70 new plant species have been recorded over one year with the aid of researchers from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), despite facing lockdown over the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pooling their efforts with international partners, the species identified by RGBE researchers span 23 countries, from Australia to Bhutan, Ukraine and Vietnam. Amongst these, herbaceous plants comprise the greatest number, all of which are from Bhutan’s threatened wet forests, are are thus both new and endangered.
These include Begonia bhutanensis, which has been tended by conservation horticulturists in RBGE’s research glasshouses since 1986, but has only now identified.
Begonia researcher Dr Mark Hughes commented: “Every time we describe a species as new to science, we are recognising the international obligation to fulfil objectives for the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. The ultimate aim is to ensure all plant and fungal diversity – on which all life as we know it depends - is documented and understood.”
However, Dr Hughes warned: “Time is not on our side. Human activity combined with climate change and other natural disasters mean habitats are being eradicated at unprecedented levels and plants are disappearing before they can be described, let alone understood. Giving plants a scientific name is the first step to ensuring their future, that of their habitats and the humans and animals to benefit from their very existence.”
Thanking the RBGE for their accomplishment, Scotland’s Environment Minister Mairi McAllan added: “As we approach COP15, this kind of innovation and international collaboration demonstrates just one of the ways we are committed to tackle global biodiversity loss and restore nature for future generations.
“In Scotland, our ambitious new biodiversity strategy will be published later this year and will set out what we will do to halt nature loss by 2030 and reverse it by 2045."
