Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan enhance collaboration on the digitalization of flora

Currently, scientific research is focused on studying plant species, organizing information about their habitats and natural conditions, and preserving this heritage for future generations. Consequently, digitizing herbarium collections and integrating their data into international digital platforms have become key priorities in modern botany.

Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan possess distinctive flora with a diverse range of species. Herbarium collections from these regions are highly valuable for both national and international scientific research. Digitizing these collections increases accessibility for scientists, supports research on species distribution, monitors changes over time, and aids in biodiversity studies.

A meeting was held at the Institute of General and Applied Biology at the Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan, with scientists from the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan participating. The parties discussed the digitalization of herbarium collections, the preparation of scientific data for digital publication, and the exchange of experience.

Following the meeting, the specialists from both countries identified priority areas of cooperation.

N. Rakhmonova, UzA