The first two decades of the twenty-first century have seen a rapid rise in the mobilization of digital biodiversity data.

Functional traits are increasingly used to understand the ecology of plants and to predict their responses to global changes. Unfortunately, trait data are unavailable for the majority of plant species.

Ulmus americana (American elm) was an important urban tree in North America prior to the introduction of the Dutch elm disease pathogen in 1930. Subsequently, urban and community forests were devastated by the loss of large canopies.

Access and benefit-sharing (ABS) refers to the way in which genetic resources
may be accessed, and how the benefits that result from their use are shared
between the people or countries using the resources (users) and the people or

Plant breeders require genetic diversity to develop cultivars that are productive, nutritious,

Cycads are the most endangered of plant groups based on IUCN Red List assessments; all are in Appendix I or II of CITES, about 40% are within biodiversity ‘hotspots,’ and the call for action to improve their protection is longstanding.

The Living Collections of the USNA conserve plants and encourage their use for research, discovery, and education. The Living Collections also serve as an integral part of the collective botanical heritage of the public garden community.

The University of Delaware Botanic Garden, like any other botanic garden, is a repository of botanical collections that supports the mission statement of the institution (See Mission Statement). It is imperative that these collections be documented.

Procedures for Accessioning, Field Checking, and Mapping through use of BGBASE, BG-Map, and Garden Notepad. By Matt Lobdell, Rebecca Pineo, and Anna Bower. 

Being a plant collector for the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is a wonderful opportunity and privilege.