Biodiversity loss during the Anthropocene is a serious ecological challenge. Pollinators are important vectors that provide multiple essential ecosystem services but are declining rapidly in this changing world. However, several studies have argued that a high abundance of managed bee pollinators, such as honeybees (Apis mellifera), may be sufficient to provide pollination services for crop productivity, and sociological studies indicate that the majority of farmers worldwide do not recognize the contribution of wild pollinator diversity to agricultural yield. Here, we review the importance of pollinator diversity in natural and agricultural ecosystems that may be thwarted by the increase in abundance of managed pollinators such as honeybees. We also emphasize the additional roles diverse pollinator communities play in environmental safety, culture, and aesthetics. Research indicates that in natural ecosystems, pollinator diversity enhances pollination during environmental and climatic perturbations, thus alleviating pollen limitation. In agricultural ecosystems, pollinator diversity increases the quality and quantity of crop yield. Furthermore, studies indicate that many pollinator groups are useful in monitoring environmental pollution, aid in pest and disease control, and provide cultural and aesthetic value. During the uncertainties that may accompany rapid environmental changes in the Anthropocene, the conservation of pollinator diversity must expand beyond bee conservation. Similarly, the value of pollinator diversity maintenance extends beyond the provision of pollination services. Accordingly, conservation of pollinator diversity requires an interdisciplinary approach with contributions from environmentalists, taxonomists, and social scientists, including artists, who can shape opinions and behavior.

The genus Sambucus belongs to the family Viburnaceae, and has long been a debatable taxon regarding its systematics and taxonomic assignment. It is known for its morphological and genetic variations and thus the taxonomic delimitation remains uncertain. Phenotypic and genotypic variations within plant species causes difficulties in the detection of species boundaries. In the present review, we compiled a set of studies that assessed species discrimination within Sambucus genus by morphological and molecular markers as well as the taxonomic uncertainties in the re-circumscription of the segregated genera i.e., Viburnum L., Sambucus L., and Adoxa L., (syn. Sinadoxa C.Y. Wu, Z.L. Wu & R.F. Huang/Tetradoxa C.Y. Wu) from Caprifoliaceae and their family assignment. The data was obtained from published journal articles and various online databases. Morphological and molecular diagnostic characters were employed to distinguish Sambucus species. Our findings indicated that high intraspecific variations within narrow-ranged populations and their widespread counterparts contribute to its taxonomic complications. Additionally, intraspecific variations within Sambucus species leads to misidentifications and the misapplication of names, occasioning the publication of many putative synonyms and ambiguous names. Possible interspecific hybridizations experienced between Sambucus species increases complexity in character evolution. A morphological analysis showed that the endocarp seed morphological characters can reliably support the segregation of Sambucus taxa into discrete taxonomic entities. In molecular analysis, the NeighborNet (NN) phylogenetic split network revealed three distinct genera including Viburnum, Sambucus, and Adoxa, which clustered separately. The Maximum Likelihood (ML) analysis indicated that the Sambucus species formed a monophyletic group and clustered into two major clades, a small clade containing S. maderensis, S. peruviana, S. nigra, and S. canadensis, and a large clade encompassing the rest of the species with significantly supported clades (<52%). The preferred family assignment for Sambucus is Viburnaceae.

Daniel Mutavi Katumo1,2,5*, Jacob Muinde1,3,6, Emmanuel Nyongesa Waswa1,4,7 College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.State Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chines