Tracing holotype trajectories: Mapping the movement of the most valuable herbarium specimens
PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET, Volume 8, Issue 4, Page 1304-1321, July 2026.Global efforts to protect biodiversity depend on fair access to key plant specimens. This study examines the distribution of 119,361 holotypes—unique herbarium specimens used to formally describe new plant species. By linking collection and storage data, we found that holotypes are increasingly held closer to their places of origin, particularly in ...
Dominik Tomaszewski +2 more
wiley +1 more source
Digitalising biodiversity: Exploring perceptions on risks and opportunities
PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET, Volume 8, Issue 4, Page 1366-1377, July 2026.Digitalisation is transforming biodiversity conservation, offering new opportunities for research, governance and public engagement. Herbarium digitisation, for example, enables large‐scale access to plant data, supporting conservation, restoration and sustainable use.
Björn‐Ola Linnér +9 more
wiley +1 more source
Ghost records and unverifiable specimen data hinder bee research: a reply to Cobb et al. [PDF]
Ann Entomol Soc AmPortman ZM +6 more
europepmc +1 more source
Life after herbarium digitisation: Physical and digital collections, curation and use
PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET, Volume 8, Issue 4, Page 1029-1041, July 2026.Societal Impact Statement Collections of dried plant specimens (herbaria) provide an invaluable resource for the study of many areas of scientific interest and conservation globally. Digitisation increases access to specimens and metadata, enabling efficient use across a broad spectrum of research.
Alan James Paton +39 more
wiley +1 more source
Metagenomic survey of fungal communities in compost from dairy plant wastewater sludge and garden trimmings. [PDF]
Biodivers Data JMonjardino P +6 more
europepmc +1 more source
PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET, Volume 8, Issue 4, Page 1175-1194, July 2026.The value of herbarium specimens depends largely on the accuracy and accessibility of the data captured, which is dependent on curation practices. Previous studies have shown high levels of misidentification in collections, which become more problematic with increased access.
Celia C. Aceae +3 more
wiley +1 more source
The Mollusc Collection (Class Polyplacophora) at the Museum of Zoology, University of Concepción: curation status and value for integrative research. [PDF]
Biodivers Data JNorambuena Molina JB +1 more
europepmc +1 more source
PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET, Volume 8, Issue 4, Page 1210-1222, July 2026.In response to Chile's public policy to establish a national biodiversity inventory and monitoring system, we launched the HerbarioDigital.cl portal. We have digitised over 120,000 specimens representing more than 3,900 species from two Chilean herbaria, integrating them through a curated local taxonomic index.
Ricardo A. Segovia +5 more
wiley +1 more source
Findings From the Pearl River Basin: Dissolved Oxygen Dominates Functional Trait Filtering and Diversity Patterns in Urban Rivers. [PDF]
Ecol EvolHuang J +9 more
europepmc +1 more source
Biodiversity science is improved when silent herbaria speak
PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET, Volume 8, Issue 4, Page 1378-1386, July 2026.Herbaria in the Global South are critical yet underutilized resources for biodiversity science and often absent from international databases and research networks. We highlight the phenomenon of “silent herbaria” using Nigeria as a case study and quantify how these collections fill important gaps in global biodiversity knowledge.
Daniel A. Zhigila +38 more
wiley +1 more source