Searching for spatial, temporal, and taxonomic gaps in a comprehensive array of Channel Islands biological specimens to guide future research and management

Summary

Biodiversity knowledge for the California Channel Islands varies greatly by the taxonomic group you are considering. The birds, herpetofauna, mammals, and plants have been relatively well studied for over a century, while the work to understand the bryophytes (mosses, liverworts, and hornworts), lichens, macrofungi, and invertebrates has been quite limited. Scientific knowledge is not complete for any of these groups, however. For this project, the expert team gathered specimen and observation records for all these groups and assessed them for places where information is lacking — either for particular islands or island locations, for periods of time, or for particular taxonomic groups. This study has generated a plethora of insights and recommendations for future work and has resulted in new or updated checklists for the lesser-known groups.