Brazilian Biodiversity: Assessing Threats to Plants & Ecosystems

A Conversation with NYBG Scientist Fabián Michelangeli, Ph.D., including a current update from the Amazon firestorm

Brazil is home to some of the richest biomes on Earth, including the hotspots of the Amazon Rain Forest, the Cerrado, and the Atlantic Coastal Forest. Nearly half of the plants growing in the country are found nowhere else—and many of them are in danger of extinction, primarily from human activities. NYBG scientist Dr. Fabián Michelangeli discusses the Garden’s more than 130-year history of research in Brazil and how our extensive scientific collections and long-term research efforts are used to understand the relationships among climate, geography, and plant diversity in the region, and relate the data to broader patterns of plant diversity in South America. He will also share an update from NYBG scientist Dr. Douglas Daly in Rondônia, the eye of the current Amazon firestorm.