Forest Herbarium, Bangkok

Forest Herbarium, Bangkok
Name	Forest Herbarium, Bangkok
Established	1954
Location	Bangkok, Thailand
Type	Herbarium
Collections	Vascular plants, bryophytes, fungi, lichens

Forest Herbarium, Bangkok is the principal national repository for preserved plant specimens in Thailand, serving as a center for taxonomic research, biodiversity inventory, and conservation planning. The institution maintains extensive collections used by researchers from institutions such as Chulalongkorn University, Kasetsart University, Mahidol University, and the Royal Forest Department. Its holdings support regional initiatives coordinated with organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the Botanical Garden Conservation International, and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

History

The institution was founded during postwar institutional development in Thailand and formalized under policies enacted by the Royal Forest Department and ministries led by figures associated with Plaek Phibunsongkhram-era modernization and later administrations. Early expeditions linked to colonial-era networks involved botanists trained at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, and the Smithsonian Institution. Important milestones include collaborative fieldwork with researchers from Harvard University Herbaria, specimen exchanges with the New York Botanical Garden, and methodological influence from curators at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew like George Bentham-inspired taxonomic practices. The Herbarium’s growth paralleled national conservation actions such as the establishment of Khao Yai National Park, the passage of natural resource legislation influenced by agencies like the Food and Agriculture Organization, and biodiversity surveys commissioned by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Collections and holdings

Collections comprise vascular plants, woody angiosperms, pteridophytes, bryophytes, fungi, and lichens amassed through expeditions to sites including Doi Inthanon, Khao Sok National Park, Erawan National Park, and the Tenasserim Hills. Specimens are cataloged following systems used at the Index Herbariorum and cross-referenced with databases maintained by institutions such as the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The Herbarium houses type specimens associated with taxonomic authors who published in journals like Kew Bulletin, Taxon (journal), Phytotaxa, and Telopea. Notable collectors and contributors represented in the holdings include associates of Henri Mouhot, A. F. G. Kerr, C. H. Wright, and modern field botanists trained at Chulalongkorn University and Kasetsart University. The collection supports floristic treatments for checklists used in publications by the Flora of Thailand project and regional monographs produced in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Research and scientific activities

Research programs integrate taxonomy, systematics, phylogenetics, and conservation biology performed in collaboration with laboratories at Mahidol University, the Thai National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, and international partners including Kew and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Molecular systematics projects use comparative data sets referencing sequences deposited by groups affiliated with GenBank and phylogenetic frameworks published in Nature, Science, and specialist outlets. Applied research informs conservation assessments for species listed under criteria used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and contributes to red-listing initiatives coordinated with the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The Herbarium has supported ecological baseline studies in landscapes involving stakeholders like the Asian Development Bank and conservation NGOs such as Wildlife Conservation Society and IUCN Asian Regional Office.

Exhibitions and public outreach

Public exhibits have been staged in cooperation with municipal bodies such as the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and cultural institutions including the National Museum Bangkok, the Thailand Cultural Centre, and university museums at Chulalongkorn University. Outreach programs target schools linked to the Ministry of Education and community groups in provinces like Chiang Mai, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Ratchasima, often coordinated with conservation campaigns involving Royal Projects and events hosted during the International Day for Biological Diversity. Educational materials have been produced with partners such as the Thai Museum Association and publishers that distribute guides comparable to works from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Facilities and location

Located in Bangkok near government science precincts and agencies such as the Royal Forest Department headquarters, the Herbarium occupies climate-controlled storage, mounting, and identification laboratories designed to international herbarium standards used at institutions like the Natural History Museum, London and the New York Botanical Garden. Facilities include digitization suites comparable to programs at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and imaging equipment similar to that deployed by the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities. The site provides researcher reading rooms, a reference library containing works by authors such as C. F. P. von Martius and Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, and specimen loans managed in accordance with protocols endorsed by the International Association for Plant Taxonomy.

Administration and affiliations

Administration falls under the purview of the Royal Forest Department with links to ministries overseeing natural resources and science, and governance arrangements reflect collaborations with universities including Chulalongkorn University, Kasetsart University, and Mahidol University. The Herbarium participates in international networks such as the Index Herbariorum, the Asian Herbarium Network, and partnerships with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the New York Botanical Garden. Funding and project support have involved agencies and programs like the United Nations Development Programme, the Asian Development Bank, and donor foundations akin to the Ford Foundation and the Chester Zoo conservation grants.

Category:Herbaria Category:Botany in Thailand Category:Buildings and structures in Bangkok