Inaugural editorial: Biological Diversity

Now that the global population has reached eight billion, a huge number of humans and other living organisms are struggling to coexist harmoniously, which affects the sustainable development of the world. Humanity is facing three major environmental problems: ecosystem degradation and loss of biodiversity, climate change, pollution and waste. According to the report by IPBES,1 75% of the Earth's land surface has undergone significant changes, 66% of its sea areas have been affected, 85% of wetlands have been lost, 68% of wild vertebrate populations have disappeared, 25% of species are facing extinction, and the vitality of the Earth has decreased by 50% compared to before. Rational conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity can provide clean water, fresh air, abundant food, a comfortable environment, a stable climate, and a healthy world. Biodiversity is the ecological complex formed by plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms, and their environment, as well as the synthesis of various ecological processes related to them. It includes three levels: genetic diversity within a species, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. Ecosystems range from rainforests to deserts and tundra, and underground to deep oceans and freshwater. Biodiversity has natural capital value, which is related to ecological services and ultimately to human needs. Therefore, biodiversity is not only a scientific issue, but also a political, economic, and social issue. The convention on biological diversity (CBD) was opened for signature in 1992 at the United Nations General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and currently has 196 Parties. The CBD has three objectives: protecting biodiversity, sustainable utilization of biodiversity components, and sharing the commercial benefits and other forms of use of genetic resources in a fair and equitable manner. The CBD was divided into a time course: a significant halt in the decline of biodiversity by 2010; Halt biodiversity loss by 2020 through effective measures and urgent action; By 2050, people and nature live in harmony and biodiversity values are recognized, protected, restored and sustained.2 The most recent, 15th, Conference of the Parties (COP 15; first phase Kunming, 2021; second phase Montreal, 2022) to the CBD agreed on an “ambitious and pragmatic balance” of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework for the 2021–2030 conservation framework.3 To achieve the goals of this framework, we need to consider flexibility and transformation, shift from human-centered to eco-centric, and from conservation and development to coordination, and seek a balance between nature conservation and social development between 2023 and 2030. Through cooperation and action, we should solve the problem of conservation and sustainable use of plant diversity, and deal with the conservation, restoration, sustainable use and appropriate adaptive management of biological diversity, so as to usher in the “inflection point” of biodiversity conservation curve as soon as possible. Scientific research underpins the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of biodiversity. A search of the Web of Science (November 17, 2023) using the term “Biological diversity” identifed a total of 3163 articles, the earliest of which was one in 1913 and the majority of which were published during 1980s. A search of “biodiversity” found a total of 41,661 articles, the earliest two of which were published in 1987, increasing since then, with a decrease in 2022 (Figure 1). Number of scientific publications of biodiversity-related research during the years 1987–2023. “Biodiversity” was used as topic for search in Web of Science. The literature focuses on multiple aspects of biodiversity research: documenting, supervising and investigating, cataloguing, monitoring, and evaluating biodiversity. Furthermore, it investigates the fundamental aspects of the origin, evolution, maintenance, and driving mechanisms of biodiversity, and there is also extensive work on the application of research in the conservation and restoration of biodiversity, the sustainable use of biodiversity, and the policies for biodiversity conservation and use. A trend in biodiversity research shows a shift from survey descriptions to mechanism studies, and increasing use of numerical models, functional traits, and community construction theories to conduct research. Biodiversity research is also linked to biological invasions, global change, and impacts of human activities. The research continues to encompass diversity studies at genetic, species, ecosystem and landscape scales, all involving new experimental tools and analytical methodologies across animals, fungi, plants, microbes and even viruses. Research tools involving genomics and metagenomics (DNA, RNA genomes of individuals and across populations) and remote sensing (surface cameras to towers, drones and aircraft, to satellites) are widely used, and we can look forward to exciting developments exploiting new approaches. Biodiversity studies have huge impact on the planet. Both measuring and mitigating the effects of human activity, particularly the effects of climate change but also including global movements of species and changing land use, is a huge challenge, potentially causing unprecedented changes in the biodiversity of species and altering ecosystems drastically. In agriculture, leading to sustainable production of food, feed, fuel and fiber, research into the biodiversity of animals, plants, fungi and microbes is critical. It will reveal new genes in the genepool not only for yield and disease resistance, but also for reduced environmental impact, potentially enabling better conservation of biodiverse areas. Ecosystem studies encompass the complex interactions of communities, and extend into the economic and social consequences of changing biodiversity. Specialist scholarly publications-refereed international journals-are at the core of rigorous research and science. There are journals on plant, animal and microbial biodiversity or conservation biology, but we recognize the lack of a broad-based journal that deals with plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms, spans genetic, species, ecosystem and landscape scales, comprehensively considers biodiversity conservation, restoration and sustainable use, and links theory, technology and policy. To fulfil this need, we are pleased to announce the launch of Biological Diversity, owned by the South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (and not-for-profit) and published by John Wiley, a long-established and highly reputable academic publisher. This journal aims to become a rigorously peer-reviewed, leading international journal in the discipline of Biological Diversity Science, covering research on all aspects of biological diversity, its conservation, restoration, and sustainable use. It is multidisciplinary and covers living organisms of all kinds in any habitat, spanning a diverse range of biological, technological, analytical, sociological, ethical and economic dimensions. Biological Diversity will publish high-quality original research, reviews, perspectives and opinions in the gold open access mode, promoting fast submission, review and communication freely to the global research and practice community. We greatly appreciate the experts in the biological diversity research and practice community for selflessly devoting their time to serve on the editorial board. Biological Diversity welcomes contributions from researchers and practitioners of biodiversity, and will include a range of manuscript types, for example, Reviews and Original Research. With your support, we will build a leading journal in biological diversity, supporting the implementation of CBD, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and research in its broad area. Hai Ren: Conceptualization; writing – review & editing; writing – original draft. Thank also to Professor J.S. (Pat) Heslop-Harrison for polishing the English. This manuscript has not been published in whole or in part elsewhere. The manuscript is not currently being considered for publication in another journal. Author has been personally and actively involved in substantive work leading to the manuscript, and will hold individually responsible for its content.

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