Non-detriment finding for grey wolf (Canis lupus). VKM Bulletin. 2025(24), p. 1–7. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforexportofgreywolfcanislupusbredincaptivity.4.58ee4108199ffd2732b4f690.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the export of one live male grey wolf bred in captivity will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species or the local population in Norway and Sweden.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Star, Bastiaan & Boer, Hugo de (2025). Non-detriment finding for African elephant (Loxodonta africana). VKM Bulletin. 2025(22), p. 1–6. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforimportofhuntingtrophiesfromafricanelephantloxodontaafricana.4.58ee4108199ffd2732b4eec1.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the import to Norway from Mozambique of hunting trophies (two tusks) from one Loxodonta africana individual taken from the wild could have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Star, Bastiaan & Boer, Hugo de (2025). Non-detriment finding for leopard (Panthera pardus). VKM Bulletin. 2025(23), p. 1–6. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/ndfforimportofhuntingtrophiesfromleopardpantherapardus.4.58ee4108199ffd2732b4f436.html. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  VKM concludes that the import of one Panthera pardus hunting trophy (skin and skull) from Mozambique to Norway will not have a harmful effect on the conservation status of the species.

• Boer, Hugo de; Blaalid, Rakel; Eldegard, Katrine; Gehrke, Berit; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Mauvisseau, Quentin [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Assessment of listing proposals submitted for CITES CoP20. VKM Bulletin. 2025(21), p. 1–171. doi: https:/vkm.no/english/riskassessments/allpublications/citescop20vkmreviewsproposedchangestointernationalspecieslistsaheadofglobalsummit.4.4600acee199c8dc392ba2b.html. Full text in Research Archive
• Mahlangu, Sibusiso; Ewers, Isabelle; Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun; Dunthorn, Micah & Karlsen, Hans Erik [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2025). Investigating the dynamics of the aquatic community in Oslofjord through time series analysis of eDNA. BioRxiv. ISSN 0362-4331. doi: 10.1101/2025.02.05.636659. Full text in Research Archive
• Grainger, Matthew; Eldegard, Katrine; Hjermann, Tilde; Kopatz, Alexander; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Boer, Hugo de (2025). Non-detriment finding for Bali myna (Leucopsar rothschildi). VKM Bulletin. p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Innførsel av en levende balistær (Leucopsar rothschildi) avlet i fangenskap fra en dyrehage i Danmark til en dyrehage i Norge vil ikke være til skade for artens bevaringsstatus. Vurderingen ble gjort på oppdrag fra Miljødirektoratet, som er forvaltningsmyndighet for Konvensjonen om internasjonal handel med truede arter av vill flora og fauna, CITES, i Norge. VKM er vitenskapelig myndighet for CITES i Norge, og utarbeider vitenskapelige vurderinger (såkalte ‘non-detriment findings’) i tråd med metodikk publisert av Verdens naturvernunion (IUCN) og CITES.

• Boer, Hugo de; Grainger, Matthew; Hjermann, Tilde; Kopatz, Alexander & Rueness, Eli Knispel (2025). Non-detriment finding for sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin(VKM Bulletin 2025: 06), p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Export of 10 pre-Convention sperm whale teeth (Physeter macrocephalus) from Norway to Fiji and 10 to USA will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Export of 10 pre-Convention sperm whale teeth (Physeter macrocephalus) from Norway to Fiji and 10 to USA will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assessment was commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares non-detriment finding (NDF) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Kopatz, Alexander; Hjermann, Tilde; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Boer, Hugo de (2025). Non-detriment finding for scimitarhorned oryx (Oryx dammah). VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin(VKM Bulletin 2025: 08), p. 1–6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Import of one hunting trophy of scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) from South Africa to Norway will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assessment was commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares non-detriment finding (NDF) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Kopatz, Alexander; Hjermann, Tilde; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Boer, Hugo de (2025). Non-detriment finding for Lau banded iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus). VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin(VKM Bulletin 2025: 07), p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Import of one live Lau banded iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus) from a zoo in Denmark to a zoo in Norway will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assessment was commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares non-detriment finding (NDF) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Gehrke, Berit; Hjermann, Tilde; Kopatz, Alexander & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for Sumatran orangutan. VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin 2024: 28(VKM Bulletin 2024: 28), p. 1–4. Full text in Research Archive
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for golden lion tamarin. VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin 2024(VKM Bulletin 2024: 24), p. 1–4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Utførsel av én levende løvetamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia) avlet i fangenskap fra dyrehage i Norge til dyrehage i Irland vil ikke være til skade for artens bevaringsstatus. Det konkluderer Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM). Oppdraget ble gjort på vegne av Miljødirektoratet, som er forvaltningsmyndighet for Konvensjonen om internasjonal handel med truede arter av vill flora og fauna, CITES, i Norge. VKM er vitenskapelig myndighet for CITES i Norge, og utarbeider i NDF-rapporter i tråd med metodikk publisert av verdens naturvernunion (IUCN) og CITES.

• Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for soft-shelled tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri). VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin 2024: 23(23), p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Innførsel av én levende pannekakeskilpadde (Malacochersus tornieri) født eller avlet i fangenskap fra dyrehage i Finland til dyrehage i Norge vil ikke være til skade for artens bevaringsstatus. Det konkluderer Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM). Oppdraget ble gjort på vegne av Miljødirektoratet, som er forvaltningsmyndighet for Konvensjonen om internasjonal handel med truede arter av vill flora og fauna, CITES, i Norge. VKM er vitenskapelig myndighet for CITES i Norge, og utarbeider i NDF-rapporter i tråd med metodikk publisert av verdens naturvernunion (IUCN) og CITES.

• Cruz, Marcelo Merten; Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas & Melo, Silvana [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Bony fish diversity identified from environmental DNA identifies regional biogeographic breaks. Full text in Research Archive
• Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Brito, Rafaela Maria Serra de; Nunes, Jorge Luiz Silva; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Melo, Silvana & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). INSIGHTS ON THE DIET OF THREE THREATENED ELASMOBRANCHS OBTAINED USING A MOLECULAR APPROACH OF STOMACH CONTENTS. Full text in Research Archive
• Hjermann, Tilde; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for Guianan squirrel monkey. VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin 2024: 25(VKM Bulletin 2024: 25), p. 1–6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  (Re-)utførsel av to levende ekornaper (Saimiri sciureus) avlet i fangenskap fra dyrehage i Norge til dyrehage i Israel vil ikke være til skade for artens bevaringsstatus. Det konkluderer Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM). Vurderingen ble gjort på oppdrag fra Miljødirektoratet, som er forvaltningsmyndighet for Konvensjonen om internasjonal handel med truede arter av vill flora og fauna, CITES, i Norge. VKM er vitenskapelig myndighet for CITES i Norge, og utarbeider vitenskapelige vurderinger (såkalte ‘non-detriment findings’) i tråd med metodikk publisert av Verdens naturvernunion (IUCN) og CITES.

• Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira; Gromstad, William Esbjug; Dunthorn, Micah; Karlsen, Hans Erik; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun & Ready, Jonathan Stuart [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Unveiling fish community dynamics in the Oslo fjord through eDNA metabarcoding. Full text in Research Archive
• Conceição, Amanda; Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Lee, James; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa; Anjos, Marcia da Silva & Melo, Silvana [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Zooplankton diversity of the Blue Amazon evaluated by metabarcoding analysis of bulk samples. Full text in Research Archive
• Oliveira, Luiz Filipe Brito de; Junior, Santelmo Vasconcelos; Burlamaqui, Tiberio Cesar Tortola; Sales, João Bráullio de Luna; Boer, Hugo de & Ready, Jonathan Stuart (2024). ASSEMBLY OF COMPLETE MITOGENOMES OF GYMNOTIFORMES AND INSIGHTS INTO THE EFFECT OF NATURAL SELECTION PRESSURE AMONG NEOTROPICAL ELECTRIC FISHES. Full text in Research Archive
• Queiroz, Anna Karolina Oliveira de; Gasalla, Maria A.; Laux, Marcele; Oliveira, Renato Renison Moreira; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa & Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Dietary metabarcoding of keystone sardine species reveals the importance of their ichthyoplankton prey in food webs of the Southern Brazilian Bight fisheries. Full text in Research Archive
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Hjermann, Tilde; Kopatz, Alexander & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for ringtailed lemur. VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin 2024: 29(VKM Bulletin 2024: 29), p. 1–4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Utførsel av fire levende ringhalelemurer (Lemur catta) avlet i fangenskap fra en dyrehage i Norge til en dyrehage i Danmark vil ikke være til skade for artens bevaringsstatus. Det konkluderer Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø (VKM). Vurderingen ble gjort på oppdrag fra Miljødirektoratet, som er forvaltningsmyndighet for Konvensjonen om internasjonal handel med truede arter av vill flora og fauna, CITES, i Norge. VKM er vitenskapelig myndighet for CITES i Norge, og utarbeider vitenskapelige vurderinger (såkalte ‘non-detriment findings’) i tråd med metodikk publisert av Verdens naturvernunion (IUCN) og CITES. Del denne side

• Oliveira, Luiz F.; Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Asenjo, Angélico; Vasconcelos, Santelmo; Oliveira, Renato Renison Moreira & Aleixo, Alexandre [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Mitogenomic reference data for bony fishes from the eastern Amazon. Full text in Research Archive
• Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa; Charvet, Patricia; Faria, Vicente & Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Environmental DNA identifies sharks and rays across their biodiversity hotspot along the northern coast of Brazil. Full text in Research Archive
• Mauvisseau, Quentin; Boer, Hugo de; Schrøder-Nielsen, Audun; Burian, Alfred; Bohmann, Kristine & Bodawatta, Kasun H. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Environmental DNA/RNA based BioBlitz in a remote Arctic Island. Full text in Research Archive
• Pereira, Kerly; Rincon, Getúlio; Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa; Reis, Orlando & Thorbek, Birgitte Lisbeth Graae [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). eDNA metabarcoding identifies the diet of the Freshwater Stingray (Potamotrygon motoro) (Myliobatiformes: Potamotrygonidae) in Maranhão, Brazil. Full text in Research Archive
• Amaral, Aisha Carolina Cei; Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Silva, Dalila Costa; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Melo, Silvana & Sales, João Bráullio de Luna [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF THE DIETARY HABITS OF THE INVASIVE PRAWN MACROBRACHIUM ROSENBERGII (DE MAN, 1789): A GENERALIST PREDATOR IN AMAZON DELTA. Full text in Research Archive
• Amaral, Aisha Carolina Cei; Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Silva, Dalila Costa; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Melo, Silvana & Sales, João Bráullio de Luna [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Molecular analysis shows that the invasive shrimp Macrobrachium rosenbergii is a generalist and opportunistic predator in the Amazon delta. Full text in Research Archive
• Kimura, Naelma Gonçalves; Tabosa, Ana Elena Souza; Pinheiro, Yany Victória Rabêlo; Anjos, Marcia da Silva; Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira & Sales, João Bráullio de Luna [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). METABARCODING OF BULK PITFALL TRAP SAMPLES TO TRACK FOREST RECOVERY AFTER MINING. Full text in Research Archive
• Pinheiro, Yany Victória Rabêlo; Tabosa, Ana Elena Souza; Kimura, Naelma Gonçalves; Anjos, Marcia da Silva; Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira & Sales, João Bráullio de Luna [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). THE USE OF METABARCODING IN BULK SAMPLES FROM FLIGHT INTERCEPTION TRAPS IN POST-MINING RECOVERY AREAS. Full text in Research Archive
• Sajid, Uswa; BATISTA-MORALES, Angelica Maria; Rocha, Lilith Lopes; Rosa, Fabricio dos Anjos Santa; Queiroz, Anna Karolina Oliveira de & Ribas, Talita Fernanda Augusto [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Evaluating the diet diversity of the Whitemouth Croaker: A comparison between traditional methods and DNA metabarcoding. Full text in Research Archive
• Tabosa, Ana Elena Souza; Kimura, Naelma Gonçalves; Pinheiro, Yany Victória Rabêlo; Anjos, Marcia da Silva; Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira & Thorbek, Birgitte Lisbeth Graae [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). METABARCODING IDENTIFICATION OF ARTHROPODS IN BULK SAMPLES FROM CDC LIGHT TRAPS IN POST-BAUXITE MINING AREAS IN PARÁ. Full text in Research Archive
• Dergan, Jessica Conceição Nascimento; Silva, Amanda Reis da; Reis, Orlando Gabriel da Silva Solano; Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Ready, Jonathan Stuart & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PLASTID GENOME (PLASTOME) OF MIMOSA SENSITIVA L. (FABACEAE-MIMOSOIDEAE). Full text in Research Archive
• Paiva, Bianca Lima; Rodrigues, Alan Erik Souza; Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira; Anmarkrud, Jarl Andreas; Melo, Silvana & Charvet, Patricia [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Endangered species for sale. Full text in Research Archive
• Anjos, Marcia da Silva; Kimura, Naelma Gonçalves; Tabosa, Ana Elena Souza; Pinheiro, Yany Victória Rabêlo; Costa, Marlyson J. R. & Carvalho, Cintia Oliveira [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Metabarcoding of spider webs in monitoring forest recovery in the Amazon. Full text in Research Archive
• Johaadien, Rukaya Sarah; Torma, Michal; Boer, Hugo de; Meyke, Evgeniy; Schigel, Dmitry & Karimov, Farkhod (2024). GBIF in Central Asia new aspects of development Workshop. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Physical workshop and conference with optional digital participation, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Providing capacity-building on digitization techniques, data publication, and data cleaning, and co-creating Russian language resources. This project aims to enhance data publication and bioinformatics in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

• Kopatz, Alexander; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica). VKM Bulletin. 2024:03, p. 1–7. Full text in Research Archive
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Eldegard, Katrine; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Kopatz, Alexander & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for European otter (Lutra lutra). VKM Bulletin. 2024:02, p. 1–6. Full text in Research Archive
• Eldegard, Katrine; Boer, Hugo de; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2024). Non-detriment finding for white-tailed sea-eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla). VKM Bulletin. 2024: 16(2024: 16), p. 1–12. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The export of up to 30 wild caught white-tailed sea-eagle nestlings (Haliaeetus albicilla) from Norway to Ireland for reintroduction purposes in 2024 will not be detrimental to the survival of this species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assignment was carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares NDF (non-detriment finding) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Eldegard, Katrine; Gehrke, Berit; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for osprey (Pandion haliaetus). VKM Bulletin. 2024: 17(2024: 17), p. 1–8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The export of a maximum of 16 osprey nestlings (Pandion haliaetus) from Norway to Ireland for reintroduction purposes will not be detrimental to the survival of this species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assignment was carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares NDF (non-detriment finding) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Grainger, Matthew; Eldegard, Katrine; Kopatz, Alexander; Rueness, Eli Knispel; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for tawny owl. VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin(VKM Bulletin 2024: 13), p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The export from Norway to the UK of feathers from one tawny owl (Strix aluco) for personal purposes will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assignment was carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares NDF (non-detriment finding) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Grainger, Matthew; Eldegard, Katrine; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Kopatz, Alexander; Rueness, Eli Knispel & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for Amur leopard. VKM Bulletin. 2024: 14(2024: 14), p. 1–6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Export on one individual Amur tiger The export from Norway to Türkiye of one individual Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) that was bred in captivity will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assignment was carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares NDF (non-detriment finding) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Kopatz, Alexander; Eldegard, Katrine; Gehrke, Berit; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Grainger, Matthew [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Non-detriment finding for Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx). VKM Bulletin. 2024: 12(2024: 12), p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Non-detriment finding for Eurasian lynx The export from Norway to Belgium of one skin of an adult male lynx (Lynx lynx) shot during the course of management removal and damage reduction will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assignment was carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares NDF (non-detriment finding) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Kopatz, Alexander; Raeymaekers, Joost Andre M & Rueness, Eli Knispel [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Non-detriment finding for common buzzard (Buteo buteo). VKM Bulletin. 2024: 15(2024: 15), p. 1–5. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Non-detriment finding for common buzzard The export from Norway to Sweden of one taxidermied common buzzard (Buteo buteo) for personal purposes will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assignment was carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares NDF (non-detriment finding) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Grainger, Matthew; Hermansen, Jo Skeie; Kopatz, Alexander & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). VKM Bulletin. 2024: 19(VKM Bulletin 2024: 19), p. 1–4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The import to Norway from Denmark of one captive-bred live saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) for the purpose of zoological exhibition will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assignment was carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares NDF (non-detriment finding) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander; Rueness, Eli Knispel; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for Palawan peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron napoleonis). VKM Bulletin. VKM Bulletin 2024: 20(2024: 20), p. 1–4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Re-export from Norway to Switzerland of one individual Palawan peacock-pheasant that was bred in captivity will not be detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild. The conclusion is based on the following factors: • The individual was bred in captivity at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the re-export does not involve harvest or removal from the wild.

• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Gehrke, Berit; Grainger, Matthew; Kopatz, Alexander; Hermansen, Jo Skeie & Boer, Hugo de (2024). Non-detriment finding for Cuban crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer). VKM Bulletin. 2024: 18(2024: 18), p. 1–4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The import to Norway from Denmark of four live Cuban crocodiles (Crocodylus rhombifer) born in captivity for the purpose of zoological exhibition will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. Thus concludes the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). The assignment was carried out on behalf of the Norwegian Environment Agency, which is the management authority for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Norway. VKM is the scientific authority for CITES in Norway and prepares NDF (non-detriment finding) reports in accordance with the methodology published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and CITES.

• Kopatz, Alexander; Raeymaekers, Joost A. M.; Boer, Hugo de & Vernesi, Cristiano (2023). Genomic BIodiversity Knowledge for Resilient Ecosystems (G-BiKE). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  G-BiKE is a network of researchers and practitioners promoting the use of genomic diversity knowledge in nature and conservation management. G-BiKE enables standard and routine tools for assessing, monitoring and managing the genetic resilience and related adaptive potential of wild and captive populations. Although genetic data can be obtained for most organisms, the standardization of protocols for detecting and monitoring species’ genetic diversity, and their potential for adaptation, is still lacking. G-BiKE therefore assists scientists and practitioners across the EU and particularly in COST Inclusiveness Target Countries to integrate genetic and evolutionary knowledge into conservation planning policies, and to promote cross-border management and long term monitoring programs of evolutionary potential in order to ensure persistence of populations and species, and ultimately the continued supply of nature-based ecosystem services. Specifically, G-BiKE aims to bring together scientists and practitioners from a diversity of countries to: (1) clearly articulate for managers how genetic diversity can support ecosystems; 2) develop and test best practice protocols for monitoring genetic diversity in time and space; 3) provide an online forum on emerging tools; 4) connect all stakeholders through networking and training opportunities; 4) build a network of conservation genetics labs; 5) build a foundation for long term impact. G-BiKE disseminates its achievements as easy-to-read summaries for nature managers and outreach to the general public at Natura 2000 sites, botanic gardens and zoos, as well as in scientific publications, different media outlets, and social platforms.

• Bonchev, Georgi; Kamenova, Stefaniya; Wirta, Helena; Boer, Hugo de; Endresen, Dag & Frøslev, Tobias Guldberg [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2023). Course on DNA barcode data in BOLD and GBIF - Bulgaria. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Accelerating biodiversity research through DNA barcodes, collection, and observation data. Regional Training course for M.Sc. and Ph.D. students with expert trainers and trainers-in-training - Bulgaria

• Kopatz, Alexander; Rueness, Eli Knispel; Boer, Hugo de; Eldegard, Katrine; Grainger, Matthew & Hermansen, Jo Skeie (2023). Non-detriment finding for Ursus arctos isabellinus. VKM Bulletin. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Very little information exists on Ursus arctos isabellinus and no science-based estimates of population size and trend are available. Data on brown bears in Tajikistan and/or the specific region are lacking, and the sustainability of harvest is therefore not possible to assess, especially as illegal hunting is known to occur in the region. Based on the CITES export permit and the additional information provided by the Norwegian Environment Agency, the individual originates from the Sangvor District in central Tajikistan. An expert from the IUCN Bear Specialist Group reports that this area might have a thriving bear population, but no data has yet been published. It should also be noted that the exact location of the harvested individual bear is not provided. Published scientific assessments highlight population declines and fragmentation, and other countries in the distribution zone of Ursus arctos isabellinus (Pakistan and India) consider it endangered. Further, the EU has currently a negative decision on import of Ursus arctos isabellinus hunting trophies from Tajikistan. In summary, VKM is unable to determine whether the removal of this individual may be detrimental to the survival of the subspecies in the wild.

• Melteig, Elina; Endresen, Dag; Boer, Hugo de; Khodosovtsev, Alexander & Moysiyenko, Ivan (2023). Mens bombene falt, snek forskerne ut en unik herbariesamling fra Kherson. [Internet]. Forkning.no. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hva var det som fikk forskere til å risikere livet i Ukraina for en objektsamling? Kherson State University i Ukraina har et unikt herbarium med 30.000 objekter. Forskerne hadde for lengst blitt evakuert. Likevel våget de seg tilbake mens krigen herjet rundt dem.

• Boessenkool, Sanne; Bruch, Angela A.; Schure, Anna Theresia Maria ter; Gasparyan, Boris; Bussmann, Rainer W. & Brysting, Anne Krag [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Sedimentary ancient DNA metabarcoding for the recognition of Paleolithic human plant use. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de (2022). Chapter 10. DNA barcoding. In Boer, Hugo de; Rydmark, Marcella Christine Orwick; Verstraete, Brecht & Gravendeel, Barbara (Ed.), Molecular identification of plants: from sequence to species. Pensoft Publishers. ISSN 9786192480912. doi: 10.3897/ab.e98875. Full text in Research Archive
• Salazar, Maria Ariza; Pastor, Sandra Garces & Boer, Hugo de (2022). Chapter 24. Environmental and biodiversity assessments. In Boer, Hugo de; Rydmark, Marcella Christine Orwick; Verstraete, Brecht & Gravendeel, Barbara (Ed.), Molecular identification of plants: from sequence to species. Pensoft Publishers. ISSN 9786192480912. doi: 10.3897/ab.e98875. Full text in Research Archive
• Raclariu-Manolică, Ancuţa Cristina & Boer, Hugo de (2022). Chapter 8 - DNA barcoding and metabarcoding for quality control of botanicals and derived herbal products. In Mukherjee, Pulok K. (Eds.), Evidence-Based Validation of Herbal Medicine. Elsevier. ISSN 9780323855426. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-85542-6.00004-4. Full text in Research Archive
• Salazar, Maria Ariza; Pastor, Sandra Garces & Boer, Hugo de (2022). Chapter 4. DNA from soil. In Boer, Hugo de; Rydmark, Marcella Christine Orwick; Verstraete, Brecht & Gravendeel, Barbara (Ed.), Molecular identification of plants: from sequence to species. Pensoft Publishers. ISSN 9786192480912. doi: 10.3897/ab.e98875. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de (2022). Is the Natural History Museum digitizing its collections to save space? Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de (2022). Ongoing negotiations on wildlife trade and why this matters now. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de (2022). Pågående forhandlinger om dyrehandel og hvorfor det er spesielt viktig nå. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de (2022). Digitaliserer Naturhistorisk museum samlingene sine for å spare plass? Full text in Research Archive
• Ekrem, Torbjørn; Alsos, Inger Greve; Boer, Hugo de; Hosia, Aino Laila Johanna; Stur, Elisabeth & Aspaas, Aina Mærk [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). Lessons learned from NorBOL: Opportunities and challenges building reference libraries of marine, freshwater and terrestrial biotas. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Norwegian Barcode of Life Network (NorBOL) was established in 2008 and has since 2014 been Norway’s national research infrastructure for DNA barcoding. Since then, the consortium partners of NorBOL as well as more informal collaborators have generated DNA barcodes of around 22 000 species, roughly one third of the estimated species diversity in Norway. In this presentation we review some of the achievements made and discuss a few challenges we encountered on the way. In NorBOL we have directed our efforts towards multicellular life from all realms and therefore have comparative results from a diverse group of organisms. Our focus in this presentation will be on DNA barcoding of fungi, invertebrates and plants, and how lessons learned from barcoding these organisms can help us to further develop NorBOL to match the goals of BIOSCAN and other biodiversity research and management initiatives

• Endresen, Dag; Russell, Laura Anne; Schigel, Dmitry; Prylutskyi, Oleh; Johaadien, Rukaya Sarah & Torma, Michal [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2022). Four-day program on open biodiversity data publishing and high-level data paper publishing, online for Ukraine in August 2022. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Regional training course for M.Sc. and Ph.D. students from Ukraine with expert trainers and trainers-in-training, Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 August 2022. Plus preparatory assignments from 1st to 12th August, and post-course assignments from 22nd August to 3rd September. Successful attendees will be issued a certificate of attendance corresponding to 2 ECTS and a digital GBIF Certified Trainer badge. This training model has been tested in the Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) programme and is adapted to BioDATA needs. The course is designed for 16-20 participants. All applicants must submit a motivation letter as part of their registration. Lectures will be in English with teaching materials available both in English and Russian languages, with the support of Ukrainian-speaking mentors. https://www.nhm.uio.no/english/research/projects/biodata/activities/2022-ukraine.html

• Boer, Hugo de; Endresen, Dag; Schigel, Dmitry; Russell, Laura Anne; Rydmark, Marcella Christine Orwick & Abrahamyan, Armine [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2022). BioDATA final symposium for partner universities, ForBio, and GBIF at Tøyen in Oslo in November 2022. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Typically, established researchers, museum curators, and collection managers are involved in data management and data publishing to national and global biodiversity data facilities. By training early career (student) biodiversity scholars, we will efficiently turn the current academic and education landscape into a more open-data-friendly one. The closing event will focus on addressing students from the University of Oslo. Two students from each BioDATA partner country will be able to participate and present their studies and data activities as dataset publications through GBIF.org and/or as data papers, an emerging and student-friendly publication type. GBIF Norway with the support from the GBIF Secretariat will act as a data publishing facilitator. BioDATA final symposium for partner universities, ForBio, and GBIF. Venue in Oslo (11-12 November 2022). https://www.nhm.uio.no/english/research/projects/biodata/activities/2022-final-seminar.html

• Endresen, Dag; Russell, Laura Anne; Schigel, Dmitry; Boer, Hugo de; Johaadien, Rukaya Sarah & Torma, Michal [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2022). Five-day program curriculum on open biodiversity data publishing, including excursion and bioblitz in Dilijan, Armenia in May 2022. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Regional Training course for M.Sc. and Ph.D. students with expert trainers and trainers-in-training - Dilijan, Armenia (5 days), 1 to 5 May 2022. Successful attendees will be issued a certificate of attendance corresponding to 2 ECTS and a digital GBIF Certified Trainer badge. This training model has been tested in the Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) programme and is adapted to BioDATA needs. The course is designed for 16-20 participants. All applicants must submit a motivation letter as part of their registration. The lectures will be in English (with some teaching materials available in Armenian). https://www.nhm.uio.no/english/research/projects/biodata/activities/2022-armenia.html

• Trucchi, Emiliano; Benazzo, Andrea; Lari, Martina; Iob, Alice; Vai, Stefania & Nanni, Laura [Show all 25 contributors for this article] (2021). Author Correction: Ancient genomes reveal early Andean farmers selected common beans while preserving diversity (Nature Plants, (2021), 7, 2, (123-128), 10.1038/s41477-021-00848-7). Nature Plants. ISSN 2055-026X. 7(3), p. 377–377. doi: 10.1038/s41477-021-00892-3. Full text in Research Archive
• Kamenova, Stefaniya; Boer, Hugo de; Endresen, Dag; Russell, Laura Anne; Schigel, Dmitry & Wirta, Helena K (2021). Accelerating biodiversity research through DNA barcodes, collection and observation data (online for Georgia and Armenia June 2021). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This course will teach how to use DNA barcodes, collection and observation data to resolve research questions in biodiversity. The four-day intensive programme will use a combination of lectures, tutorials, and hands-on exercises. You will learn to handle biodiversity data including DNA barcoding. You will gain practical experience in using open and digitally documented biodiversity data through GBIF and BOLD to answer biodiversity research questions. You will understand and practice capturing observation, collection, and genetic data from analogue and digital sources. Finally, the course provides basic skills in data publishing through GBIF. This course is a collaboration between the Diku-funded University of Oslo project BioDATA, the BMBF-funded project Caucasus Barcode of Life (CaBOL), and GBIF - Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

• Boer, Hugo de; Ichim, Mihael Cristin & Newmaster, Steven G. (2021). Correction to: DNA Barcoding and Pharmacovigilance of Herbal Medicines (Drug Safety, (2015), 38, 7, (611-620), 10.1007/s40264-015-0306-8). Drug Safety. ISSN 0114-5916. 44(3), p. 397–397. doi: 10.1007/s40264-020-01029-9. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de & Endresen, Dag Terje Filip (2020). Network seminar for DiSSCo (Distributed System of Scientific Collections) and GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) in Norway. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This report summarizes a meeting held to discuss the Norwegian participation in the European Research Infrastructure project DiSSCo (Distributed System for Scientific Collections) and the international organization GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility). These two projects are part of a larger landscape of initiatives on open biodiversity data that are relevant from a Norwegian perspective. Close coordination of these and other initiatives is essential in communicating the needs and services of our biodiversity research community to funders and policymakers but also to create an integrated community that benefits from our shared expertise and investments in synergy. The meeting used invited talks by key national and international colleagues on how they coordinated these international initiatives as an inspiration and basis for discussion on how this can be done in Norway.

• Boboev, Mario; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset; Boer, Hugo de; Kool, Anneleen; Bussmann, Rainer W. & Batsatsashvili, Ketevan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). Galagania fragrantissima Lipsky APIACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 345–347. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_62-2. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de (2020). Imposter syndrome. Full text in Research Archive
• Bussmann, Rainer W.; Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal; Boboev, Mario; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2020). Allium giganteum Regel Allium karataviense Regel. Allium rosenbachianum Regel Allium stipitatum Regel Allium suworowii Regel Allium tenuissimum L. Allium trautvetteranum Regel AMARYLLIDACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 69–86. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_16-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Boboev, Mario; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset; Boer, Hugo de; Kool, Anneleen & Bussmann, Rainer W. (2020). Paulia ovczinnikovii Korovin APIACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 559–561. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_100-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Boboev, Mario; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset; Boer, Hugo de; Kool, Anneleen; Bussmann, Rainer W. & Batsatsashvili, Ketevan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B. Fedtsch. APIACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 175–176. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_31-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Bussmann, Rainer W.; Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal; Mubalieva, Shoista; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). Juglans regia L. JUGLANDACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 433–441. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_76-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Kurbonbekova, Shifo; Mirzorakhimov, Akobir; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset; Boer, Hugo de; Kool, Anneleen & Bussmann, Rainer W. [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2020). Nepeta glutinosa Benth. LAMIACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 519–523. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_92-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Liu, Bo; Akobirshoeva, Anzurat; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset; Boer, Hugo de; Bussmann, Rainer W. & Batsatsashvili, Ketevan [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2020). Ephedra equisetina Bunge Ephedra intermedia Schrenk ex C.A. Mey. Ephedra sinica Stapf Ephedra sp. EPHEDRACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 291–297. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_53-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Kurbonbekova, Shifo; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset; Boer, Hugo de; Bussmann, Rainer W.; Batsatsashvili, Ketevan & Kikvidze, Zaal (2020). Rhodiola pamiroalaica Boriss. CRASSULACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 665–668. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_119-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Bussmann, Rainer W.; Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal; Kadirova, Izatmo; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset & Boer, Hugo de (2020). Mentha arvensis L. Mentha longifolia (L.) L. Mentha spicata L. Menta x piperita L. LAMIACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 499–507. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_89-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Bussmann, Rainer W.; Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal; Boboev, Mario; Ghorbani, Abdolbaset & Boer, Hugo de (2020). Ferula assa-foetida L. Ferula kuhistanica Korovin Ferula moschata (H. Reinsch) Koso-Pol. Ferula violacea Korovin Ferula sp. APIACEAE. In Batsatsashvili, Ketevan; Kikvidze, Zaal & Bussmann, Rainer W. (Ed.), Ethnobotany of the Mountain Regions of Central Asia and Altai. Springer. ISSN 9783030289461. p. 325–331. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-77087-1_60-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Ekrem, Torbjørn; Alsos, Inger Greve; Baussant, Thierry; Boer, Hugo de; Carson, Siri Granum & Dahle, Geir [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2020). BIOSCAN Norway - Enabling next generation biodiversity research. Full text in Research Archive
• Endresen, Dag Terje Filip; Abrahamyan, Armine; Mirzorakhimov, Akobir; Melikyan, Andreas; Verstraete, Brecht & Schigel, Dmitry [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2019). BioDATA: Biodiversity data mobilisation and data publication training in Eurasia. Biodiversity Information Science and Standards (BISS). 3(e37543). doi: 10.3897/biss.3.37543. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  BioDATA (Biodiversity Data for Internationalisation in Higher Education) is an international project to develop and deliver biodiversity data training for undergraduate and postgraduate students from Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Ukraine. By training early career (student) biodiversity scholars, we aim at turning the current academic and education biodiversity landscape into a more open-data-friendly one. Professional practitioners (researchers, museum curators, and collection managers involved in data publishing) from each country were also invited to join the project as assistant teachers (mentors). The project is developed by the Research School in Biosystematics - ForBio and the Norwegian GBIF-node, both at the Natural History Museum of the University of Oslo in collaboration with the Secretariat of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and partners from each of the target countries. The teaching material is based on the GBIF curriculum for data mobilization and all students will have the opportunity to gain the respective GBIF certification. All materials are made freely available for reuse and even in this very early phase of the project, we have already seen the first successful reuse of teaching materials among the project partners. The first BioDATA training event was organized in Minsk (Belarus) in February 2019 with the objective to train a minimum of four mentors from each target country. The mentor-trainees from this event will help us to teach the course to students in their home country together with teachers from the project team. BioDATA mentors will have the opportunity to gain GBIF certification as expert mentors which will open opportunities to contribute to future training events in the larger GBIF network. The BioDATA training events for the students will take place in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) in June 2019, in Minsk (Belarus) in November 2019, in Yerevan (Armenia) in April 2020, and in Kiev (Ukraine) in October 2020. Students from each country are invited to express their interest to participate by contacting their national project partner. We will close the project with a final symposium at the University of Oslo in March 2021. The project is funded by the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (DIKU).

• Endresen, Dag Terje Filip; Russell, Laura Anne; Schigel, Dmitry; Johaadien, Rukaya Sarah; Tykarski, Piotr & Shashkov, Maxim [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2019). BioDATA Capacity Enhancement Training: Biodiversity Data Mobilization, Train-the-mentors. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The goal of the train-the-mentors course is to equip the target group, the most advanced and appropriate trainers in the target countries, with the necessary training skills to apply these as assistants in the main training activities in Dushanbe (June 2019), Minsk (November 2019), Yerevan (April 2020), and Kiev (October 2020).

• Schure, Anna Theresia Maria ter; Pillai, Anusree; Saroja, Seethapathy Gopalakrishnan; Shankar, M. Bhavani; Ravikanth, G & Puri, Rajindra K. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). Dietary competition between wild and domestic herbivores in a wildlife sanctuary. Full text in Research Archive
• Schure, Anna Theresia Maria ter; Pillai, Anusree; Saroja, Seethapathy Gopalakrishnan; Shankar, M. Bhavani; Ravikanth, G. & Puri, Rajindra K. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). Dietary niche partitioning in domestic and wild herbivores in Southern India. Full text in Research Archive
• Schure, Anna Theresia Maria ter; Pillai, Anusree; Saroja, Seethapathy Gopalakrishnan; Shankar, M. Bhavani; Ravikanth, G. & Puri, Rajindra K. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2019). Food competition between wild and domestic herbivores in Southern India. Full text in Research Archive
• Boer, Hugo de (2019). PhD Breakfast Club: Imposter Syndrome. Full text in Research Archive
• Eldegard, Katrine; Flø, Daniel; Kirkendall, Lawrence R.; Malmstrøm, Martin; Nielsen, Anders & Rasmussen, Claus [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2022). Assessment of the risks to honey bees and biodiversity in Norway posed by the predatory wasp species Vespa velutina and V. mandarina. VKM. ISSN 9788282593861. Full text in Research Archive
• Kausrud, Kyrre; Vandvik, Vigdis; Flø, Daniel; Geange, Sonya Rita; Hegland, Stein Joar & Hermansen, Jo Skeie [Show all 26 contributors for this article] (2022). Klimaendringer og virkninger på hovedøkosystem skog. VKM. ISSN 9788282593908. Full text in Research Archive
• Dunshea, Glenn; Martell, Luis; Bakken, Torkild; Budaeva, Nataliya; Ekrem, Torbjørn & Tandberg, Anne Helene S. [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2021). Kunnskapsstatus for bruk av molekylære verktøy i kartlegging og overvåkning av biologisk mangfold i marine miljø. Miljødirektoratet. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne rapporten er bestilt av Miljødirektoratet fra NorBOL (Norwegian Barcode of Life), et nasjonalt nettverk av forskningsinstitusjoner som koordineres av NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet. Universitetsmuseet i Bergen har hatt prosjektledelsen. Rapporten gir en oppsummering av dagens status på DNA-basert metodikk som verktøy i kartlegging og overvåking av biologisk mangfold i det marine miljø. Fokus har vært på innsamlingsmetodikk og protokoller for DNA-analyser av arter og artsgrupper. Metodikken er evaluert opp mot kartleggings- og overvåkingsaktivitet i regi av Miljødirektoratet, og kommer med anbefalinger for videre framdrift for å ta metodikken i bruk i nasjonal kartlegging og overvåking. Rapporten har også en gjennomgang og evaluering av eksisterende referansemateriale og referansesekvenser for relevante arter og artsgrupper som inngår i Miljødirektoratets kartleggings- og overvåkingsaktivitet.

• Nielsen, Anders; Dolmen, Dag; Höglund, Jacob; Kausrud, Kyrre; Malmstrøm, Martin & Taugbøl, Annette [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2019). Assessment of the risk to Norwegian biodiversity from the pathogenic fungi Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal). Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). ISSN 9788282593205. Full text in Research Archive
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Berg, Paul Ragnar; Gulla, Snorre; Halvorsen, Kim Aleksander Tallaksen; Järnegren, Johanna & Malmstrøm, Martin [Show all 19 contributors for this article] (2019). Assessment of the risk to Norwegian biodiversity from import of wrasses and other cleaner fish for use in aquaculture. Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). ISSN 9788282593304. Full text in Research Archive
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen; Boer, Hugo de; Eldegard, Katrine; Endrestøl, Anders & Junge, Claudia [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Assessment of species listing proposals for CITES CoP18. Scientific opinion of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). ISSN 9788282593274. Full text in Research Archive
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen; Kausrud, Kyrre; Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland; Øien, Nils Inge & Boer, Hugo de [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2019). A CITES risk assessment for the common minke whale (Balaneoptera acutorostrata). Scientific opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM). ISSN 9788282593267. Full text in Research Archive

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