COLLECTIONS
COLLECTIONS
COLLECTIONS
Since 1759 Kew has built up a range of systematically-ordered living and preserved collections which together constitute a resource of world-wide significance fully reflecting the diversity of plants and fungi in the world. The collections, including a comprehensive library, archives and numerous illustrations, have been enriched by the accumulated systematic wisdom of generations of Kew-based and visiting botanists and horticulturists. We believe that our unique collections of dried plants (6 million specimens - covering 90% of the world's plant species), living plants (40,000 taxa - estimated as 10% of the world's flora), fungi, artefacts of plant origin (80,000), literature and archives together offer a critical resource for world botany, effective plant conservation and plant utilisation, a multi-disciplinary training resource and a public window on the world of plants.
The current rate of loss of plants, fungi and animals and their habitats has become so serious that a Biodiversity Convention was signed by the world's leaders in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 to facilitate their protection and sustainable use wherever possible. Many tropical countries, where diversity is greatest, have an inadequate knowledge of their biological resources and the depletion rates. Ex situ collections of both living and preserved materials are a major tool for the rapid assessment of plant biodiversity.
The objectives of the Collections programme are:
To maintain a global facility of high expertise with collections planned for comprehensive representation and genetic diversity.
To maintain, curate and enlarge selectively one of the most comprehensive and scientifically documented collections comprising preserved plant specimens, seeds, relevant literature and archives, plant artefacts and a representative collection of well-grown living plants presented in ways to further an understanding of the plant world.
To provide a global resource for definitively identifying, naming and classifying plants and fungi and to be capable of supporting taxonomic research on any of these groups from the major floristic regions of the world at short notice.
To continue to participate as part of an international network with other collections in order to maximise the resource base for science.
To develop co-operative utilisation programmes with other organisations.
To make available the collections for national and intemational reference and study.
To design systems for the dissemination of seeds and plant materials to other organisations.
To advance strategies for managing scientific plant collections in appropriate botanic gardens through consultation and advice.