The Collection and Preservation of Plant Material from the Tropical Forest , Canopy

The forest canopy harbors a diverse assemblage of plants of many different growth habits. The reproductive parts of tall trees, many epiphytes, and lianas may exist only in the upper canopy. Access to these upper regions is essential to identify canopy plants and to collect and document voucher specimens for a particular forest region. The majority of botanists, however, have relied on collecting techniques that are opportunistic (i.e., "reach and grab") rather than on methodically conducting more comprehensive samples of forest composition. Reproductive parts (essential materials for proper identification and botanical study) and leaves from the upper canopy (whose physical and physiological structure may differ strikingly between the canopy and understory) are not accurately represented in herbaria because collection of these specimens has historically posed an insurmountable challenge. This limits our ability to classify forest plants and our understanding of their taxonomy and ecology. Why collect plant material from the canopy when it is more easily ob-