An academic institute for plant conservation and research will open in Sharjah with the co-operation of horticultural experts in London. Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, signed an agreement with the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew to open the Plant Science Institute, which is to include a seed bank, an herbarium and a botanic garden. The agreement, which was signed by Steven Hopper, the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, during a visit by Dr Sheikh Sultan to London, called for exchanges of researchers between the two cities.
Mr Hopper said: "In a period of unprecedented environmental change and an uncertain future caused through land use and climate change, the establishment and upgrading of botanical knowledge systems is important to conserve and understand natural flora and maintain the long-term viability of native habitats." During his visit to the gardens, Dr Sheikh Sultan toured the historic Herbarium, which houses more than seven million preserved plant specimens from around the world. The specimens are being used for plant identification in an international study of biodiversity. aseaman@thenational.ae
