Biodiversity science is improved when silent herbaria speak

Societal Impact Statement Herbaria in the Global South are critical yet underutilized resources for biodiversity science and are often absent from international databases and research networks. We highlight the phenomenon of “silent herbaria” using Nigeria as a case study and quantify how these collections fill important gaps in global biodiversity knowledge. By integrating these collections into international systems, we can strengthen ecological models, promote research equity, and support global efforts to democratize science and build more inclusive biodiversity infrastructures. Summary Herbaria represent a global biodiversity heritage essential for botanical research and conservation assessments. Despite their importance, herbaria around the world—especially in under‐resourced regions, including much of Africa—are “silent.” Silent collections are relatively unknown, underused, and underappreciated by the global botanical community. Here, we illustrate these problems through a detailed case‐study of Nigerian herbaria and demonstrate that biodiversity assessments can be dramatically improved when silent herbaria are empowered to speak. We identified that new herbaria in Africa are being established at a faster rate than suggested by international registries. Over 70% of Nigerian herbaria are unrecognized in key international registries, making them nearly invisible and inaccessible to the global research community. More than 90% of these collections remain undigitized and thus are inaccessible online. Because these collections capture critical temporal and spatial gaps not represented in herbaria outside of Nigeria, their absence from global databases reduces the accuracy of large‐scale biodiversity models. Despite these many striking challenges, the number of silent herbaria in Nigeria has increased at a rate faster than the global average owing to commitments by Nigerian biodiversity scholars and administrators to prioritize herbaria for research and education. However, severely limited funding and inadequate infrastructure to effectively house these collections threaten their continued use, growth, sustainability, and online mobilization. Silent herbaria are critical for improving biodiversity science at regional and global levels. Integration into global networks, increased investment, and digitization efforts are crucial for giving voice to silent herbaria in Africa. Large benefits to biodiversity science will accrue rapidly from such investment and integration.

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Publication Details

Journal
Plants People Planet
Published
2025-08-29
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.70091
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Species Distribution and Climate Change
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.84

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Biodiversity science is improved when silent herbaria speak

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1 citations
Plants People Planet
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1.84
article

Biodiversity science is improved when silent herbaria speak

Ferdinand Akomaye, Caleb Dikko Obadiah, Musa Haruna, George I. Nodza, Elizabeth N. Usen, Victor Stephen Njom, Yohanna C. Tumba, B. Fatima, Jemilat Aliyu Ibrahim, G. A. Ajibade, Abdullahi Alanamu ABDULRAHAMAN, Opeyemi Saheed Kolawole, A. E. Ayodele, Onyebuchi E. Nwankwo, Abubakar Bello, Felix I. Nwafor, Ryan Schmidt, Suleiman Dangana Abdul, Abayomi Ezekiel Folorunso, Linus Ajikah, J.J. Azila, Barbara M. Thiers, Charles C. Davis, Samuel Oloruntoba Bamigboye, Chimezie Ekeke, Deborah Moradeke Chukwuma, Emmanuel I. Aigbokhan, Emmanuel Chukwudi Chukwuma, Daniel A. Zhigila, Sunusi Namadi, Shehu Abdullahi, Iroka C. Finian, Musa Umar, Aliyu Babale, Abubakar M. Dadile, Akanni T. Gbenga, Abubakar M. Liman, Ferdinand N. Mbagwu, Maryam M. Wabili
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Societal Impact Statement Herbaria in the Global South are critical yet underutilized resources for biodiversity science and are often absent from international databases and research networks. We highlight the phenomenon of “silent herbaria” using Nigeria as a case study and quantify how these collections fill important gaps in global biodiversity knowledge. By integrating these collections into international systems, we can strengthen ecological models, promote research equity, and support global efforts to democratize science and build more inclusive biodiversity infrastructures. Summary Herbaria represent a global biodiversity heritage essential for botanical research and conservation assessments. Despite their importance, herbaria around the world—especially in under‐resourced regions, including much of Africa—are “silent.” Silent collections are relatively unknown, underused, and underappreciated by the global botanical community. Here, we illustrate these problems through a detailed case‐study of Nigerian herbaria and demonstrate that biodiversity assessments can be dramatically improved when silent herbaria are empowered to speak. We identified that new herbaria in Africa are being established at a faster rate than suggested by international registries. Over 70% of Nigerian herbaria are unrecognized in key international registries, making them nearly invisible and inaccessible to the global research community. More than 90% of these collections remain undigitized and thus are inaccessible online. Because these collections capture critical temporal and spatial gaps not represented in herbaria outside of Nigeria, their absence from global databases reduces the accuracy of large‐scale biodiversity models. Despite these many striking challenges, the number of silent herbaria in Nigeria has increased at a rate faster than the global average owing to commitments by Nigerian biodiversity scholars and administrators to prioritize herbaria for research and education. However, severely limited funding and inadequate infrastructure to effectively house these collections threaten their continued use, growth, sustainability, and online mobilization. Silent herbaria are critical for improving biodiversity science at regional and global levels. Integration into global networks, increased investment, and digitization efforts are crucial for giving voice to silent herbaria in Africa. Large benefits to biodiversity science will accrue rapidly from such investment and integration.

Plants People Planet
University of Port Harcourt (NG), University of Nigeria (NG), Akwa Ibom State University (NG), Ahmadu Bello University (NG), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (NG), University of Ilorin (NG), Harvard University (US), University of Jos (NG), Imo State University (NG), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (NG), University of Ibadan (NG), University of Lagos (NG), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NG), Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (NG), Federal University Lokoja (NG), German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (DE), Federal University Birnin Kebbi (NG), Mitsubishi Gas Chemical (Japan) (JP), Harvard University Press (US), New York Botanical Garden (US), Yobe State University (NG), University of Cross River State (NG), Umaru Musa Yar'adua University (NG), Nigerian Defence Academy (NG), University of Calabar (NG), National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NG), Sa'adu Zungur University (NG), Department of Biological Sciences (RU), Federal University Kashere (NG), Federal University Oye Ekiti (NG), Obafemi Awolowo University (NG), University of Benin (NG), Gombe State University (NG), Olabisi Onabanjo University (NG), Leipzig University (DE), Ebonyi State University (NG)
Harvard University, Center for African Studies
Openalex Percentile: Top 13%
Species Distribution and Climate Change
1.84
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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