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| National Herbarium of Cameroon | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Herbarium of Cameroon |
| Established | 1926 |
| Location | Yaoundé, Centre Region, Cameroon |
| Type | National herbarium |
| Director | (various) |
| Collection size | ~300,000 specimens |
National Herbarium of Cameroon is the principal botanical repository in Cameroon, based in Yaoundé in the Centre Region. It functions as a national reference for plant taxonomy, biogeography, and biodiversity inventories across Central Africa and the Gulf of Guinea islands such as Bioko, serving researchers from institutions like the University of Yaoundé I, University of Dschang, and international partners including the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden. The Herbarium plays roles in floristic synthesis, conservation planning, and supporting policies associated with treaties like the Convention on Biological Diversity and agreements such as the Nagoya Protocol.
The institution traces roots to colonial-era botanical efforts in the French Cameroon and British Cameroon mandates, with early collections linked to expeditions by naturalists associated with entities such as the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle and the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD). Post-independence developments involved collaborations with the Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation and academic centers like University of Yaoundé II. Key historical milestones include specimen exchanges with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, taxonomic work connected to the Flora of West Tropical Africa tradition, and involvement in regional projects coordinated by the Central African Forest Commission (COMIFAC). Influential botanists and collectors associated with the Herbarium include those trained under programs at the National Museum of Natural History, Paris and alumni of the University of Montpellier and University of Leiden.
The collections encompass vascular plants, lichens, bryophytes, fungi, and seed collections, with holdings from biogeographic zones such as the Cameroonian Highlands forests, Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests, and the Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests. Specimens derive from expeditions tied to figures and projects like Georges Le Testu, Hermann Klaas, the Flora Malesiana network, and regional surveys supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The Herbarium houses type specimens described in journals such as Kew Bulletin, Blumea, and Adansonia, and contains annotated sheets linked to taxonomists from institutions like the Smithsonian Institution and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. Collections also document economically important taxa related to organizations such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).
Research outputs include floras, monographs, and red list assessments informing conservation decisions by bodies such as the IUCN Red List, and policy instruments like the Ramsar Convention. Scientists affiliated with the Herbarium have published in venues including the Journal of East African Natural History, Plant Ecology and Evolution, and Taxon, collaborating with researchers at the Natural History Museum, London, Botanic Garden Meise, and the University of Zurich. Work on phylogenetics draws on methods developed at institutions such as the Max Planck Society and sequence data standards from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The Herbarium’s specimen data contribute to continental projects like the African Plants Initiative and regional mapping efforts coordinated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the United Nations Environment Programme.
The Herbarium supports conservation through specimen-based assessments used by the IUCN and national conservation agencies including Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (Cameroon). Services include identification for botanical inventories of protected areas such as Korup National Park, Dja Faunal Reserve, and Waza National Park, and participation in restoration projects linked to the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It provides reference material for phytosanitary and sustainable use programs run with organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization and supports community-led initiatives modeled on efforts from groups such as WWF and Conservation International.
Facilities in Yaoundé include herbarium cabinets, climate-controlled storage influenced by standards from the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO), microscopy suites, and a documentation unit for digitization following protocols from Biodiversity Information Standards (TDWG). The Herbarium’s laboratory collaborations have connected it to sequencing centers like the Wellcome Sanger Institute and bioinformatics groups at the Centre for Genomic Regulation for molecular barcoding. Preservation infrastructure reflects best practices promoted by museums such as the Natural History Museum, Paris and conservation programmes by the European Commission’s research frameworks.
Partnerships encompass national universities (University of Buea), regional consortia like Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Sénégal (OMVS) thematic links, and international botanical gardens including Missouri Botanical Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, National Botanic Garden of Belgium (Meise), and networks such as GBIF and the Global Taxonomy Initiative. Collaborative projects have engaged funding agencies like the World Bank, foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and research programs from the European Union and African Union.
Public engagement includes specimen loans for exhibitions at institutions like the National Museum of Cameroon, educational outreach with schools associated with Ministry of Basic Education (Cameroon), and training workshops for curators following curricula from the International Association for Plant Taxonomy and capacity-building programs sponsored by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Botanic Gardens Conservation International. Digitization efforts aim to increase online access through data aggregators like GBIF and to support citizen science initiatives modeled on platforms such as iNaturalist.
Category:Herbaria Category:Botanical research in Cameroon Category:Natural history museums in Cameroon