Queensland Herbarium

The Queensland Herbarium, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Sciences, is the centre for research and information on the Queensland flora, vegetation and plant communities. A wide range of botanical information is available, including information on poisonous plants, weeds and regional ecosystems. The Queensland Herbarium has a long history devoted to discovering, describing and documenting the Queensland flora and this continues today. New native species are being discovered and documented each year, including plants, algae, lichens and fungi. Today, the Queensland Herbarium houses a world-class specimen collection that is the basis for our knowledge of the flora of Queensland.

Staff of the Queensland Herbarium have completed vegetation survey and mapping for more than 85% of the State’s vegetation at a scale of 1:100,000. Information on, and mapping of the 1,375 regional ecosystems are used for local, regional and national conservation and land use assessments, planning and legislation. Queensland’s important wetlands are the subject of more detailed mapping for conservation and monitoring.

Ecological and biogeographical research provides essential information needed for the conservation assessment and management of Queensland’s communities and ecosystems. Research into a variety of vegetation communities is helping to understand ecological processes and environmental roles provided by vegetation and wildlife.