Regional Floras: the target groups, usage and feedback

The target groups for regional floras may be generalized for the purpose of this discussion, into four main groups. Firstly, in the Flora Malesiana region – a major producer of tropical hardwoods and other commercial forest products – one large target is the forest industry, consisting of foresters, business entrepreneurs, and forest scientists. The more technical-minded of this group use floras for determination of scientific names, and for access to published information on ecology, distribution, uses, and properties of individual species. Where suitable floras are not available, those involved in the forest industry are obliged to work with local ethnobotanical knowledge, which predates Linnean taxonomy. However, the absence of a modern usable flora for a region contributes to laissez-faire forest management. In forest inventory work, for example, unknown species are put into a miscellaneous category to which no further attention is paid. It is difficult to keep track of and manage what is unknown or undefined.