https://www.pdtf.org/news daily 0.75 2022-03-10 https://www.pdtf.org/news/cbd monthly 0.5 2024-03-07 https://www.pdtf.org/news/pdtf-awarded-the-citation-of-excellence monthly 0.5 2022-01-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/86bf57cb-1b00-40c5-8889-a27ae260b44a/png.png News - PDTF Awarded the 2020 Citation of Excellence - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.pdtf.org/news/iucn-wcc-panel-discussion monthly 0.5 2021-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/ef5c239a-6de7-44a5-a60a-59757a45033e/credit+Nisha+Owen+%283%29.jpg News - IUCN WCC Panel discussion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/69477b5f-7213-44bb-853e-ccc9b2391026/tree+panellists.jpg News - IUCN WCC Panel discussion - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/28fb9068-b6bc-4a8d-a63f-8f39806093cb/credit+global+center+for+species+survival+%282%29.jpg News - IUCN WCC Panel discussion - Make it stand out Credit: Global Center for Species Survival https://www.pdtf.org/news/ssc-edge-grant monthly 0.5 2021-03-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1615891496979-RXK353TYZJ2TEGTTVARV/Atlantic%2BHump%2Bbacked%2BDolphin_Senegal.jpg News - SSC EDGE Grant https://www.pdtf.org/news/roundtable-letter monthly 0.5 2020-12-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1608308029093-VH9F94R5311S5PZ10Y4U/d7dbc236-8f15-43da-bfdf-5f88df9c7ffc_RoundtableNov_Header_v2.jpg News - A coalition of organisations sign an open letter to the UK Government https://www.pdtf.org/news/endemism-patterns-are-scale-dependent monthly 0.5 2020-11-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1605876620901-PKWF2PA5VP0RKZTW12UM/31433501.jpg News - Endemism patterns are scale dependent - Figure 1: The Golden-backed Mountain Tanager (Cnemathraupis aureodorsalis) is endemic to high treeline forest on the eastern slope of the Andes in central Peru. Coarse resolution analysis of endemism can easily miss such a species. Photo credit: Andrew Spencer. https://www.pdtf.org/news/georginamace monthly 0.5 2020-11-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1602080661787-WA9RRNKWR2Z7R2JZY32A/Georgina%2BMace%2Band%2BTurtle.jpg News - Our tribute to Georgina Mace - Georgina meeting the giant tortoises at ZSL London Zoo, during a break in the EDGE workshop. Georgina meeting the giant tortoises at ZSL London Zoo, during a break in the EDGE workshop. https://www.pdtf.org/news/blog-post-humanitys-footprint-threatens-the-tree-of-life- monthly 0.5 2020-10-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1592989145936-AM3F989T5C783VJPIV77/Figure_1_PDTF_credit+-+Arnaud+Tchassem.jpg News - Humanity’s footprint threatens the Tree of Life The impacts of human activities are evident on the once-forested peaks of Mount Bamboutos, Cameroon. Image credit: Arnaud Tchassem https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1592989566489-9F8MQ9X6HQR8R8B5XSX3/Figure+3+-+credit+Sandeep+Das.jpg News - Humanity’s footprint threatens the Tree of Life The Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis), a secretive species that spends almost its entire life underground, is one of many highly evolutionary unique species threatened by humanity’s increasing footprint. Image credit: Sandeep Das. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1592989437035-3798Z2UUDHL3NDQTESF1/Figure_2_PDTF_blog.png News - Humanity’s footprint threatens the Tree of Life The overlap of human pressure and the most important regions for evolutionary history of reptiles. Grid cell colours indicate the intensity of human pressure and are restricted to the regions with the greatest concentrations of irreplaceable evolutionary history. Adapted from Gumbs et al. 2020, Nature Communications https://www.pdtf.org/news/blog-post-iucnwcc monthly 0.5 2020-10-07 https://www.pdtf.org/news/blog-post-title-three-hyem3 monthly 0.5 2020-06-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1592997365107-RTJPVV27NLR65VKCXHS6/PDTF%2B-%2BICCB%2B2019%2B.jpg News - 29th International Congress for Conservation Biology https://www.pdtf.org/home daily 1.0 2025-06-01 https://www.pdtf.org/about daily 0.75 2025-06-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1582897244830-8US1MUBV03LRL4WHUYWM/shutterstock_218480485.jpg About - The Science Phylogenetic diversity was designed as not only a simple measure of the degree of representation of evolutionary history by a given set of taxa, but also to enable associated calculations for decision-making (e.g. gains and losses or complementarity). PD is calculated by summing the length of all the branches connecting a given set of taxa, and therefore provides a measure to infer diversity, where the units of variation are features or traits of taxa. This link to “features” reflects the attempt, through PD calculations, to put value on variation where its value or functionality is not actually known. PD calculations therefore address a fundamental concern of biodiversity conservation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1582896967489-143760VT41OLTUVVTQ7Y/shutterstock_411690637.jpg About - What we do Develop and support knowledge-exchange and consultation between academics, practitioners, business and policy-makers interested in conserving evolutionary history. Produce guidance documents that will address current challenges to the use of PD-based metrics (e.g. the EDGE metric). Compile information on the applied use of PD in conservation around the world to assess the current extent of application of PD-based metrics. Identify gaps in knowledge or application of PD-based metrics and encourage the scientific and conservation community to undertake scientific research and conservation applications to address these. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1582896713397-7Q9AFZUVI02MX9NUXD1N/shutterstock_1629578644.jpg About - The Background Phylogenetic diversity (PD) measures the evolutionary history captured by a set of species and therefore describes a fundamental aspect of biodiversity. As recognised by the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services , the planet’s evolutionary heritage is a form of biodiversity that ensures options for future generations. The tree of life is a storehouse of potential benefits for humanity and by conserving PD, we conserve feature diversity (broadly, the full range of different evolutionary features of a set of species) and future options for humanity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1582902287390-J27ABVKP5ZRS9GK2IWZS/shutterstock_518801125.jpg About - The Aim The Phylogenetic Diversity Specialist Group provides leadership and guidance on the inclusion of phylogenetic diversity in conservation strategies. By providing the necessary scientific and technical expertise, we will promote wider adoption and greater understanding of this approach by conservation practitioners, decision-makers, and the public. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1582034464185-PHQ62ZIWO4Z0KJLMVHAS/Bradypus%252Bpygmeaus_ClaudiaGray.jpg About - The Need At current extinction rates, we are facing unprecedented losses of PD across numerous taxonomic groups. There is a real need to incorporate PD in both species -focused and spatial conservation strategies if we are to avoid the impending loss of billions of years of evolutionary history. Although there has been growing interest in using information on PD to inform conservation, widespread understanding of PD by practitioners and how to effectively incorporate it into conservation is still lacking. Metrics that capture evolutionary history have tended to be restricted to academic discussion and research, resulting in little guidance for stakeholders & managers on how to achieve phylogenetically-informed conservation approaches. https://www.pdtf.org/members daily 0.75 2025-06-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1583923336245-LT754EIMBRY7GLESDB0W/Daru.jpg Members - Dr Barnabas Daru Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1602840505370-PXSIPTOGE7XSL6NGUWL7/wslee.jpeg Members - Dr Who-Seung Lee Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1583836420723-2B66XJ23NI4FEJW88BJG/CG%2Bfrom%2Btwitter.jpg Members - Dr Claudia Gray Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1588845669662-CKKTNUBS5NII7MATPN6E/Felix%2BForest.jpg Members - Dr Felix Forest Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1586189325077-RLCVU8GGI8WNQ7C7E4C6/Roseli%2BPellens.jpg Members - Dr Roseli Pellens Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1586191730919-4MKQEL9N3KJZ7OCMI56H/David-Wallis-4.jpg Members - David Wallis Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1630413506149-1QDV8URXU3PD2VK2QR10/PDTF-pic%2B%2528002%2529.jpg Members - Sebastian Pipins Sebastian Pipins Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1583764446033-SVW0LJEJ59XYUWE2K3X0/Dr%2BDaniel%2BP%2BFaith.jpg Members - Dr Daniel P Faith Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1584979886530-PARFGSMCRF3B9V58LWBN/Jose%2BAlfredo%2BHern%25C3%25A1ndez%2BD%25C3%25ADaz.jpg Members - Jose Alfredo Hernandez Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1596454509831-2OMEI389KCZV3X0JX60Q/Y8100750+copy+3+%281%29.JPG Members - Dr James Rosindell Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1581596229013-M9GFFSP5QZTNTMT4YR1B/Nisha.jpg Members - Dr Nisha Owen Chair https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/8cab0b72-2859-4641-817d-6c89a5362dae/Rikki_profile_picture_crop.jpg Members - Dr Rikki Gumbs Deputy Chair https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1586249438981-OC8SB3LWQ5TMOOVBU2NB/IMG_20200329_170454.jpg Members - Dr Rosa Scherson Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1586191196330-TICMZX1OM5BSSV1LZYWV/Abhi_pic1%252B%2525282%252529.jpg Members - Dr Abhishek Chaudhary Member https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1583765474696-KV9SJ6OAHUOMPO96SFL4/Laura.jpg Members - Dr Laura Pollock Member https://www.pdtf.org/publications daily 0.75 2024-08-27 https://www.pdtf.org/contactus daily 0.75 2024-10-21 https://www.pdtf.org/nisha-owen daily 0.75 2022-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1582643152614-HEVZ18ACOK9B2WSAEIRX/Nisha.jpg Dr Nisha Owen - Dr Nisha Owen Dr. Nisha Owen is the Chair of the IUCN SSC Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force and the Director of Conservation at On the Edge. Dr. Nisha Owen is leading the development and implementation of the themes of conservation and science at On the Edge, and also sits on the Conservation Advisory Panel for World Land Trust, as well as serving as a Trustee of the London Learning Foundation. Previously, Nisha worked at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), developing the EDGE of Existence programme into its current incarnation as a ZSL flagship, as well as developing leading award-winning online conservation courses with United for Wildlife and National Geographic Society. She holds a MSc and PhD from the University of Leeds on human-wildlife conflict in south India, and her global and diverse conservation career spans two decades of research, implementation, management and oversight of a variety of conservation prioritisations, projects and interventions, particularly focused on Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species; as well as the training and capacity building of early and mid-career conservationists. https://www.pdtf.org/rikki-gumbs daily 0.75 2024-10-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/962df7c4-462a-456b-a700-6fe2637bb450/Rikki_website_profile_pic.jpg Rikki Gumbs - Dr Rikki Gumbs Rikki Gumbs is a Research Fellow at the Zoological Society of London’s Institute of Zoology. Rikki’s research focuses on the creation and use of new data and methods to implement phylogenetically-informed prioritisations to inform conservation in a rapid and robust manner. Rikki led on the creation of the first EDGE prioritisation for the world’s reptiles and has developed tools for expanding our understanding of extinction risk across the Tree of Life in the face of missing data. He is responsible for maintaining existing, and generating new, ‘EDGE Lists’ to inform applied conservation action, hosted by ZSL’s EDGE of Existence programme. Rikki also works closely with the EDGE of Existence team to train conservationists around the world and oversees projects to conserve some of the world’s most unique and threatened reptiles in Latin America, Africa and Asia. https://www.pdtf.org/dan-faith daily 0.75 2020-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1583763461235-FUWDMMQDOJB7U4VNLDRL/Dr%2BDaniel%2BP%2BFaith.jpg Dan Faith - Dr Daniel P Faith Australian Museum Research Institute, The Australian Museum, Sydney. Dan Faith’s research has built on degrees in mathematics (U. Chicago) and ecology and evolution (Stony Brook). PhD work on speciation in aphids (and exposure to systematics controversies) encouraged his early research on methods and philosophy in systematics/phylogenetics. This research is now integrated with Dan’s main research focus over the past 25 years: biodiversity conservation. Topics have included foundational work in freshwater biodiversity monitoring, systematic conservation planning, and multivariate biodiversity methods (mostly at CSIRO, Canberra). Related research includes his development and application of “phylogenetic diversity” (PD), a biodiversity measure based on the tree of life. His foundational 1992 paper, ‘Conservation evaluation and phylogenetic diversity” is the most cited paper ever in Biological Conservation, partly reflecting surprising applications (e.g., low “Faith’s PD” of our gut microbes is associated with many diseases). Policy-related research has linked to a Coordinating Lead Authorship for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, co-lead of an international evolution and biodiversity group (bioGENESIS), and contributions to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The policy-related research demands attention to philosophy of biodiversity (e.g. in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and in the Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Biodiversity). https://www.pdtf.org/claudia-gray daily 0.75 2022-10-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1583836759636-8JB5YCUH88BVZT5Z4ZGD/CG%2Bfrom%2Btwitter.jpg Claudia Gray - Dr Claudia Gray Claudia is the Head of Financial Sector Research at ShareAction. Her team surveys and ranks key financial institutions across the world on their social and environmental practices. This research informs direct engagement pushing the financial system to better serve both people and the planet. She was previously Conservation Science Manager for the EDGE of Existence programme at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), where she was responsible for the science and research training underpinning locally led conservation of EDGE species. Before this, Claudia was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Ecology and Conservation at the University of Sussex, where her research included an analysis of the global effectiveness of protected areas. She did her PhD and MSc at Oxford University, focusing on conservation strategies within oil palm landscapes of Sabah, Borneo. https://www.pdtf.org/laura-pollock daily 0.75 2020-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1583765302413-EKFO72VRTGCD6YNXEWN1/Laura.jpg Laura Pollock - Dr Laura Pollock Assistant Professor, McGill University, Montréal, Canada Laura’s research in the Quantitative Biodiversity Lab focuses on improving our predictions of where biodiversity is located on the landscape and how biodiversity might change into the future. Laura has led the development of advanced statistical techniques to make these predictions across many species and phylogenetic clades at the same time. She also develops tools to set priorities for species and areas to conserve based on evolutionary and ecological information as well as the best available set of statistical models. These tools have been used from local to global scales for plants and animals nominating important and highly irreplaceable areas for protecting the world’s biodiversity. https://www.pdtf.org/aida-kowalska daily 0.75 2022-05-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1590658105758-3VC94NDQUX7GYO6TZXTH/ak%2Bprofile%2Bpic%2B4.jpg Aida Kowalska - Aida Kowalska Aida holds an MSc in Environment & Development from the London School of Economics and is the Programmes Officer at IUCN SSC Phylogenetic Diversity Task Force and at On the Edge where she provides support and development of conservation and science. Aida used to work as the Global Policy Safeguards Officer at BirdLife International and as the Coordinator of the Energy Task Force with the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). https://www.pdtf.org/barnabas-daru daily 0.75 2020-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1583922922425-2K91788KOSELQX2DWCYP/Daru.jpg Barnabas Daru - Dr. Barnabas Daru Dr. Barnabas Daru is an Assistant Professor of Biology at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, USA. His research focuses on the integration of phylogenetic data, herbarium records and biogeography to explore the mechanistic processes underlying the origin, distribution and maintenance of biodiversity, bearing in mind how this understanding can guide real‐world conservation decisions. Currently, he is developing a novel species distribution database, GreenMaps, which includes distribution maps for ~230,000 vascular plant species across the globe. Ultimately, GreenMaps will interface with a mobile application to enable volunteers from any region of the world to validate predicted species distributions to be used for the generation of new and improved global map of plant distributions. Dr. Daru did his PhD in Johannesburg, South Africa and a postdoc in Harvard University, USA. https://www.pdtf.org/josealfredohernandezdiaz daily 0.75 2020-03-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1584979701297-GTFT9Q5P88049TX2QSD5/Jose%2BAlfredo%2BHern%25C3%25A1ndez%2BD%25C3%25ADaz.jpg Jose Alfredo Hernández Díaz - Jose Alfredo Hernández Díaz Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians, Africam Safari Zoo, Mexico I have 12 years of experience working with amphibians and reptiles, concretely in captive husbandry, wild population monitoring and conservation. Since 2012 I started working as the curator of reptiles and amphibians at Africam Safari Zoo in Mexico. This job has given me the opportunity to work on amphibian conservation by coordinating two projects with endemic and critically endangered amphibians. The first project I had the opportunity to coordinate was the Large Crested Toad Conservation Program achieving the first breeding event in captivity for this species. Since that time we have released more than 1000 captive bred toads with the participation of local community and we have established an annual monitoring of the population. In 2015 I started a new project with Taylor’s Salamander with the aim of protecting the lake where the species lives from human pressure. The project involves several conservation actions such as reforestation around the lake, litter clearance campaigns, education to local people and tourists. In 2018 I started a captive colony of the species achieving the first breeding event in captivity last year. https://www.pdtf.org/roseli-pellens daily 0.75 2020-04-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1586188669140-WKN04SSO0AV4CWDCW7WN/Roseli%2BPellens.jpg Roseli Pellens - Dr Roseli Pellens Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité – Muséum National d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles My career builds on a background on ecology, geography, systematics, phylogenetics and conservation biology. I made my Master's and Ph.D. at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where I studied the contribution of forest fragments and fast-growing plantations to the diversity of soil fauna at the landscape scale. I then moved to Paris and worked on several projects on systematics, evolutionary biology, and biogeography. My present research focuses principally on macroecology. I am particularly interested in the patterns and mechanisms shaping insular biodiversity, and at understanding the impacts of climate and land-use changes in their conservation. My main current research projects deal with: the phylogenetic diversity of Monocots in the world’s islands; the disharmonies of faunas and floras in islands in the Pacific Oceans; and a global assessment of the native and invasive fauna in New Caledonia. https://www.pdtf.org/abhishek-chaudhary daily 0.75 2020-04-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1586191254382-FGQ7HV9J8G2PCTRZIEPZ/Abhi_pic1%252B%2525282%252529.jpg Abhishek Chaudhary - Dr Abhishek Chaudhary Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, India Dr. Abhishek Chaudhary is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering at IIT Kanpur, India since 2018. Before that he was a postdoctoral researcher at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland from 2015-18. He obtained Ph.D. in environmental engineering from ETH Zurich in 2015, Master of Science in environmental engineering from University of Cincinnati, USA in 2009 and B.Tech. from IIT Roorkee, India in 2007. He worked for United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) from 2009-2012 as environmental engineer. His area of research includes biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and food systems, sustainable infrastructure, and environmental modeling. Currently, he leads the research on developing quantitative methods to assess the impact of human activities on multiple indicators of the environment through life cycle assessment (LCA) tool. In particular, he has contributed to the development of novel methods to assess the biodiversity footprint within LCA using species richness and phylogenetic diversity (evolutionary history) as indicators. Recently, he is been involved in designing sustainable diets that are nutritionally adequate, environmentally friendly, culturally acceptable and affordable through optimization algorithms. Overall, his research aims to generate information useful for guiding transition towards sustainable production and consumption globally. https://www.pdtf.org/david-wallis daily 0.75 2020-04-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1586191590264-UY8880QHKCU1EPYES95D/David-Wallis-4.jpg David Wallis - David Wallis Impact and ESG Manager, Mirova Natural Capital (MNC) David manages MNC’s approach to measuring, monitoring and reporting the positive environmental, biodiversity and social impact of MNC’s funds and investments, highlighting contribution towards international frameworks, including the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to joining MNC, David played a key role in the planning and design of international conservation programmes at the Zoological Society of London, including the development of theories of change and impact indicators, alongside technical bid writing. David also spent several years overseeing Whitley Fund for Nature’s international grants and awards programmes and managing its global network of grantees. David has built relationships with conservation leaders, NGOs and donor organisations around the world and has a strong understanding of what drives successful, high-impact conservation projects. He is also a member of the advisory council of the World Land Trust. David is interested in exploring how businesses and financial institutions can build considerations around EDGE species and PD into ESG and impact policies and practices. https://www.pdtf.org/rosa-scherson-vicencio daily 0.75 2020-04-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1586248992996-9IJOYU4DZX4HA51KEIY5/IMG_20200329_170454.jpg Rosa Scherson Vicencio - Dr Rosa Scherson Associate Professor, Department of Silviculture and Nature Conservation, University of Chile My research focuses on the use of phylogenetic and bioinformatic tools for plant molecular systematics. I have incorporated phylogeny-based approaches to study the evolutionary value of taxa and ecosystems, with a focus on aiding conservation efforts. In this area, I have been focused on the study and application of phylogenetic diversity and related indices for the evaluation and conservation with special interest in Chilean and Mediterranean endemic flora. https://www.pdtf.org/felix-forest daily 0.75 2020-05-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1588845147094-BSPVWMGWFBKSOVG98JS1/Felix%2BForest.jpg Felix Forest - Dr Felix Forest Senior Research Leader, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Felix is a plant evolutionary biologist with a wide range of interests. He has worked on the molecular systematics of numerous plant groups including the legume family (Leguminosae), the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) and the birch family (Betulaceae). His main current interest is the iris family (Iridaceae), more specifically the species found in the Cape of South Africa, and the evolution of pollination syndromes in this group. He is also interested in biogeographical patterns and processes and the factors promoting diversification and speciation. The application of phylogenetics to conservation planning in biodiversity hotspots and the integration of evolutionary approaches in conservation are also topics that he has focused on in recent years. This include the use of phylogenetic diversity to explore plant biodiversity patterns in the Cape of South Africa and the application of the EDGE approach to a large group of plants, the gymnosperms (which comprise conifers and cycads). Felix has studied and worked in three renowned botanical gardens, the Jardin Botanique de Montreal in Canada, the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in South Africa, and the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, in the UK. https://www.pdtf.org/anna-kondratyeva daily 0.75 2020-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1594648090266-3IRSWV2POQILDQH62SUB/20181208_134646.jpg Anna Kondratyeva - Anna Kondratyeva Post-doctoral fellow at Institut Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité – Muséum National d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE Anna’s research concerns biological conservation in general. Anna got her Ph.D. in Ecology (2019), which focuses on inter-specific measures of biodiversity. In particular, species originality indices in relation to the diversity measures such as species richness, phylogenetic and functional diversities and their benefits in community ecology and evolution. Anna is currently working on biological invasions in New Caledonian archipelago. https://www.pdtf.org/james-rosindell daily 0.75 2020-08-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1596449318457-FFQZVJ0DQJFWFWYW157Z/Y8100750%2Bcopy%2B3%2B%25281%2529.jpg James Rosindell - Dr. James Rosindell Reader in biodiversity theory , Imperial College London James Rosindell works on the application of maths and computing to problems in ecology, evolution and conservation. He currently leads his own research group in biodiversity theory at Imperial College London, he also teaches ecology and ecological theory to undergraduate and masters level students. Rosindell is particularly interested in large-scale models of biodiversity and use of phylogenetics for conservation prioritisation. His recent work has produced new conceptual models of extinction and extinction debt in response to habitat loss and fragmentation, characterised the relationship between ecology and conservation biology through machine reading of scientific literature, and introduced new theory spanning the gap between ecology and evolution. Rosindell also founded OneZoom, a UK registered non-profit organisation. OneZoom aims to provide easy access to scientific knowledge about biodiversity and evolution, and raise awareness about the variety of life on earth together with the need to conserve it. It has attracted in excess of a million users, and is the only resource that enables exploration of the complete tree of life linked to information about extinction risk for each species. Through OneZoom, Rosindell has contributed to digital artwork with an underlying conservation message and numerous outreach exhibitions at public venues. https://www.pdtf.org/whoseung-lee daily 0.75 2020-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1602839923653-UOQNTG8RGWANR8E9Q2SH/wslee.jpg Who-Seung Lee - Dr. Who-Seung Lee Research Fellow, Korea Environment Institute, Sejong, Republic of Korea Who-Seung is broadly interested in behavioural and physiological ecology with a particular emphasis on the responses of individuals to changing environmental conditions and the proximate factors influencing those responses. His research is built on degrees in ecology and evolution (Glasgow University) and mathematics (KyungHee University). His main interest is to apply “phylogenetic diversity” (PD) to environmental policy and to develop National Biodiversity Indicator by using PD. Particularly, he is exploring how PD can be applied on dispersal and distribution of organisms associated with diseases. During his research career he has designed and carried out several experiments to examine the behavioural ecology of animal taxa, specifically birds and fish. He is also familiar with the difficulties and subtleties that are involved in evolutionary and behavioural research. The Korea Environment Institute (KEI), established by the Korean government, is the national leading think tank on environmental policies and environmental impact assessment. KEI has been at the heart of developing environment agendas through policy research recommendations. As a publicly funded and fully autonomous research organization, KEI is committed to providing proactive environmental research that can contribute to national and global environment sustainability. https://www.pdtf.org/sebastian-pipins daily 0.75 2021-08-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1630412897123-P77BIR0OEQAY0WRVU6HI/PDTF-pic+%28002%29.jpg Sebastian Pipins - Sebastian Pipins PDTF Communications officer and research consultant partnered with On the Edge Conservation. Seb is the Communications officer for the Task Force. He completed his Master’s at Imperial College London in 2020, where he partnered with the EDGE of Existence programme to produce a phylogenetically-informed species priority list for the conservation of crayfish. As an extension of this research, he also explored how different climate change projections are set to affect the evolutionary history of the group. Seb holds a BA in Biological Sciences from the University of Oxford and has a particular interest in the spatial dynamics of evolution. Currently, he is partnered with On the Edge Conservation where he is mapping out phylogenetic diversity with the aim of identifying key regions harbouring large accumulations of evolutionary history and highly distinct species that are in need of protection. https://www.pdtf.org/glossary daily 0.75 2021-10-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1634123280290-JVNUAB623C6CH61WNA3F/biodiversity.png Glossary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1634123400462-9MVSKEOPHEFEYT8W16FD/Onezoom+branch.png Glossary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1634123891521-O6PKQ15O1WD3CLF6HOMY/Phylogenetic+tree.png Glossary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1634125724409-AGUO5Y7BCLJKXV6OMQ3K/feature+diversity.png Glossary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1634125899547-L8FJ5P3ZHA8WIZZKMRG3/PD.png Glossary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1634125993213-4HXSCM0ZTOHO0DAL3UU4/option+value_1.png Glossary https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1634126087977-C32MYGWA73SB9TL1NHYV/EDGE+species.png Glossary https://www.pdtf.org/library daily 0.75 2024-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/9d4726fe-3c6d-435f-986d-5a94b626021d/P.megacephalum_Charlotte+Ellis+ZSL.JPG Resources https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1729520034294-O0LGTLEWM1EB7HL83GIQ/unsplash-image-X1exjxxBho4.jpg Resources https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1729520155279-NVNKZ68ZIKL9947BUIZY/unsplash-image-tXtz1iZrDg8.jpg Resources https://www.pdtf.org/cbd daily 0.75 2024-10-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/5f1faaab-6bf6-4714-b208-95c0988b8989/COP16+Social+Flyer+1.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/5950e2f8-a65e-4840-934f-02ccc7946b50/Melanobatrachus+indicus_Rajkumar+KP_3.jpg CBD - The Tree of Life is at risk across the planet, with unique genera and families at an increased risk of extinction¹. The species whose conservation would avert the greatest losses, such as EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) species, are found in all regions and countries, from African pangolins to European seabirds, and from the unique parrots of New Zealand to the endemic flora of Chile. Our indicator to monitor the changing status of evolutionarily distinct species over time (EDGE Index - see below for details) is a component indicator for Goal A in the KM-GBF², however, conservation attention is severely lacking for an overwhelming proportion of EDGE species. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/1509bbfc-db53-43df-97e2-c24b138c9b1b/unsplash-image-XmnfnuqPNMY.jpg CBD - Across vertebrate animals, there are currently more than 700 genera and 50 families where all species are threatened with extinction, with more than 100 billion years of unique evolutionary history at risk globally¹. However, more than three quarters of the world’s EDGE species are found only in a single country³. Our goal is to empower nations to identify, monitor and conserve their unique and irreplaceable biodiversity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/fb6d5292-9b6a-43da-9501-47320bd9cf38/Canva_EDGE_pct.png CBD - Make it stand out Figure 1 : The number of priority Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species per country across all vertebrates (amphibians, birds, mammals, ray-finned fish, reptiles, and sharks and rays). Countries grouped into five-percentile bands represented by increasingly warm colours. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/6a781e96-5b46-4363-9835-f4005a2e62f7/birds_EDGE_index.jpg CBD - Make it stand out Figure 2 : The PD indicator: tracking expected PD loss through time. Left panel: trends in percentage of expected PD loss for the world’s mammals (blue), birds (green) and cycads (pink), based on current and historical IUCN Red List assessments; right panel: detail of this change, baseline (left circle) and latest (right circle) estimations of expected PD loss for each clade, with the percent change in overall expected PD loss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/8ced4c00-8e4e-408a-98fc-df70dd0b8b42/CanvaPDindicator.png CBD - Make it stand out Figure 3 : The PD indicator: tracking expected PD loss through time. Left panel: trends in percentage of expected PD loss for the world’s mammals (blue), birds (green) and cycads (pink), based on current and historical IUCN Red List assessments; right panel: detail of this change, baseline (left circle) and latest (right circle) estimations of expected PD loss for each clade, with the percent change in overall expected PD loss. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/4381865b-1d49-49f0-ab18-e21713016af6/TreeofLife_invitation.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1618497259178-6XJGK9GR6YAVBQL5L519/20140301_Trade-151_012-2.jpg CBD https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec321c2af33de48734cc929/1607694583486-2PQT0LQ193RL7MCB6DX4/20140228_Trade+151_0046.jpg CBD https://www.pdtf.org/indicators daily 0.75 2025-06-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/8ced4c00-8e4e-408a-98fc-df70dd0b8b42/CanvaPDindicator.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/9d4726fe-3c6d-435f-986d-5a94b626021d/P.megacephalum_Charlotte+Ellis+ZSL.JPG https://www.pdtf.org/edge-index daily 0.75 2025-06-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/6d479ee5-8e6f-49af-a439-123103cd877b/global_EDGE_trends_and_2023.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/66c9046b-c890-4f06-8463-48bdc028e38e/EDGE_index_disaggregation_amphibians_website.png https://www.pdtf.org/pd-indicator daily 0.75 2025-06-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/15b834f3-daf4-4c14-90d9-87501f087011/global_PDI_trends_and_2023.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/68e5dcaa-ba31-4a89-9920-3a7feec680c3/PDI_2023_vertebrates.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5e3aaf32b811272098daa944/661a3d99-302a-4fa0-a9e3-b198a10eb942/PDI_disaggregation_birds_website.png