Botanical collections in the Malesian region what has been found, where is it and where to collect in the future

Larsen, Kai (2001) Botanical collections in the Malesian region what has been found, where is it and where to collect in the future. [Proceedings Paper]

The Malesian region covers about five million km² of land and harbours one of the richest and most complex systems of plant communities in the world and a flora with about 50,000 species. Several areas have been designated as "Hot Spots" of biodiversity. At the same time this region is one of the most densely populated in the tropics and therefore the conservation of what little is left of the original vegetation must have the highest priority. Conservation is usually thought of as either in-situ in national parks or ex-situ conservation in selected Botanical Gardens. To be able to conserve nature, however, it is necessary to know the complexity of the biotopes. Therefore the collecting of herbarium material for scientific institutions is the permanent documentation for the presence of the species in the region. Consequently the herbaria are the basis for all scientific work: taxonomy, plant-geography and conservation. In this paper, an overview of botanical collections, mainly in the 20th century, is given, including where the material is deposited today. With an estimated number of collections comparing about 1.5 million specimens, it could seem that we have collected enough. It is shown with examples from the families Zingiberaceae, Lowiaceae and Dipterocarpaceae, representing the herbaceous and the tree flora, that our knowledge is still very incomplete and that the conservation authorities should encourage scientific collection in selected areas. A summary of such undercollected areas is presented.

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Abstract

The Malesian region covers about five million km² of land and harbours one of the richest and most complex systems of plant communities in the world and a flora with about 50,000 species. Several areas have been designated as "Hot Spots" of biodiversity. At the same time this region is one of the most densely populated in the tropics and therefore the conservation of what little is left of the original vegetation must have the highest priority. Conservation is usually thought of as either in-situ in national parks or ex-situ conservation in selected Botanical Gardens. To be able to conserve nature, however, it is necessary to know the complexity of the biotopes. Therefore the collecting of herbarium material for scientific institutions is the permanent documentation for the presence of the species in the region. Consequently the herbaria are the basis for all scientific work: taxonomy, plant-geography and conservation. In this paper, an overview of botanical collections, mainly in the 20th century, is given, including where the material is deposited today. With an estimated number of collections comparing about 1.5 million specimens, it could seem that we have collected enough. It is shown with examples from the families Zingiberaceae, Lowiaceae and Dipterocarpaceae, representing the herbaceous and the tree flora, that our knowledge is still very incomplete and that the conservation authorities should encourage scientific collection in selected areas. A summary of such undercollected areas is presented.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	Available at Perpustakaan Sultan Abdul Samad, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43000 UPM Serdang, Malaysia. QH75 A1I61 2000 Call Number
AGROVOC Term:	plant genetic resources
AGROVOC Term:	biodiversity
AGROVOC Term:	protected plant species
AGROVOC Term:	plant collections
AGROVOC Term:	botanists
AGROVOC Term:	documentation
AGROVOC Term:	determination of species
Depositing User:	Ms. Azariah Hashim
Date Deposited:	28 Jul 2025 08:58
Last Modified:	28 Jul 2025 08:58
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/1113

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