Safeguarding biodiversity heritage through regional repositories: lessons from an emerging entomological collection in Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Global South harbors the highest concentration of biodiversity hotspots on the planet and an extraordinary diversity of species. These regions also face serious threats, including deforestation, climate change, and the unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. We discuss the challenges of maintaining biological collections in Brazilian educational and research institutions, focusing on the Entomology Collection of the Universidade Federal do Tocantins (CEUFT). The collection houses specimens from the Cerrado and Amazon biomes and, as the only entomological collection in the state of Tocantins, serves as an important source of data for regional biodiversity research. Biological collections worldwide face budget constraints, infrastructure deficiencies, and personnel shortages; however, these challenges are even more pronounced in the Global South, and Brazil is no exception. Despite logistical obstacles, within just 10 years CEUFT has already provided valuable data for students’ theses and at least 39 published articles, contributing to the knowledge of the entomofauna of one of Brazil’s most understudied regions. Beyond serving as a scientific repository, CEUFT actively supports academic research and teaching while promoting awareness of regional biodiversity conservation and community engagement through extension activities. Although preserving regional biodiversity heritage is essential, its long-term sustainability depends on minimum institutional commitment. The lack of continuous investment in adequate infrastructure, research funding, and qualified personnel jeopardizes regional collections and compromises the preservation of biodiversity heritage for future generations.