Botany

Main responsibilities of the Botanic department:

• Manage, preserve and publicize the Museum botanic collections, including the live collection of the Botanic Garden, the Herbarium and the Seed Bank.
• Promote the usage of its collections in research projects and advanced formation, as well as in educational and outreach activities, underlining its value as an infrastructure and opening the access to the national and international scientific community.
• Develop the research and advanced training in botany / plant biology, biodiversity and preservation, including fungus' biology and ecology with particular focus on the collection's enhancement.
• Contribute to the national plant biodiversity sampling programme, preserving species of natural populations that might constitute scientific references.
• Cooperate in the enhancement and usage of the university museum collections and the Portuguese scientific heritage.
• Contribute to the production of exhibits and educational and dissemination programs about Nature and Science, promoting training and public understanding about biodiversity, nature preservation and the sustainable use of natural resources, mainly through the usage of its collections and diffusion of research results;
• Provide consulting servuces in the area of preservation of species and habitats; planning, management and sustainable use of natural resources; and monitoring of environment's quality.