Network of biological collections in Paraná State, Brazil—Taxonline: a success story

Abstract Scientific biological collections play a vital role in preserving biodiversity knowledge, particularly in regions experiencing rapid environmental degradation. In Brazil, these collections encompass centuries of data, offering key insights into species distributions, ecosystem change, and conservation strategies. However, despite this recognized value, they remain underprioritized by managing institutions and policymakers, with limited funding for their maintenance, thereby constraining their potential impact. To address these challenges, the adoption of collaborative networks and open-access data sharing have emerged as effective strategies to support and strengthen the contributions of collections in research and broader societal applications. Herein, we summarize the 20-year existence of the Taxonline Network of Biological Collections in Paraná State, a regional initiative that has fostered institutional cooperation and improved data accessibility for scientific biological collections. We integrate information from curators, from the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System (SiBBr), from the speciesLink project, and also from a national diagnosis of scientific collections to assess the number, geographic distribution, institutional status, infrastructure, staffing, and digitization status of collections affiliated with Taxonline. This review demonstrates that network-based collaboration can help mitigate structural challenges, enhance infrastructure and data quality, and increase both public and scientific visibility of collections, offering a sustainable model for other regions facing similar constraints.

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Publication Details

Journal
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Published
2025-08-09
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaf083
Primary Topic
Plant and animal studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Network of biological collections in Paraná State, Brazil—Taxonline: a success story

Fernando Antonio Sedor, Daniela Aparecida Estevan, Diego Santos Souza, George Gardner Brown et al.
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Plant and animal studies
article

Network of biological collections in Paraná State, Brazil—Taxonline: a success story

Fernando Antonio Sedor, Daniela Aparecida Estevan, Diego Santos Souza, George Gardner Brown, Luciane Marinoni, Marcelo Galeazzi Caxambú, Luciano Aparecido Panagio, Rosângela Capuano Tardivo, Fernando Willyan Trevisan Leivas, Júlio César de Moura-Leite, R. O. Molina, Carla Simone Pavanelli, G. S. e Schuhli, Rodrigo Lingnau, Laura Cristina Pires Lima, Tatiana A. Sepúlveda, Juliana Vitória Messias Bittencourt, Ana C. Lima, Rodrigo de Andrade Kersten, Vânia Aparecida Vicente, Sibelle Trevisan Disaró, Isaac Jorge, Patrícia Silva, Mariangela Hungria, Kauany Carvalho da Silva, Vânia Rossetto Marcelino, Sacha Lubow
article en

Abstract

Abstract Scientific biological collections play a vital role in preserving biodiversity knowledge, particularly in regions experiencing rapid environmental degradation. In Brazil, these collections encompass centuries of data, offering key insights into species distributions, ecosystem change, and conservation strategies. However, despite this recognized value, they remain underprioritized by managing institutions and policymakers, with limited funding for their maintenance, thereby constraining their potential impact. To address these challenges, the adoption of collaborative networks and open-access data sharing have emerged as effective strategies to support and strengthen the contributions of collections in research and broader societal applications. Herein, we summarize the 20-year existence of the Taxonline Network of Biological Collections in Paraná State, a regional initiative that has fostered institutional cooperation and improved data accessibility for scientific biological collections. We integrate information from curators, from the Brazilian Biodiversity Information System (SiBBr), from the speciesLink project, and also from a national diagnosis of scientific collections to assess the number, geographic distribution, institutional status, infrastructure, staffing, and digitization status of collections affiliated with Taxonline. This review demonstrates that network-based collaboration can help mitigate structural challenges, enhance infrastructure and data quality, and increase both public and scientific visibility of collections, offering a sustainable model for other regions facing similar constraints.

Biological Journal of the Linnean SocietyVol. 146(2)
Universidade Estadual de Maringá (BR), Universidade Estadual de Londrina (BR), Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (BR), Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana (BR), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (BR), Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná (BR), Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (BR), Universidade Norte do Paraná (BR), Field Museum of Natural History (US), Universidade Estadual do Centro-Oeste (BR), Instituto Florestal (BR), Museu da Amazonia (BR), Prefeitura Municipal de Curitiba (BR), Instituto Agronômico do Paraná (BR), Universidade Federal do Paraná (BR), Universidade Federal do Pará (BR), Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa (BR)
Openalex Percentile: Top 78%
Plant and animal studies
DOISourceOpenAlex
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