USP herbarium preserves more than 270 thousand species

The Institute of Biosciences at the University of São Paulo (USP) houses one of the ten largest herbaria in Brazil, a true green jewel that preserves the history and future of Brazilian biodiversity. With around 270,000 records of plants, mosses and fungi, this scientific collection is an international reference in botanical research.

The collection includes species collected in neighborhoods in the city of São Paulo itself, in addition to having more than 23 thousand records of algae alone, forming one of the largest collections of its kind in all of Latin America. Some of the samples preserved in the herbarium are more than 100 years old, although there are herbaria in the world with records of plants preserved for almost 500 years.

Basis for biodiversity knowledge

The importance of this herbarium goes beyond mere preservation. “The scientific collection that is inside a herbarium is the basis for our knowledge of biodiversity,” explains Marcelo Devecchi, one of the researchers at the Institute.

The process of collecting, identifying and cataloging samples by botanists and taxonomists is fundamental for the production of scientific works and the description of new species.

Recently, the USP herbarium received a valuable addition: the collection of renowned botanist Goro Hashimoto. There are 43 thousand plants, including rare species and some that no longer exist in the Brazilian wild, such as those that were part of the area now submerged by the Itaipu hydroelectric dam.

International collaboration and conservation

The USP herbarium does not operate in isolation. It is part of an international network for the exchange of scientific data, contributing to global studies on environmental changes. The samples preserved here can help preserve forests in other parts of the world.

“We compare this data from the past with the present and can identify a lot of information about preservation,” says Devecchi. This information is crucial for restoration programs, allowing the use of suitable species in conservation projects, especially in biomes such as the Cerrado.