Herbaria from the Upper Midwest have partnered to form a collaborative consortium including the six states that border the western Great Lakes: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. At least 132 herbaria of varying size are listed in Index Herbariorum from this region; we hope to eventually make data available from a majority of those collections.
The Great Lakes basin includes 84% of North American surface fresh water and includes a mixture of habitat types amidst a landscape that has been highly modified by agricultural and industrial uses and is home to 16% of the US population (US Census Bureau, 2014 estimates). Areas to the south and west of the lakes include lands that form portions of the Mississippi and Ohio River basins; much of this land escaped major glaciation.
Plants and ecological communities in the region are diverse, ranging from boreal forest to southern hardwoods, prairies, bogs and fens.
Search the Consortium of Midwest Herbaria Portal at: http://midwestherbaria.org