Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

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Department ofBotany

Biological Diversity of the Guiana Shield

Mount Maringma, Guyana
Ledothamnus sessiliflorus N. E. Br. Guianan Red Cotinga, Phoenicircus carnifex Kaieteur, Guyana Avicennia (black mangrove) seedling on Guyana mudflats Roraima, Guyana Marcgraviaceae, Norantea sp. Acrostichum danaeifolium Langsd. & Fisch.

The goal of the Biological Diversity of the Guiana Shield Program (BDG) is to document, understand, and conserve the biological diversity of the Guiana Shield area. In line with that goal BDG continues to work with specimens from the Guiana Shield area of northeastern South America. We collect, sort, identify, mount, inventory, barcode, and file all plant specimens collected by the Program and we assist scientists from other departments in NMNH (Zoology, Entomology, Anthropology) in their collecting and processing efforts. We interface with other bureaus at SI (STRI, NZP, NMNH, NASM, CRC), and we collaborate with over 300 scientists around the world. We publish scientific papers and books as well as items for more general use and we train and educate staff and students from the Shield area.

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