Decipher our collections,
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and contribute to knowledge

China is one of the world's most biodiverse nations, averaging 2,000-5,000 plant species per 10,000 km². In comparison, the most biodiverse regions of the U.S. have a maximum of 2,000 plant species per 10,000 km². Southern China, where tropical and subtropical floras meet more northern temperate floras, is particularly species rich. Ecosystems range from mangroves along the coast, subtropical broadleaf forests, to high mountain peaks of the Himalaya, and the arid Tibetan plateau. South-central China is a center of regional plant endemism, with Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces harboring up to 5,100 species that are found nowhere else. New species of plants and fungi continue to be described from China, and these new species are often rare and face conservation concerns. Digitization of herbarium specimens makes data available to help describe new species and construct conservation strategies to protect what remains.

This project is supported by NSF awards 2100755 and 2001354.