Special Symposium Issue - Department of Systematic Biology - Botany & the U.S. National Herbarium The Plant Press see page 7 New Series - Vol. 5 - No. 2 April-June 2002 Botany Profile Coming to Terms with Biodiversity By Robert DeFilipps secondary metabolites), agrobiodiver- his multifaceted research on the architec- he Second Smithsonian Botanical sity, biosafety (the transport of GMOs), ture and morphology of tropical plants, Symposium, held on April 5-6 at and the taxonomic impediment. To this including many monocotyledons (see the National Museum of Natural may well be added a statement made by related article, page 7). THistory in Washington, DC, gave 200 Kress during the The first participants an opportunity to delve into symposium, that in speaker was the impact of the United Nations Conven- the wake of the Brian M. Boom, tion on Biological Diversity (CBD) in CBD, the Earths senior research relation to scientific investigations during biodiversity has scientist at the the past decade, and to explore the con- become a com- Center for ventions many ramifications for under- modity, and terms (concepts) such as Environmental Research and Conserva- standing our natural world. A treaty and commercial value, guardianship and tion (Columbia University, New York), strategy for the conservation, sustainable ownership have become the currency of whose talk was entitled Caught up in development, and equitable sharing of Nature. the Moment: Botanists and the CBD a the benefits of biodiversity, the Conven- Decade after Rio. Trends in activities at o start the April 6 sessions, the tion was adopted at the famous 1992 the New York Botanical Garden over the attendees were welcomed by Ira Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and past 10 years were portrayed in order to Rubinoff, acting deputy director of has to date been ratified by approximately assess the impact of the CBD on the Tthe National Museum of Natural History. 180 countries. The Secretariat of the Gardens affairs. Among the human Rubinoffs remarks included recognition of Convention is in Montreal, Canada, and impacts of the CBD, one element that the work of museum staff as providers of its financial mechanism is the $2.7 billion Boom personally experienced while at an important scientific foundation to Global Environmental Fund (GEF). The New York was in regard to his work with support the Convention, while referring to entire world is affected in one way or a particular Yanomami Amerindian village multinational collaborative initiatives another by the CBD, an ever-widening in Venezuela; he was later denied an between the museum and host-country phenomenon which W. John Kress, Head access permit to the village because the researchers in many nations including of Botany at the Smithsonian, has United States has not ratified, and is Mexico, Venezuela, China, Fiji and Myan- referred to as the Globalization of therefore not a Party to, the Convention. mar (Burma). Nature. Boom discussed interesting recent Next, the José Cuatrecasas Medal for The panel of specialist speakers was ventures at the New York Botanical Excellence in Tropical Botany was pre- international, with representatives from Garden, including major forays into sented to P. Barry Tomlinson of Harvard the United States, Brazil, Panama, Kenya bioprospecting for potential drugs in University (Cambridge, Massachusetts). and Spain, and the scope of their presen- collaboration with the National Cancer Although Tomlinson was unable to attend tations was truly comprehensive. In fact, Institute, prospecting for fragrances due to his recent return from extensive it soon became evident that the vocabu- (perfumes), and work on plant genomics. sabbatical field studies in Hawaii, New lary of biodiversity has recently been At the same time, the number of Caledonia and New Zealand, the award dramatically expanded, in order to keep records of virtual images made of New was accepted on his behalf by Dennis pace with changing dimensions of York herbarium specimens has increased, Stevenson of the New York Botanical research. It now includes such new terms while the number of specimens annually Garden (Bronx, New York), and a message as: GMOs (genetically modified added to the herbarium has declined. of thanks was read. Tomlinson, a native of organisms), biodiplomacy, unnatural This trend seems to point to the advent Leeds, England (b. 1932), is recognized for natural products (biocombinatorial Continued on page 11 Visitors Hope Jahren, Johns Hopkins University; Philomena Mariano Vieira, Museu Joaquim Neto, Jardin Botanico do Rio de Bryophytes (2/1). Nacional - UFRJ; Moraceae (Ficus) (3/11- Janeiro; Herbarium work (4/1). 3/15). Pat Holmgren, New York Botanical Kathy Ahlensberger, Colville National Garden; Herbarium work, various families Andre Amorim, Universidade de São Forest, USFS; Ferns (Botrychium) (4/2). (2/5-2/8). Paulo; Malpighiaceae (Heteropterys) (3/12- Chris Loggers, Colville National Forest, 3/13). Noel Holmgren, New York Botanical USFS; Ferns (Botrychium) (4/2). Garden; Herbarium work, various families Cristina Bestetti Costa, Universidade de Scott Heald, Cornell University; SBS: (2/5-2/8). São Paulo; Rubiaceae (Coccocypselum) (3/ Euphorbiaceae (Hevea) (4/3-4/8). 12-3/13). Alexander Krings, North Carolina State Jim Luteyn, New York Botanical Garden; University; Herbarium work (2/11). Harvey Ballard, Ohio University; SBS: Paramo plants (4/4-4/8). Violaceae (3/21-3/22). Yoshiyuki Nagahata, Private; Beech Geeta Bharathan, SUNY at Stony Brook; forests (Fagus) (2/13-2/14). Duane Kolterman, University of Puerto SBS: Symposium (4/5). Rico; Antillean endemics (3/21-3/22). Carolyn Ferguson, Kansas State Univer- Stuart Lindsey, Harvard University sity; Polemoniaceae (Phlox) (2/20). Judith McKay, Smithsonian Fellow; Herbaria; SBS: Ferns (Vittariaceae of Queensland botanical contributions to H. David Clarke, University of North Pacific and New World) (4/5). 1876 Centennial Exhibit in Philadelphia (3/ Carolina, Asheville; Identification of 25). David Middleton, Harvard University Guyana collections (2/22-2/24). Herbaria; SBS: Asian Apocynaceae (4/5). Gerry Moore, Brooklyn Botanical Garden; Chiara Nepi, Herbarium Universitatas Cyperaceae (3/26-3/28). Renata Mohriak, George Washington Florentinae; Cryptogams (2/22). University; SBS: Environmental law (4/5). Robert Moye, Hawaii Pacific University; Steve Fuller, Mary Washington College; Fossil seed identification (3/27). Dick Olmstead, University of Washing- Class visit to U.S. National Herbarium (2/ ton; SBS: Asteraceae (4/5-4/6). 26-2/27). Teuvo Ahti, University of Helsinki, Finland; Lichens (Cladoniaceae) (3/31-4/30). Janice Blake, Environmental Foundation of Jamaica; SBS: Meeting (4/6-4/7). The Plant Press Claudia Hornung Leoni, Instituto de Ecologia; Bromeliaceae (Puya) (4/1-4/5). Tracy Commock, Institute of Jamaica; New Series - Vol. 5 - No. 2 SBS: Meeting (4/6-4/7). Head of Botany Travel W. John Kress ([email protected]) W. John Kress traveled to Sarasota, Paula DePriest (2/17-2/10) traveled to EDITORIAL STAFF Florida (1/8-1/12) as a committee member Baton Rouge, Louisiana to attend and on peer review at Selby Botanical Gardens; participate in a panel discussion at the Co-Editors and with Michael Bordelon to Myanmar Deep Hyphae Meeting at Louisiana State Gary Krupnick ([email protected]) (2/15-3/8) to conduct field research. University. Robert DeFilipps Carol Kelloff (1/20-2/2) traveled to Maria Faust (2/18-3/2) traveled to Ft. ([email protected]) Georgetown, Guyana to meet with officials Pierce, Florida to conduct field research at of the University of Guyana. the SI Marine Station. Circulation Manager Warren Wagner (1/30-2/3) traveled to Paul Peterson (2/19-3/29) traveled to Shirley Maina Panama City, Panama with the SI Science Lima, Peru to collect grasses in the remote ([email protected]) Commission for a site visit to STRI. areas of Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, News Contacts Robert Faden (2/9-3/16) traveled to and Cuzco. MaryAnn Apicelli, Robert Faden, Ellen London, England to study collections of Mark Littler traveled to Belize (2/20-3/ Farr, George Russell, Alice Tangerini, and Commelinaceae at the Royal Botanic 6) to continue research on coral reefs at Elizabeth Zimmer Gardens, Kew in connection with work on Carrie Bow Cay; and to Panama (3/6-3/20) The Plant Press is a quarterly publication the Flora of Tropical East Africa. to continue research in Bocas del Toro. provided free of charge. If you would like to be Deborah Bell and Stephen Smith (2/16- Gregory McKee (2/22-2/24) traveled to added to the mailing list, contact Shirley Maina 3/15) traveled to Gabon, Africa to partici- Aurora, North Carolina to the PCS phos- at: Department of Systematic Biology - pate in an assessment of vegetation at the phate mine, to prospect for and collect Botany, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, NMNH MRC-166, Washington, DC Rabi Site for the SI/MAB Gabon Biodiver- Miocene marine vertebrate fossils. 20013-7012, or by e-mail: maina.shirley@ sity project. Dieter Wasshausen (2/24-3/13) nmnh.si.edu. Vicki Funk (2/16-3/8) traveled to Aus- traveled to São Paulo, Brazil for collabora- tralia to conduct research at the University tive work with Harry Lorenzi in the Atlantic Web site: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/botany of Queensland. Coastal Forest, Parana and Espirito Santo. Page 2 The Convention on Biological Diversity: The Globalization of Chair Natural History Science (Part II) iological collections housed in the great natural the natural history museums