Endemics

It is expected that type material of endemic species will primarily be stored in Austrian collections—after data analysis, unknown type material can also be assigned virtually and, if necessary, researched anew in context.

The history of the discovery and exploration of all endemic species can be traced in detail.

Human activity has had a significant impact on biodiversity since at least the 19th century. The frequency of collections (supplemented by observations) allows the decline or increase in the frequency of endemic species to be continuously tracked.

Stenoendemic species are likely to be more severely affected by the direct impacts of global warming than widespread species. Some endemic species have a small distribution area (stenoendemics). For these species, the known distribution area, total population size, and historical population development can be described more accurately. This also allows the ecological niche to be recorded more precisely, which provides important data for biodiversity conservation, for example.

Species that have only recently been described are still insufficiently known and are often incorrectly identified and classified in older collections. Digitizing these collections not only makes these species better known and encourages research into them, but also facilitates and improves the curation of the collections. This means that the actual distribution of these still little-known species becomes known more quickly.

Many endemic species are common in certain regions and are important elements of species communities and often endangered/protected ecosystems. The exact distribution and historical population development of these species can be researched more accurately through the digitization of collections. This will also enable more precise statements to be made about changes in ecosystems and their ecosystem functions.