This project, funded by the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Young Scientists Award, has successfully established a foundational scientific baseline for the conservation and study of plant biodiversity within Rwanda’s Gishwati-Mukura Biosphere Reserve. Executed between December 2024 and October 2025, the initiative addressed a critical knowledge gap by leveraging modern molecular techniques alongside traditional botany to create a robust and replicable research model. In its primary objectives through systematic fieldwork, 116 voucher specimens were collected, representing a significant cross-section of the reserve’s flora, including numerous rare, endemic, and critically endangered species such as Neoschumannia gishwatiensis and Astropanax goetzenii. All specimens have been curated enriching future research capacity.

The core achievement of this project is the creation of the first-ever genomic reference library for the reserve. DNA barcoding was successfully conducted, generating and publishing DNA barcodes for the rbcL and matK genes. These sequences are now publicly accessible on the Barcode of Life Data (BOLD) system and GenBank, providing an invaluable, open-access resource for the global scientific community and enabling precise species identification for future research, monitoring, and conservation efforts. Furthermore, the project culminated in an updated, taxonomically revised plant checklist for the Gishwati-Mukura Biosphere Reserve, which has been integrated into the Rwanda Biodiversity Specimen data portal. This living digital resource significantly expands the known flora of the reserve and serves as a critical tool for evidence-based management. The project has delivered on its promise to develop a conservation model through DNA barcoding. It has provided the essential data required for the effective management of the Biosphere Reserve, strengthened local scientific capacity, and created a scalable framework that can be applied to other protected areas across Rwanda. The outcomes directly contribute to the strategic goals of UNESCO’s MAB Program, the Lima Action Plan, and Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land), demonstrating a tangible return on investment in young scientific talent for global biodiversity conservation.