HERBARIA IN A CHANGING WORLD

Abstract

Similar to other scientific institutions, herbaria are continually tasked with new questions and challenges. They are an important repository of data, dedicated to the storing, identifying, cataloging, and systematic arrangement of botanical specimen for scientific purposes. Traditionally they have been used to validate geographical distributions of species and have served as a basis for the typification of species’ names within the scope of Linnaean taxonomy. Herbarium specimens are critical in studies on climate change and biodiversity. Recently, in face of global threats, they are considered the source of qualified information for species monitoring. A fundamental resource in biogeographic studies, herbarium surveys have documented ongoing changes in the geographic ranges of species. An extreme example is the existence of a given species only in the form of herbarium sheets, while in nature it is extinct. In recent times, an especially important role of the herbarium materials is delivering information on the extent and timing of plant invasions posed by human intervention. A new trend is the inclusion of fossil plant materials into paleo-herbaria, which is a subset of traditional Herbarium institutions. Another, still growing function, is the use of plant materials deposited in the herbaria as a source for DNA sampling. This practice poses some threats to plant collections and often is limited by the curators. In general, herbaria constitute a scientific and cultural heritage and are a cornerstone institution for plant and environmental sciences. An alarming trend in the closing of herbaria, by cutting of financial support, is being observed in some countries. Alternatively, in many herbaria, the program of the digitizing these important materials has begun. Now is a critical point in time to work toward a worldwide effort and give these plant and museum collections due recognition.