About 12,000 fern species have been discovered worldwide, including more than 820 species in Taiwan—one of the highest concentrations of fern species in the world. However, about 20% of the fern species on the island are endangered, and several are threatened with extinction, including several critically endangered species endemic to Taiwan.

As part of their ongoing cooperation in research and conservation, NTHU’s Center for the Preservation of Biological Resources (CPBR) and the Cecelia Koo Botanic Conservation Center have established the Fern Garden on the NTHU campus, as a way of promoting fern conservation throughout our society.