It covers various vegetation types, such as mangroves, lowland rain forests, savannas, and montane forests. This area is well known for its high biodiversity, with over 8,000 species of flowering plants. The project, which started in 1984, aims at publishing treatments of families of phanerogams and cryptogams occurring in the region. The Editorial Office in charge of publication of the Flora of the Guianas, and related volumes and papers, is housed at the NHN-Utrecht. The Flora of the Guianas Newsletter is issued at irregular intervals, and is a medium of exchange of information between the participants in the Flora of the Guianas Project.
Research is aimed at conservation and sustainable management of tropical lowland rain forest.
The participation of the NHN-Utrecht is connected with the type of research which requires the combination of both theoretical knowledge of botanical diversity and extensive field experience.