Duke University's Century-Old Plant Collection Faces Uncertain Future with Herbarium Closure
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Duke University is closing its herbarium, which houses over 825,000 invaluable plant, fungi, and algae specimens collected over a century.
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Researchers are shocked and concerned about the devastating impact the closure will have on biodiversity research and preservation.
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The herbarium has been critical for research on plant diversity, environmental impacts, and issues like shifting plant hardiness zones.
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There is worry that without proper relocation plans, the collection could end up forgotten in a warehouse.
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Scientific societies and researchers are advocating against the closure and calling on Duke to prioritize preserving the invaluable specimens and knowledge.