Islands harbour some of the most unique ecosystems, with high percentages of endemic species and unusual life forms, found nowhere else on Earth. Given their high degree of geographic isolation, insular communities have remarkable evolutionary histories and often comprise species with extraordinary adaptations (e.g. gigantism or dwarfism, flightlessness) which have attracted the curiosity of scientists for decades.
Islands are fairly simple biological systems, compared to continental biomes, and as such have historically inspired major developments in both evolutionary and ecological theory. Since Darwin’s (1859) theory of evolution by natural selection or MacArthur & Wilson’s (1967) theory of island biogeography, islands have been viewed as the most intuitive “natural laboratories” to study evolutionary and ecological processes and formulate hypotheses that can be subsequently extrapolated to more complex continental systems.
Insular ecosystems are also unique in their vulnerability, as they show a disproportionally high number of recorded species extinctions when compared to continental systems. The simplicity and special characteristics that make island communities unique, also make them particularly fragile to environmental impacts. Island biodiversity is currently facing serious challenges worldwide due to invasive alien species, habitat destruction and climate change, requiring urgent conservation actions.
Insular systems differ in their geological origin, age, degree of geographic isolation, area and topographic complexity. Systematic comparisons among island systems with different characteristics can improve our understanding of the processes that shape island biodiversity patterns across space and time. iBioGen will promote methodological unification in island biodiversity research, aiming to facilitate direct comparisons among multiple island systems, towards a better understanding of island biodiversity dynamics and an improved framework for conservation initiatives.
Islands are fairly simple biological systems, compared to continental biomes, and as such have historically inspired major developments in both evolutionary and ecological theory. Since Darwin’s (1859) theory of evolution by natural selection or MacArthur & Wilson’s (1967) theory of island biogeography, islands have been viewed as the most intuitive “natural laboratories” to study evolutionary and ecological processes and formulate hypotheses that can be subsequently extrapolated to more complex continental systems.
Insular ecosystems are also unique in their vulnerability, as they show a disproportionally high number of recorded species extinctions when compared to continental systems. The simplicity and special characteristics that make island communities unique, also make them particularly fragile to environmental impacts. Island biodiversity is currently facing serious challenges worldwide due to invasive alien species, habitat destruction and climate change, requiring urgent conservation actions.
Insular systems differ in their geological origin, age, degree of geographic isolation, area and topographic complexity. Systematic comparisons among island systems with different characteristics can improve our understanding of the processes that shape island biodiversity patterns across space and time. iBioGen will promote methodological unification in island biodiversity research, aiming to facilitate direct comparisons among multiple island systems, towards a better understanding of island biodiversity dynamics and an improved framework for conservation initiatives.
Current developments in high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies and genomics of non-model organisms are rapidly transforming our understanding of biological diversity. Biodiversity genomics is a new and fast-growing discipline that uses large-scale DNA data for the study of species diversity and the processes that generate and maintain this diversity. The wide application of genomic technologies in island biodiversity research can improve efficiency and thus reaction time for biodiversity monitoring, while advancing our understanding of island biodiversity dynamics across space and time.
Genomic technologies have enormous potential in particular for characterising the numerically and functionally dominant communities of small-bodied organisms (e.g., invertebrates, fungi, microbes) whose study is complicated by their huge diversity, poor taxonomy and cryptic lifestyles. Genomic inventories of “hidden” biodiversity have more power, in terms of sampling completeness and cost efficiency, over classical biodiversity inventory approaches, while they can provide insights into biodiversity dynamics at all organisational levels (from single populations to entire communities). Additionally, using the latest genomic tools provides unprecedented opportunities to predict and reverse the dynamics of endangered species, prevent the spread of invasive species, and monitor the impacts of climate change. iBioGen aims to promote and facilitate a wider use of genomic technologies in island biodiversity research.
Genomic technologies have enormous potential in particular for characterising the numerically and functionally dominant communities of small-bodied organisms (e.g., invertebrates, fungi, microbes) whose study is complicated by their huge diversity, poor taxonomy and cryptic lifestyles. Genomic inventories of “hidden” biodiversity have more power, in terms of sampling completeness and cost efficiency, over classical biodiversity inventory approaches, while they can provide insights into biodiversity dynamics at all organisational levels (from single populations to entire communities). Additionally, using the latest genomic tools provides unprecedented opportunities to predict and reverse the dynamics of endangered species, prevent the spread of invasive species, and monitor the impacts of climate change. iBioGen aims to promote and facilitate a wider use of genomic technologies in island biodiversity research.
The field of biodiversity genomics is rapidly advancing through international consortia and genomic initiatives led by world-class institutes. However, not surprisingly, such initiatives often leave out less competitive research organisations from Widening Countries, which might be important targets for biodiversity research and conservation. The geographic remoteness of most centres of excellence from the actual biodiversity hotspots and key areas for conservation hinders the engagement of local society in biodiversity research. The iBioGen Twinning network aims to stimulate on-site research excellence in Cyprus, which is an important target for biodiversity monitoring and may constitute a premier model system for biodiversity research.
The wide application of biodiversity genomics to the study of island communities allows to integrate insights from ecological and evolutionary theory for a better understanding of biodiversity dynamics across space and time. However, such synthesis of biodiversity genomics is currently delayed by insufficient coordination among empirical biologists, bioinformaticians and theoreticians and by lack of standardisation of methodologies, which complicates comparisons among genomic datasets. By bringing together experts in genomic technologies (NHM), theoretical modelling (CNRS) and empirical island biodiversity research (CSIC), the iBioGen consortium will promote interdisciplinary research and enhance empirical and theoretical integration in island biodiversity genomics.
The wide application of biodiversity genomics to the study of island communities allows to integrate insights from ecological and evolutionary theory for a better understanding of biodiversity dynamics across space and time. However, such synthesis of biodiversity genomics is currently delayed by insufficient coordination among empirical biologists, bioinformaticians and theoreticians and by lack of standardisation of methodologies, which complicates comparisons among genomic datasets. By bringing together experts in genomic technologies (NHM), theoretical modelling (CNRS) and empirical island biodiversity research (CSIC), the iBioGen consortium will promote interdisciplinary research and enhance empirical and theoretical integration in island biodiversity genomics.