Using herbarium collections to study genetic responses to global change
Lucas Eckert, Isaac Eckert, Olivia Rahn, Cameron P. So, Rowan D. H. Barrett
Abstract
Earth's c. 406 million herbarium specimens represent a largely untapped resource of genetic data that could transform our understanding of global plant populations. Advances in DNA sequencing have made the extraction of genetic data from these preserved specimens increasingly feasible, enabling new insights into plant biodiversity and evolutionary dynamics. However, researchers have only begun to leverage these historical genomes, and the vast majority of this resource remains unexplored. In this viewpoint, we discuss how herbarium collections can be used to study the genetic responses of plant populations to global change. Several promising areas of research include using herbaria for genetic monitoring, studying local extinction dynamics, identifying targets of selection under environmental change, and validating genomic predictions through hindcasting. Herbarium collections represent a unique and underutilized resource, the mobilization of which has the potential to enhance our understanding of plant responses to global change and inform conservation efforts.