Editorial

Volume 1

As undergraduates we appreciated the presence of a range of often tertiary-institute-led peer-reviewed journals in Aotearoa / New Zealand that covered a diverse array of natural-history topics unlikely to be accepted in more mainstream journals. The wealth of excellent information published in Tane (University of Auckland), Earth Science Journal (University of Waikato), Tuatara (Victoria University of Wellington) and Mauri Ora (University of Canterbury, and now known as New Zealand Natural Sciences) is a resource still used by natural-history researchers to this day. Sadly, all but one of these journals are now defunct.

During 2021 and 2022 a range of papers was offered to Perspectives in Biosecurity. These had to be ‘squeezed’ somewhat to fit the biosecurity theme – a point debated by the authors, considered by the Editorial Board and highlighted by the reviewers. At the time it was mooted that a sister journal, Perspectives in Biodiversity, might help cover those papers with clear biodiversity themes.

Perspectives in Biodiversity was launched in April 2023. It was agreed that the journal will consider submissions mainly from Australasia and the Pacific. The scope is intended to be broad, encompassing biosystematics, biogeography, ecology, genetics, reproductive biology (including pollination biology), taxonomy, entomology, ethnobotany, ethnozoology, herpetology, ornithology, bryology, lichenology, mycology and phycology. Annotated checklists and conservation assessments of Aotearoa / New Zealand biota are encouraged. Manuscripts describing new, novel or unusual field techniques are also within scope.

The 2023 call for papers resulted in this first volume of Perspectives in Biodiversity publishing two Research Papers, one Annotated Checklist, and a Short Communication. In these papers one new species, Megalaria crispisulcans, is described and added to the lichenised mycobiota of Aotearoa / New Zealand (Marshall et al. 2023). A comprehensive listing of the avifauna of Rēkohu / Wharekauri / Chatham Island, and an account of birds seen during a field trip to that island by School of Environmental and Animal Sciences students is also published (Baling et al. 2023).

In May 2024 the Senior Editors did a review of this first issue of Perspectives in Biodiversity. They found (at the time of that assessment) that of the Perspectives in Biodiversity papers posted on Research Gate, the most popular has been Marshall et al. (2023) with 675 reads and 230 text downloads; followed by Baling et al. (2023) with 534 reads, and 195 text downloads. Critically, Baling et al. (2023) has provided a forum for informed discussion on the naturalisation of a self-sustaining emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) population on Rēkohu / Wharekauri / Chatham Island, making the argument that emu should now be considered a naturalised addition to the listing of wild avifauna in Aotearoa / New Zealand.

Understandably, this first issue has a preponderance of papers solicited by the Senior Editors. Despite this, interest has been high, and we look forward to seeing what is submitted for 2024.

We gratefully thank the authors for their contributions to this issue and acknowledge their persistence and productivity over what has been a challenging time to complete research projects. We also wish to thank the reviewers, and Associate Editors Dr Sarah Wells and Dr Matt Renner, who handled these papers, and the ePress staff, especially Editor Marie Shannon, for supporting us get the first issue of this journal published.

Peter J. de Lange and Marleen Baling
Senior Editors