Dear Madam/Sir,

It is with great distress and surprise I have learnt that the Tasmanian Herbarium is facing its demise by plans which will deprive it of crucial competence.

The herbarium has been pivotal in its contribution to the scientific investigation of the biodiversity of Tasmania, Australia at large and has also by its contributions to biodiversity research in cooperations world-wide. Its work has been held in high esteem internationally, and I think that I from my position from Linnaeus’ hometown Uppsala and the ensuing tradition may well state this. As you are probably well aware, the Linnaeus disciples (Daniel Solander and Anders Sparrman) were among the very first pioneers to explore Australia’s biota as members of Captain Cook’s famous expeditions. All since Australia has been a stronghold for biodiversity research and certainly leading the field in the southern hemisphere. That now one of its strongholds is being threatened is very hard to understand and nothing less than an international scandal.

This also reflects very badly on those politicians who rather unanimously underline the importance of ecological and biodiversity protection in a planet racing towards a major climate crisis. I have so far believed that the support for countermeasures was strong also in Australia with Oceania being one of the areas worst at peril. In the face of the suggested plans for the Tasmanian Herbarium this seems to be little more than a lip service.

Leif Tibell
Professor emeritus
Department of Systematic Biology
Uppsala University, Sweden
https://www.uu.se/en/department/organismal-biology/research/systematic-biology