Research in short
Systematic botany is the science that orders the diversity of the plant world: it explores the delimitation and characteristics of the species, describes and names them, and unravels their relationship. This primary goal is still far from being achieved. Recent estimates predict that, while c. 1.5 million species of plants and animals are presently known, a total of 5-10 million, if not more, do exist on earth. It is a matter of great concern that many species became extinction-prone in recent decades, and many are becoming extinct before we came to know them and explore their meaning for mankind and their environment.
The plant systematist not only needs a modern research equipment for his or her explorations, but also some special resources, such as old literature, because in systematics, unlike in most other scientific disciplines, old observations never loose their value, and, more importantly, large sets of plant specimens, so as to define the characteristics and delimitation of species. Such specimens are collected in the field through exploration expeditions. However, many species are scattered and rare, and it is impossible for each individual botanist to assemble a full set of his or her pet. It is therefore customary to conserve plants, either alive in cultivation or more often in the dried and preserved state in scientific collections, called herbaria. In this way the results of many field explorations are available at once to the scientist. With respect to both resources, library and collections, our institution holds a leading position in Germany and is among the largest internationally.
Modern facilities and equipment are also available for research. All groups of plants are well represented in our holdings: Algae, Fungi, Lichens, Bryophytes, Ferns and Seed Plants. Staff members are specialists for various plant groups. For the study of complete floras they co-operate in international projects. An important scientific contribution concerns Botanical Nomenclature, the system of rules for the naming of plant species. The International Code of Botanical Nomenclature is edited and published here. Our contributions to database modelling, networking and information transfer, too, are at the forefront of global progress.
Much of our efforts concern the field of scientific publication. It is easily overlooked how much skill and effort is needed for a suitable presentation of the results of our scientific research in books and scientific journals. Four first rate international scientific journals and serials are produced here: Willdenowia, Regnum Vegetabile and Englera. Our scientists hold important offices in several international scientific organisations (see staff pages).
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