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Natural history collections are important resources for a wide variety of scientific fields and are the basis for systematic and taxonomic research in disciplines such as Botany and Zoology. Herbaria are collections of dried, pressed, and classified plant specimens. These “biodiversity libraries” are remarkable and unique sources of information. Each specimen is a historical record and documents a species in a specific place and time, offering data on its geographic distribution and environmental changes over time. The interest in these collections has increased in recent years due to the development of new molecular techniques and the massive digitization of the specimens. Likewise, herbaria are of great importance in other scientific fields and provide an inexhaustible source of information for taxonomy, systematics, and the understanding of evolutionary processes. These treasures are fundamental pillars for discovering the planet's biodiversity and are especially important for tropical plants.
Many tropical regions are still poorly explored and the only source of information available for systematic studies are herbarium specimens. However, despite their importance, both herbaria and taxonomic work face great challenges. The loss of taxonomic experts, and the lack of funding and public recognition have led to the disappearance of small institutions, a decline in the maintenance and expansion of natural history collections, and the devaluation of taxonomic work. To reverse this situation, efforts are required to preserve, expand, and reactivate taxonomy as an integrative discipline and the use of collections to promote their scientific and ecological value to ensure that they continue to be a vital source of knowledge.
Organized by: Irene Sánchez Gavilán (Postdoctoral Researcher at Division of Preventive Medicine, Harvard Medical School) as a RCCHU Seminar series within the activities of the RCCHU Study Group 'Botanical Collections and Herbaria: New Insights and Challenges'
Speaker: Iris Montero Muñoz (Postdoctoral researcher Juan de la Cierva; Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid (RJB), CSIC, Spain - Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO)
Sponsor: RCCHU; Harvard University; Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid (RJB), CSIC, Spain