Pivotal is revolutionising biodiversity data analytics. We deploy efficient machine learning models to analyse immense and varied datasets, with critical identification of rare species and habitat features annotated remotely by a global network of ecological experts. This innovative approach allows for precise species identification and ecosystem monitoring, enhancing our understanding of biodiversity changes and aiding in sustainable management efforts.
We recently sat down with two of our esteemed experts, Pablo de la Fuente Brun and Joao Santos, to hear about their journeys in botany.
“I’m contributing to science at a scale never before possible”
Pablo de la Fuente Brun, is a biologist and educator from Spain with a master’s degree in biodiversity, and a passion for botany. Pablo has dedicated his life to the study of small plants & insects, publishing numerous studies, and contributing to iNaturalist, a nonprofit organisation that brings together a community of scientists and naturalists to identify plants and animals. He’s been a member of our Expert Ecology network since its inception, and his expertise has been invaluable to Pivotal and our customers who are looking to accurately and consistently track changes in the state of nature.
What made you want to become an expert in botany? What is your specialisation?
It’s been a dream for as long as I remember! I’ve always been fascinated by trees and plants, and my father, who is also a biologist, taught me about them from a young age. My grandfather lived on a local farm he operated, so I often had the chance to work with him as well, learning about the plants and local vegetation in Montejo De la Sierra, north of Madrid, Spain. I also had access to The Hayedo de Montejo, one of the most famous beech forests in Europe and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where I learned about the impacts of the unique microclimates and anthropic impact.
After obtaining my master’s degree in biodiversity at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, I become a biologist and researcher, and an environmental educator at the The Hayedo de Montejo. I specialise in plants and trees in the Iberian Peninsula region and am passionate about using morphological analysis to identify plants.
What’s the hardest species identification you’ve done and are most proud of?
I recently identified an autumn snowflake, Acis autumnalis, from a biodiversity dataset of a Portuguese ecosystem. Portugal is very rich in floral diversity so it can be challenging to be well-versed in each species. I’m also proud of identifying Apiaceae (also knownas Umbelliferae), which is from the parsley, carrots or celery family.
What’s one of the biggest challenges in the field right now?
A lot of research in botany has veered towards specialisations in plant genetics and phylogeny, which study evolutionary history and relationships between groups of organisms. This can be an interesting way to understand plant species, but it’s not the same as botany expertise. Because of this shift to focus on plant genetics versus the plants themselves, researchers are becoming less able to recognise plants by sight.
Many people are also choosing to become specialists vs. generalists – for example, they will focus on a specific genus vs. understanding all the species in a region. This can be a challenge when trying to understand biodiversity holistically. Morphological analysis, which is the study of the physical form and external structure of plants, is getting a bit of a resurgence but there’s still more research into genetics, which is a shame.
Another challenge is solving the taxonomy puzzles — some parts of taxonomy are quite old. The names can be convoluted, and some plants are not well described. For example, some don’t include the actual dried pressed plant to reference, which is important for a world-first identification. That can make it more challenging to verify the species.
How has working with Pivotal enabled you to contribute to biodiversity research?
Most of the opportunities in botany centre around academic research or investigations into taxonomy. Pivotal provided a chance to do what I enjoy and contribute to science at a scale I had not had access to before in the public sector. Using technology and working remotely, I can identify species that inform the understanding of the state of nature and evidence real changes in biodiversity. For me, it’s like solving a puzzle, and the process can be exciting and challenging at the same time.
“We’re building the largest database of accurate biodiversity data”
Joao Santos is a biologist and educator from Portugal with a master’s degree in marine ecology, and expertise in marine macroalgae in mainland Portugal, as well as Iberian flora and urban plant ecology. He is passionate about changing the perception of botany through education and advocacy. In addition to serving as a project consultant with Photocitiesys, an organisation created by biologists with a mission to strengthen society’s relationship with botany, he frequently organises courses and workshops on ecology. He’s a trusted member of our Expert Ecology network, and his expertise has been invaluable to Pivotal and our customers who are looking to accurately evaluate changes to the state of nature.
What made you want to become an expert in botany? What is your specialisation?
After graduating with a master’s degree in marine ecology at the Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, I was fortunate to have Dr. Dalila Espírito-Santo, an internationally renowned botany specialist, as my mentor. She was also my first Principal Investigator while working on plant habitats within the Nature 2000 network, the largest coordinated network of protected areas covering Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats on land and at sea.
Since then, I have been eager to follow in her footsteps and learn more about botany. I have focused my research in two areas: marine macroalgae in mainland Portugal, and Iberian flora and urban plant ecology.
What’s the hardest ID you’ve done and are most proud of?
Working with Pivotal, one of the hardest identifications I was able to do remotely was Trifolium vesiculosum, found in thick grassland and Montado systems. It is a minute species, but important to identify, especially due to its unique character and contribution to ecological and agricultural systems.
Outside Pivotal, I had to use molecular techniques such as DNA barcoding to identify several cryptic macroalgae specimens to achieve confident identification, based on morphology and histology. These results were among the first three worldwide, with the genomic sequences now available in the GenBank repository for the scientific community.
What’s one of the biggest challenges in the ecology/botany field right now?
One major challenge is the lack of interest among biologists in botany, many of whom consider it less appealing than zoology in terms of career prospects.
Additionally, I believe that the preferential and/or exclusive use of genomic and molecular biology techniques, although useful, leads to neglect and disinterest in relevant disciplines such as morphology and histology. As a result, there is a study abstraction, increasing the lack of knowledge about organisms in nature and their forms.
To counteract this trend of disinterest, I frequently organise courses, workshops, and currently an exhibition at Lisbon’s National Museum of Natural History, aiming to change the perception of botany.
How has working with Pivotal enabled you to contribute to biodiversity research?
Pivotal is building the largest database of accurate biodiversity data, consisting of georeferenced images that are timestamped, processed by data scientists and verified by biologists.
Given the impact of climate change, these photographic or audio records and databases are extremely important as they allow not only the study of organism distribution in the present, but they will also enable us to build models based on temporal successions to observe changes in distribution, occurrence of invasive species, or the extinction of native species.
If you’re interested in joining Pivotal’s network of world-class ecological experts, please contact us on info@pivotal.earth.
To discuss how we can help you secure real, auditable evidence of on-the-ground changes in nature, so you can make solid decisions and trustworthy claims, get in touch.