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Research

Botanic gardens as centres of plant research are able to develop appropriate research programmes that support in situ conservation. These include conservation biology, restoration ecology, horticulture, population genetics, taxonomy and conservation status, the control of invasive species, pests and diseases, floristic inventories and status surveys.

Conservation Biology

Integrated Conservation (bringing together the approaches of in situ and ex situ conservation):

Genetic information is of increasingly importance in assisting the design plant conservation projects, as well as being useful in of itself

Horticulture

Research into plants and their properties can help us to wisely use plants. Botanic gardens can research and develop minor crops which have local importance, to allow the most benefit to be gained from them. They can also develop propagation protocols to bring unsustainably wild harvested plants into cultivation, to allow sustainable and safe production of the plant product. Working with indigenous and local knowledge can help this process. Research and development of useful plants must always be in accordance with the principles of Access and Benefit Sharing.

Taxonomy and Conservation Status

Taxonomic works are essential in undertaking any biodiversity conservation. Traditionally, botanic gardens have a special role and responsibilities in plant taxonomy as they usually maintain herbaria, libraries and living collections.

Undertaking work in plant taxonomy, systematics, floristics, inventories, monitoring, and surveys is essential to implement Article 7 of the CBD: Identification and monitoring and in achieving the Targets 1 and 2 of the GSPC.

   

Find Out More

Flora of Europe
Information and images of European plants arranged by family, genus and species. Contains over 600 pictures of flowers, mostly of southern Europe.

Flora of China Online
Efloras brings together electronic floras into an online interface. Users can browse online floristic treatments by volume, family, and genus, and can search by name, distributional data, and text. With the use of web forms, editors and authors with permissions can correct and update the data.
 
Gratis Books Scheme
The aim of this scheme is to provide ecology and conservation books to those from outside Western Europe, North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand who would otherwise be unable to obtain them. The simple purpose of this scheme is to spread conservation knowledge as widely as possible.
Cultivate E-Bulletin
Cultivate bi-monthly e-bulletin brings you opinion, comment, case studies and surveys for and about the world's botanic gardens. Sign up today - click the link.
Have your say! BGCI Membership Questionnaire 2008
BGCI is striving to improve the services that we provide to our members. We need your help in order to do this. Please take 5 minutes to submit our Membership Questionnaire.