Colombia is the world’s second most biodiverse country. Hosting over 30,000 plant species (25% endemic; >1,000 threatened), and more than 3,500 useful plants, it is the centre of origin of tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, chilies and many other crops and their wild relatives. The fungal diversity may be equally high but remains undiscovered. Despite its unique biological richness, vast social inequality with marked poverty in rural areas has triggered more than six decades of internal conflict. In recent years Colombia has established policies promoting green growth and sustainable use of biodiversity to develop its bioeconomy, reduce this social gap and consolidate peace.
In 2017 the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew launched the “Kew-Colombia Bio Programme” to support this country’s transformation based on the sustainable use of its plant and fungal diversity. The programme, aligned with Colombia’s National Development Plan, has successfully established ten research projects covering topics in taxonomy, systematics, in-situ and ex-situ conservation (e.g. seed banking), plant uses and biodiversity informatics.
In 2017 the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew launched the “Kew-Colombia Bio Programme” to support this country’s transformation based on the sustainable use of its plant and fungal diversity. The programme, aligned with Colombia’s National Development Plan, has successfully established ten research projects covering topics in taxonomy, systematics, in-situ and ex-situ conservation (e.g. seed banking), plant uses and biodiversity informatics.
ColPlantA
With funding from the Newton-Caldas Fund (£375k), Kew delivered “ColPlantA: Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible” (http://colplanta.org/), an authoritative, expert-driven, open access, online portal for botanical information on Colombian plants, officially launched in August 2019. ColPlantA aims to hold an online species profile for each of the plant species known from Colombia, aggregating information from other databases and portals, and displaying previously inaccessible information. Currently ColPlantA holds more than 26,200 species profiles with more than 12,000 images.
UPFC
In 2019, as a continuation of ColPlantA and also with funding from the Newton-Caldas Fund (£2.5m), Kew began its newest project in Colombia titled “Underutilised Plants and Fungi of Colombia” (UPFC; https://www.kew.org/upfc; http://in-colombia.org/). The overarching aim of this project is to document and broadly disseminate knowledge on the useful plants and fungi of Colombia with the ultimate goal of developing pathways to enhance nature’s contribution to people in this country. This project will promote the sustainable use of biodiversity whilst protecting the surrounding natural resources. Representing 10% of global biodiversity, Colombia’s useful plants and fungi can provide critical science-based solutions not only for its national problems, but also for global challenges.
With funding from the Newton-Caldas Fund (£375k), Kew delivered “ColPlantA: Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible” (http://colplanta.org/), an authoritative, expert-driven, open access, online portal for botanical information on Colombian plants, officially launched in August 2019. ColPlantA aims to hold an online species profile for each of the plant species known from Colombia, aggregating information from other databases and portals, and displaying previously inaccessible information. Currently ColPlantA holds more than 26,200 species profiles with more than 12,000 images.
UPFC
In 2019, as a continuation of ColPlantA and also with funding from the Newton-Caldas Fund (£2.5m), Kew began its newest project in Colombia titled “Underutilised Plants and Fungi of Colombia” (UPFC; https://www.kew.org/upfc; http://in-colombia.org/). The overarching aim of this project is to document and broadly disseminate knowledge on the useful plants and fungi of Colombia with the ultimate goal of developing pathways to enhance nature’s contribution to people in this country. This project will promote the sustainable use of biodiversity whilst protecting the surrounding natural resources. Representing 10% of global biodiversity, Colombia’s useful plants and fungi can provide critical science-based solutions not only for its national problems, but also for global challenges.
PARAGUAS
The ‘paramo’, one of Colombia’s most important ecosystems, is located above the timberline (>3,200 m) on all its mountains. It can be described as a living sponge, capturing and storing fresh water which is utilized by millions of people downstream. Although it is the country’s main water source, it is under threat from land transformation and climate change. The consequences of these changes are still unknown. Kew researchers are participating in a NERC-AHRC funded project (£1.1m), “How do paramos store water? The role of plants and people” (PARAGUAS), aiming to understand the interaction among habitats, plant diversity and human practices (e.g. livestock and crop farming) in relation to the paramo’s water provision and regulation.
Our study area is the Páramo called Guántiva-La Rusia located in the Boyacá department of Colombia. Within this area we have identified six pairs of pristine and impacted watersheds - referred to as micro-cuencas - located along a precipitation gradient, where the most southern micro-cuencas are the wettest and the most northern are the driest.
The project is interdisciplinary, involving a team that covers expertise in botany and plant functional traits, plant physiology, soil biochemistry and hydrology, inter-ferometric radar and hyperspectral drone remote sensing, cultural geography, storytelling, and ecosystem service valuation. Our Colombian partners provide invaluable local knowledge and expertise including specific proficiency in working in the Guántiva-La Rusia complex (our study area) an understanding of the area’s ecology, and environmental and social pressures; expertise in Páramo botany and plant functional types; expertise in Páramo hydrology; and expertise in national scale environmental monitoring and mapping.
The ‘paramo’, one of Colombia’s most important ecosystems, is located above the timberline (>3,200 m) on all its mountains. It can be described as a living sponge, capturing and storing fresh water which is utilized by millions of people downstream. Although it is the country’s main water source, it is under threat from land transformation and climate change. The consequences of these changes are still unknown. Kew researchers are participating in a NERC-AHRC funded project (£1.1m), “How do paramos store water? The role of plants and people” (PARAGUAS), aiming to understand the interaction among habitats, plant diversity and human practices (e.g. livestock and crop farming) in relation to the paramo’s water provision and regulation.
Our study area is the Páramo called Guántiva-La Rusia located in the Boyacá department of Colombia. Within this area we have identified six pairs of pristine and impacted watersheds - referred to as micro-cuencas - located along a precipitation gradient, where the most southern micro-cuencas are the wettest and the most northern are the driest.
The project is interdisciplinary, involving a team that covers expertise in botany and plant functional traits, plant physiology, soil biochemistry and hydrology, inter-ferometric radar and hyperspectral drone remote sensing, cultural geography, storytelling, and ecosystem service valuation. Our Colombian partners provide invaluable local knowledge and expertise including specific proficiency in working in the Guántiva-La Rusia complex (our study area) an understanding of the area’s ecology, and environmental and social pressures; expertise in Páramo botany and plant functional types; expertise in Páramo hydrology; and expertise in national scale environmental monitoring and mapping.
QUINCHAS
As part of the project “Promoting forest protection and peace-building through community-based ecotourism in biodiversity hotspots of Colombia”, funded by UK PACT (£300k), Kew has been carrying out field expeditions in areas recently affected by the conflict. In early February this year, our researchers (including Prof. Antonelli), led an expedition to the Serranía de las Quinchas, which included a workshop with over 70 people from the local communities. This work will be featured in April in a documentary prepared by Frank Gardner for the BBC.
BOOK: Guía de plantas útiles de la Serranía de las Quinchas
What plants are hidden in Colombia's forests?
Colombia: Saving rare species in jungles once protected by war
Facebook gallery
Ecotourism: Colombia's next big destination
Green gold: 5 useful plants in Colombia
As part of the project “Promoting forest protection and peace-building through community-based ecotourism in biodiversity hotspots of Colombia”, funded by UK PACT (£300k), Kew has been carrying out field expeditions in areas recently affected by the conflict. In early February this year, our researchers (including Prof. Antonelli), led an expedition to the Serranía de las Quinchas, which included a workshop with over 70 people from the local communities. This work will be featured in April in a documentary prepared by Frank Gardner for the BBC.
BOOK: Guía de plantas útiles de la Serranía de las Quinchas
What plants are hidden in Colombia's forests?
Colombia: Saving rare species in jungles once protected by war
Facebook gallery
Ecotourism: Colombia's next big destination
Green gold: 5 useful plants in Colombia