This program coordinates activities and research in the Department of Systematic Biology - Botany that focus on plant conservation and endangered plant species. In documenting and understanding changes in plant diversity, the Unit gathers and holds data on the conservation status of plant taxa. It interprets and provides the resulting information to those in a position to effectively utilize it, particularly, the international botanical, conservation and development communities. The Unit also promotes specialist databases needed to (a) monitor changes in plant diversity and plant resources, and (b) promote and achieve the conservation of plants and their habitats globally.

To achieve and enhance these objectives, the Unit directs an information service by responding to requests from a variety of sources for information on world plant conservation, such as scientific specialists, threatened species, and pertinent literature. The Unit provides data on the taxonomy, distribution, and conservation status of plant species; bibliographic information on the taxonomic, economic uses, and conservation of plants; data on sites of high plant diversity and endemism; and data on new and proposed protected areas.

Publications include:

The Biological Conservation Newsletter is a monthly publication of the Department and is mailed free to over 1,200 subscribers in 94 countries. Articles on conservation research and current news items are featured, as well as information on new publications, job announcements, educational materials, and meetings. In addition, the newsletter provides an extensive bibliography of current literature, making the newsletter a valuable resource to the biological diversity and conservation communities.

The 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants provides baseline information to measure conservation progress and serves as a primary source of data on plant species. Most importantly, it provides the building blocks on which to base worldwide efforts to conserve plant species. Of the estimated 270,000 known species of vascular plants assessed in the compilation of the List, 33,798, or 12.5%, are found to be at risk of extinction. The List is the result of a 20-year effort by a unique coalition of scientists, conservation organizations, botanical gardens and museums. The Red List was published by IUCN-The World Conservation Union and compiled by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Conservation assessments were provided by numerous scientists with major input from the Smithsonian Institution, The Nature Conservancy, Environment Australia and CSIRO, the National Botanical Institute (South Africa), Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and Edinburgh, and the New York Botanical Garden.

Centres of Plant Diversity: A Guide and Strategy for Their Conservation—Volume 3: The Americas, published in 1997 by WWF and IUCN, was prepared under the coordination of the Department of Systematic Biology - Botany. The ten-year project addressed concerns about the rapid global degradation of natural ecosystems and the urgent need to identify areas of pristine botanical importance. The sites were selected on the basis of floristic studies and the detailed information from over 100 botanists knowledgeable about the region. The volume includes information on species richness and endemism, floristic diversity and endemism by region, and an analysis of the conservation status of each site.

Information provided by: http://www.nmnh.si.edu