Harnessing the potential of herbaria for conservation in Honduras

El Dr. Eric Van Den Berghe, Profesor Asociado del Departamento de Ambiente y Desarrollo, y su equipo publicaron a studyin thejournal Plants, People, Planethighlighting the fundamental role of herbarium collections in developing effective conservation strategies. 

Using Honduran ferns and lycophytes as a case study, the team discovered significant discrepancies between official management plans and herbarium records. While the management plans listed 66 unique species, herbarium data identified 216 species absent from those plans. Nearly one-third of the species cited in the management plans lacked corresponding herbarium vouchers, raising concerns about the reliability of current biodiversity reports. 

By integrating herbarium data into conservation planning, the researchers demonstrated a more complete understanding of species distribution and community composition. This approach not only fills critical data gaps but also ensures that national conservation efforts are grounded in scientifically verified and validated information.