The discovery of a new orchid species in Madagascar has shed light on the country's biodiversity crisis. Solenangis impraedicta boasts an extraordinary nectar spur and is threatened by mining activities and poaching for the orchid trade.
Researchers have identified over 700 plant genera named for women, representing a significant increase in the number of genera linked to women. The dataset provides valuable information on the contributions of women to botany and can be used by other researchers to build upon this work.
A new paper published in Science Advances confirms Latin America is twice as rich in plant species as tropical Africa, with a third of the world's biodiversity. The study provides essential baseline data for conservation efforts, focusing on areas with the greatest biodiversity.
A recent study found that secondary forests in southern Costa Rica last an average of 20 years before being converted to another land use, preventing them from providing habitat for many forest species and absorbing large amounts of carbon.
Recent studies on tropical forest restoration have been found to be biased, with natural regeneration being compared to active tree planting in different site conditions. This finding could change the approach to restoration, suggesting that both methods can be complementary and suitable for specific sites.
Researchers at the Missouri Botanical Garden used phylogenetic analysis to confirm the existence of Dracaena umbraculifera, a species thought to be extinct. The study found that the species is more closely related to Dracaena reflexa from Madagascar than to Mauritian Dracaena.
Dr. Carmen Ulloa and her team compiled a comprehensive checklist of 124,993 vascular plant species of the Americas, representing one third of all known vascular plants worldwide. The checklist was published in Science today and used the Garden's plant database, Tropicos, as its data repository.
The Missouri Botanical Garden is testing a new approach to improve access to digital texts by using crowd sourcing and online gaming. The project aims to enhance texts from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), which contains over 40 million pages of scanned texts.
The Missouri Botanical Garden will support the development of a comprehensive online resource for plant species, improving access and analysis for scientists and conservationists. The $3 million gift from Monsanto Company will fund the garden's contributions to this international endeavor from 2012 to 2015.
The Missouri Botanical Garden has received a $260,000 NEH grant to enhance its Biodiversity Heritage Library. The library's digitized texts now include software tools for automated image identification and description. This will allow users to search and filter images by type, color content, subject matter, or organism names.
A study by the Missouri Botanical Garden found that over 24% of water extracts and 76% of alcoholic extracts from Peruvian medicinal plant species contained elevated toxicity levels. This highlights the need for proper preparation methods to account for varying toxicity levels in traditional remedies.
A new study will examine the impacts of climate change on biodiversity in the tropical Andes, focusing on four countries: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The research aims to provide a standard methodology for estimating local climate change risks and inform decision-making, adaptation measures, and conservation planning.
Researchers at the Missouri Botanical Garden have identified eight new plant species in the Madidi National Park and surrounding areas in northern Bolivia. The new species, including Prestonia leco and Passiflora madidiana, are from diverse genera and families and have been assigned a provisional conservation status of Vulnerable.
Researchers at the Missouri Botanical Garden have discovered a new genus of tree, Hondurodendron, which is endemic to Honduras and has unique characteristics. The genus was identified through morphological and molecular analysis, and its single species, Hondurodendron urceolatum, has a distinctive fruit resembling a guava.
Researchers highlight the importance of indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge and resourcefulness in mitigating climate change. They are already adapting to climatic variation and can contribute to enhancing ecosystem resilience with their active responses.
A national survey by PGAV Destination Consulting and Missouri Botanical Garden shows that consumers, particularly Gen X and Y, prioritize environmentally friendly practices in attractions. Over 75% of 18-34 year olds expect to pay more for green attractions, with recycling being a nearly universal expectation.