Two Open Access datasets from the digitization of 50,493 herbarium sheets from Pondicherry and Baroda collections with a focus on the Western Ghats
Abstract
Human activities have led to a substantial loss of biodiversity, with terrestrial ecosystems experiencing over a 20% average reduction. Conservation priorities are crucial, but data on species, threats, and protection are limited, especially in tropical countries like India. Open biodiversity data, facilitated by platforms like the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), are a powerful tool for addressing these challenges. This paper describes two datasets (for a total of more than 50,000 plant occurrences), primarily from the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site and biodiversity hotspot. The two datasets could play a pivotal role in supporting conservation policies, since they provide valuable insights into the unique biodiversity of the Western Ghats.