Important Supporting Role of Biological Specimen in Biodiversity Conservation and Research

Abstract: Biological specimens are important materials in the field of biological research and non-renewable strategic biological resources. The specimen collection of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is the center of conservation, research, and scientific education. It plays an irreplaceable role in the research and protection of biodiversity in China. Biological specimens can provide important information in three dimensions: species, space, and time. The use of different levels of such information supports the research areas of species cognition, biodiversity cataloging, protection and management of endangered species, prevention and control of alien invasion, biodiversity monitoring, and species distribution pattern and biodiversity change. Biological specimens have great potential for biodiversity research and conservation. In the future, the construction and management of specimen resources need to be committed to more comprehensive collection, strengthen the acquisition of in-depth information and the construction of data integration platform, so as to better contribute to the construction of ecological civilization and biodiversity conservation in China.