The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is using AI and mass digitization of plant and fungal collections to track biodiversity loss [1].
This technological shift is critical because current data on global species is severely incomplete. Without a comprehensive digital record, conservationists cannot accurately measure extinction risks or target the areas most in need of protection [1].
Researchers are digitizing centuries-old herbarium specimens to create a more precise map of where species exist and how they are declining. By applying AI to these records, the institution aims to sharpen the fight against extinction and better understand the impact of climate change on various ecosystems [1].
Despite these advancements, the scale of the challenge remains vast. Current assessments show that more than 30,000 plant and fungi species are threatened with extinction [1]. However, this number likely represents a significant undercount due to a lack of available data on the majority of the world's flora and fungi [1].
Data gaps are particularly acute in the fungal kingdom. Only 0.6% of fungal species have been assessed to date [1]. The situation for plants is slightly better but still limited, with only 18% of plant species having undergone assessment [1].
These gaps mean that the true number of species facing extinction is likely far higher than current estimates suggest. The digitization effort seeks to bridge these voids by converting physical archives into searchable, analyzable data that AI can process at scale [1].
“Over 30,000 plant and fungi species are threatened with extinction”
The reliance on AI to process botanical archives highlights a race against time in conservation science. While digitization allows for faster analysis of existing records, the extreme lack of baseline data—particularly for fungi—suggests that global biodiversity loss may be accelerating faster than current scientific models can track.
