Brno and Průhonice, 10. 04. 2025 – According to a new study by a team of more than 200 botanists from around the world, published in the prestigious journal Nature, the vegetation of natural areas is often impoverished by the absence of many plant species that could potentially thrive there. This phenomenon is particularly evident in regions heavily influenced by human activity. Czech scientists also contributed to the extensive research, helping to develop the study’s methodological framework and collecting data from several regions in Bohemia and Moravia.
"In the DarkDivNet project, we studied plants at nearly 5,500 sites across 119 different regions worldwide," explains Milan Chytrý from the Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science at Masaryk University in Brno, a member of the core team that designed the project concept and methodology. "Commonly used biodiversity measurement methods, such as simply counting recorded species, fail to reveal human impact because natural biodiversity differences between regions obscure the true extent of human impact," the botanist adds.
In the Czech Republic, researchers from the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences and other institutions collected data for the DarkDivNet project from five regions: the Krkonoše Mountains, Ralsko, Šumava, the Novohradské Mountains, and Podyjí. "We recorded all plant species found in study plots within natural areas and, through botanical surveys of the surrounding landscape, identified the so-called ‘dark diversity’ – that is, native species that could potentially grow in the study area but were not observed," explains Michaela Vítková from the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences. This method enabled botanists to uncover the hidden impact of human activity on plant life, regardless of natural regional differences.
Researchers assessed the extent of human disturbance in the surrounding landscape using the Human Footprint Index, which accounts for population density, land-use changes (e.g., urbanization and agriculture), and infrastructure (such as roads and railways). They found that plant diversity is negatively affected not only by direct human activity but also by its consequences extending hundreds of kilometers. In areas with minimal human impact, an average of 65% of potentially suitable plant species from the broader landscape were absent in individual plant communities. However, in areas heavily affected by human activity, approximately 80% of these species were missing.
This result is alarming because it shows that human activities have a much broader impact than previously assumed, even in protected areas. Habitat fragmentation and other human influences can prevent plants from colonizing their natural habitats, despite the occurrence of their populations in a broader area.
The DarkDivNet project was launched in 2018. "The concept of dark diversity had already been developed, but systematic sampling using a unified methodology across multiple regions worldwide was necessary to test it. At first, this seemed impossible, but gradually, colleagues from around the world joined us, and we eventually managed to compile an impressive dataset, despite challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as economic and political crises," recalls the study’s lead author, Meelis Pärtel from the University of Tartu in Estonia.
This study highlights the importance of ecosystem protection beyond designated nature reserves. The concept of dark diversity also provides a practical tool for conservation efforts. It allows for the identification of missing target species and better evaluation of the success of ecosystem restoration projects.
Media Contacts:
Prof. Milan Chytrý, tel. 778882218, chytry@sci.muni.cz
Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno
Dr. Martin Hejda, tel. 739074682, martin.hejda@ibot.cas.cz
Dr. Michaela Vítková, tel. 737159641, michaela.vitkova@ibot.cas.cz
Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Průhonice
Article link:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08814-5
About the DarkDivNet Project:
The DarkDivNet project (https://macroecology.ut.ee/en/darkdivnet) is an international research initiative focused on the invisible aspects of plant biodiversity, known as dark diversity. Its goal is to understand why certain plant species are absent from their natural habitats.
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