One of the world’s most significant collections of plant specimens is under threat due to the war in Ukraine, prompting an international call for urgent digitization and global cooperation to preserve this irreplaceable scientific resource. Researchers from Ukraine, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and North America have emphasized the importance of the National Herbarium of Ukraine in Kyiv (KW), which houses over 2.3 million plant and fungal specimens. This collection is among the largest herbaria in Europe and contains invaluable specimens collected by some of the world’s most renowned botanical researchers over the past 250 years.
A new article published in the journal Taxon outlines both the scientific significance of the collection and the risks it faces due to the ongoing Russian invasion. Among the co-authors is Dr. Jürgen Kellermann, senior botanist at the State Herbarium of South Australia and an honorary research associate at the University of Adelaide. Since 2020, Kellermann has closely collaborated with the lead author of the article, Professor Sergiy Mosyakin, director of the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany in Kyiv (part of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) and scientific curator of the National Herbarium.
“The National Herbarium of Ukraine is a global archive of biodiversity, containing specimens collected during some of the most important botanical expeditions in history. Many of these specimens are irreplaceable if lost,” noted Kellermann.
Unique significance for global botany
The herbarium holds collections dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, including specimens from Australia, New Zealand, North America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Many of these are type specimens—original reference specimens first used to describe plant species. The collection is particularly important for Australian botany, as it contains original material used by Nikolai Turchaninov between 1847–1863 to describe 43 genera and about 400 species of Australian plants.
The KW herbarium contains numerous specimens collected by early explorers, including James Drummond (1786–1863), Allan Cunningham (1791–1839), John Gilbert (c. 1810–1845), Johann August Ludwig Preiss (1811–1883), Franz Wilhelm Sieber (1789–1844), and many others. “The historical specimens of KW are particularly important for the flora of the global biodiversity hotspot of Western Australia, as well as for other regions of the country,” added Kellermann.
Risks of war and the need for digitization
The collection narrowly escaped serious damage when missile strikes hit central Kyiv in October 2022, causing destruction or damage to neighboring scientific and cultural institutions. Although the herbarium itself survived, researchers warn that ongoing attacks, power outages, and other consequences of the war continue to pose significant risks.
The article argues that large-scale digitization offers the best protection for these invaluable collections. Creating high-resolution digital records would allow researchers worldwide to access the specimens while ensuring the preservation of the information they contain, even if the physical collections are damaged.
Professor Mosyakin emphasized that international cooperation is crucial. “Digitization is more than just creating images. It allows scientists around the world to study these collections, discover previously unnoticed specimens, and build new research partnerships. By working together, we can help preserve this outstanding scientific heritage for future generations,” said Mosyakin.
The article highlights several research opportunities that could arise from expanded international cooperation, including the study of early plant collections from Australia and New Zealand, historical specimens collected by pioneering botanists, and modern genetic analysis of preserved plant material. Kellermann noted that the Kyiv collection has already made important contributions to the study of Australian plants. “Some of the specimens held in Kyiv provide unique insights into Australia’s botanical history and contain information that is difficult or impossible to find elsewhere,” he summarized. “Protecting and sharing these collections benefits not only Ukraine but the global scientific community.”
Source: Phys.org