Editorial

Volume 2

Following on from the success of the first volume of Perspectives in Biodiversity in 2023, this year saw an increase in paper submissions, with seven papers published in 2024. Volume 2 has four Research Papers and three Short Communications covering a diverse array of topics.

This volume includes Research Papers examining the use of spatial methods to assist with the analysis of monitoring data for pīwakawaka / North Island fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa placabilis) on Tiritiri Matangi Island (Aguilar et al. 2024); and a documentation of the occurrence of Taraxacum pseudohamatum on the Chatham Islands (Meijer et al. 2024). Two new species are also described: Lomandra macfarlanei, a flowering plant from northern Australia (Wang 2024); and the lichen Dictyomeridium neureuterae from Ōtata in The Noises islands, Tīkapa Moana / Hauraki Gulf (Marshall et al. 2024).

The Short Communications include a paper providing a combination for two species of Caloplaca lichen merged into one species as Sirenophila as S. macquariensis (Søchting & de Lange 2024); a paper examining the arboreal behaviour of Kapitia skink (Oligosoma salmo) in captivity (Kerrigan et al. 2024); and another addressing the production of siderophores in fungi sampled from asbestos biofilms (Blanchon et al. 2024). It is pleasing to see the publication of student papers such as Kerrigan et al.’s from the School of Environmental and Animal Sciences.

As always, we gratefully thank the authors for their contributions to this volume. This year they included not only Aotearoa / New Zealand researchers, but also scientists from Australia, the Netherlands and Denmark.

Manuscripts were expertly handled by Associate Professors Emanuele Farris and Mark Large, Dr Luis Ortiz Catedral and Lilith Fisher, and by ePress staff who included Marie Shannon (until September 2024) and Gwynneth Porter, who started with the team in October 2024.

The Perspectives in Biodiversity Editorial Board includes experts from around the globe, and we appreciate their willingness to take on manuscript assignments – their time and dedication helps this journal to run smoothly. We also wish to thank the reviewers, who give of their time so freely and promptly.

Peter J. de Lange and Marleen Baling
Senior Editors