Ecoright Herbarium

ECORIGHT HERBARIUM FOR NATURAL HERITAGE (EHNH)

Centre for Environmental Conservation and Bioresources Research & Development

Herbarium Overview

A herbarium is like a warehouse of information about plant biodiversity. Plant samples are taken from the field by people with special collecting permits, then dried or otherwise preserved. They are then carefully stored in archival conditions to ensure their longevity. These specimens, including information about them, are kept to learn more about the plants and their habitat. The herbarium can also be referred to as a “Dry Botanic Garden.”

What are herbaria used for?

The collections housed in herbaria are primarily used for scientific research and development career. Such activities or programmes that might commonly take place in a herbarium include:

• Mapping current and past ecological and geographic distribution of plants to help with landcare and bioprospecting
• Evolutionary history of plants
• Existing and changing nature of plant communities and their habitats
• Invasion biology and weed ecology
• Molecular phylogenetics
• Classification and naming of plants/authentication
• Ethnobotanical study
• Ethnoecological study
• Flora compilation
• Development of species checklist
• Assessment of floristic conservation status
• Environmental monitoring
• Industrial Training (IT)

About EHNH

The ECORIGHT HERBARIUM FOR NATURAL HERITAGE (EHNH) is a global centre, an annex of ECORIGHT FOUNDATION for the conservation of nature’s gift – the environment, by the preservation of botanical heritage through education, research, scientific publications, and collections.

Our Mission

Our mission is to conserve our natural heritage by deepening our knowledge of the plant world and achieving public understanding of the value plants bring to life.

Our Vision

The ECORIGHT HERBARIUM is committed to making information about plants readily available in user-friendly formats to other researchers, the public, and special interest groups. A particular focus for the EHNH is ensuring that information from the Herbarium is available to scientists and others interested in plants of the Tropical Rain Forests and Savanna Vegetation within and outside Nigeria.

EHNH Information Delivery System

• Voucher Catalogue
• Carpological Catalogue
• Pictorial Catalogue
• Reference Collection
• Main Collection
• Herbarium Library
• Gymnosperm
• Angiosperm
• Dicotyledons
• Monocotyledons
• Species Checklist
• Research & Development Catalogue

Sample Identification and Authentication

In accordance with the ethics and guide of the global concept on HERBARIUM PRACTICE and MANAGEMENT and in consonance with the “10th CONGRESS OF EDINBURGH 1964” for sustainable herbarium development, the ECORIGHT HERBARIUM FOR NATURAL HERITAGE upholds the following mandates:

• Researchers (both internal and external) ensure the deposit of their voucher samples (in five replicates or more) with the herbarium while making any request.
• Where necessary, carpological collections (fruits, flowers, any other diagnostic descriptors) should be made to the herbarium.
• Photographic sharp shots should also be deposited, with the following compulsory conditions:
  • TWO COPIES EACH OF THE NATURE DEPOSIT
  • CANVAS/VELVET MAT PRINT WITH DIMENSION (5X7)
• Note:I, II or III ABOVE ARE PRIOR CONDITIONS TO BE MET BEFORE ACCESSING THE ASSISSTANCE OF THE HERBARIUM.

Herbarium Field Guide: Sample Collection, Processing and Identification

• Species voucher identification + annotation + number coding; download EH-Form 001 and 003
• Species voucher identification + annotation only; download EH-Form 002 and 003
• Species carpological identification + annotation + number coding; download EH-Form 001 and 004
• Species carpological identification + annotation only; download EH-Form 002 and 004
• Fungarium identification + annotation + number coding; download EH-Form 001 and 005
• Fungarium identification + annotation only; download EH-Form 002 and 005