Source: People's Daily
At the Botanical Garden in Paris, France, a child observes seed morphology. Courtesy of Botanical Garden in Paris, France
Interior view of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Photographed by Manfred Gottshark (Image China)
Views of Westonbert Botanic Gardens in Gloucestershire, England. Photo by Tim Ireland (Xinhua News Agency)
View of kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, South Africa. Photo by Lü Tiantian (Xinhua News Agency)
The conservation of plant diversity is of widespread concern to countries around the world. Through the establishment of national botanical gardens, some countries have built a comprehensive institution integrating plant protection, scientific research, knowledge popularization and tourism and rest through the establishment of national botanical gardens, with the implementation of ex situ protection of plants as the main means, so as to build an important platform for the protection of biodiversity and the promotion of people's awareness of ecological protection.
Botanical Garden, Paris, France——
It is both a botanical garden and a museum
Reporter Liu Lingling
"This name plate is the plant's 'identity card' with its name, place of origin and category." In the summer garden of the Botanical Garden in Paris, France, an event called "Teach You to Read Botanical Labels" is underway. Led by a docent, visitors can see the rich variety of plants while learning more about their basic information. This is one of the many popular science activities carried out by the Paris Botanical Garden this summer, and in the next two months, there are activities such as "The History of Alpine Gardens" and "Mountain Plants in the Far East", allowing visitors to understand the characteristics of plants and establish the concept of loving nature while getting close to nature.
The History of the Botanical Garden of Paris dates back to the 17th century, when it served medicines for the hospital as a royal garden of medicinal plants and undertook the function of training doctors and pharmacists. In 1640, the Botanical Garden of Paris was officially opened to the public. Thanks to the cultivation of many medicinal plants, it has always been regarded as a "place to observe and study nature", as well as a place for scientific research and knowledge popularization. The French naturalist Buffon completed a 36-volume work "Natural History" here.
Today, the Botanical Garden of Paris covers an area of 24 hectares and has 11 gardens, including alpine gardens, ecological gardens, rose gardens, botanical colleges, large greenhouses, etc. 8500 plant varieties, 2500 trees, 2500 shrubs, 8500 perennial herbs, 2000 greenhouse plants, 80,000 seasonal plants... All kinds of plants together constitute a diverse ecological environment and become the "bank" of species diversity. There are also many ancient trees in the garden, such as acacia planted in 1636 and a Lebanese cedar in 1734, which is still very lush today. Rich in species and a long history, the botanical gardens have a different color all year round and are a pleasant place to relax.
The Botanical Garden of Paris is part of the French National Museum of Natural History, which is regulated by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and the French Ministry of Ecological Transformation and Solidarity, and therefore has multiple attributes: it is both a botanical garden and a museum, a research center and an open-air classroom, with the functions of "protecting plants" and "educating science". The French media called it "a natural haven in the heart of Paris, a scientific place at the forefront of research".
The plants in the botanical garden are all tagged and recorded in a database. "We document the origin and characteristics of plants and pay constant attention to their lifetime, partly for scientific conservation, and on the other hand for the purpose of setting scientific standards and disseminating knowledge." According to Denis Larpan, horticulturist at the Botanical Garden in Paris, the plants of the Faculty of Botany are presented according to the latest scientific classifications for easy research, while in alpine gardens and ecological gardens, plants are presented in the form of reconstructing the original natural environment such as rockeries, meadows and forests to better protect the flora.
In order to better present and protect biodiversity, the Botanical Garden of Paris established an ecological garden in 1932 to provide shelter for animals to feed or breed for long-lived or passing animals. In order to maintain the tranquility of the ecological garden, the horticulturists intervene as little as possible and allow the plants to grow naturally. Even when soil improvement or improvement is required, the botanical gardens minimize disturbances with the fauna. Today, the garden has 4 forest environments and provides shelter for a variety of insects, molluscs, small mammals and birds.
The Paris Botanical Garden also has a "seed bank", which collects 25,000 seed samples of the world's flora and 5,000 seed samples of the French flora, forming an important support for the popularization and teaching of the botanical garden. For rare or endangered plants that must be protected offsite, the botanical gardens will build artificial habitats that imitate the natural environment. For example, the greenhouses in the park create different species environments such as humid rainforests, dry forests, and savannahs, where visitors can see rare plant species from Madagascar, New Caledonia and other places.
Full view of the botanical garden, exhausting but rewarding. "The species of the botanical gardens are preferably derived from natural populations or wild strains, which allows visitors to see up close some plants that rarely have the opportunity to observe in nature, which is a rare experience." Larpan said.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, South Africa——
Great place to explore native plants
Our reporter Yan Yunming
The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, South Africa, was built in 1913 next to Table Mountain. Entering the park, whether in the quiet jungle, the clear stream, or the open grassland, you can see different forms of plants. Some of the most artistic sculptures are hidden in the vegetation, subtly integrated with nature.
The Cape Botanical Reserve, where the KirstenBosch State Botanical Garden is located, is one of the six largest floras in the world. The Cape Plant Reserve has more than 9,000 plantations, of which nearly 70% are endemic. In 2004, the Cape Botanical Reserve was inscribed on the World Heritage List, which UNESCO calls "one of the most diverse centres of ecological diversity on land". The botanical garden covers an area of 528 hectares, of which only 36 hectares are cultivated areas and the rest are nature reserves.
The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens strive to build a vegetation ecosystem with local characteristics. Nearly half of the 1,054 plant species recorded in the botanical gardens are endemic to the region. Within the park are the nature reserves, natural forests and local endemic vegetation types where Persia is lush. Van Persia belongs to the natural shrub forest, very diverse, the South African national flower monarch flower, silver tree, heather and other representative plants, can be seen in the botanical garden. The botanical garden also has a special window to insert a variety of Van Persian plants into the vase, with name tags and introductions for visitors to understand.
The Botanical Garden has also established an exhibition greenhouse consisting of a main exhibition hall and 4 small rooms. The main exhibition hall exhibits succulents, which are arranged according to the different climate types of South Africa. The topsoil and rocks in the exhibition area are locally sourced and strive to show the authenticity. The four chambers display alpine plants, ferns, stone flowers and bulbous plants. In addition to its rich and diverse vegetation, the Kirstenbosch State Botanical Gardens are also home to more than 200 species of animals, with at least 125 registered species of birds alone. Butterflies, horned turtles, river frogs, freshwater crabs, lizards, etc. all inhabit the botanical gardens.
In 2004, the National Biodiversity Institute of South Africa was established to manage South Africa's National Botanical Gardens and Zoos. The Institute investigates, classifies species in botanical gardens, maps biodiversity, assesses and monitors the status of biodiversity and provides recommendations. In June, South Africa's critically endangered yellowbark tree was successfully bred with the efforts of the Institute and the forest experts at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, and some saplings will be relocated to the botanical gardens for research conservation.
For primary and secondary school students, the Botanical Garden organizes activities on related topics such as biodiversity, global warming, and sustainable development, so that young people can deepen their understanding of environmental issues in their interactions with nature. About 15,000 students participate each year. People can also learn about the rich information of the botanical gardens through the website of the South African National Biodiversity Institute, including park maps, plant and animal information, and can also visit through virtual reality technology.
Sarah, Head of Activities and Visitors at the Park, said: "The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens are full of life and colour, providing visitors with a great place to explore South Africa's native plants and get close to nature and enjoy life. ”
Singapore Botanic Gardens——
Combine plant research with nature education
Reporter Liu Hui
Stroll through the Singapore Botanic Gardens, orchids, ash trees, periwinkles, sea red beans... The lush greenery and flowers are delightful, including rare varieties. Tired of walking, visitors can have a picnic on the grass by Symphony Lake or taste the special floral herbs in the restaurant.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens cover an area of about 82 hectares and are considered the "green lungs" of the city. The Botanical Garden is divided into 4 parks, the Tanglin District preserves historical sites, the Central District is mainly touristy, the Bukit Zhima District is an education and exploration area, and the Taser-Glo District is mainly dominated by wetlands and rainforests. The botanical garden integrates gardens, historical sites, research centers and natural education bases, and is of great humanistic and research value. There are also more than a dozen historical buildings in the park, many of which are hundreds of years old. In 2015, the Botanical Gardens were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Singapore Botanic Gardens has always been committed to biodiversity conservation. Located in the Taser-Glo district, the Study Forest is a secondary forest area with a history of more than 100 years, with both wetland and lowland rainforest ecology. The Singapore government spent two and a half years to restore wildlife habitats by analyzing and restoring the mud, topography and hydrology of the area in the early 19th century. At present, the study forest has more than 700 plant species and hundreds of wildlife species, which are integrated with the original rainforest, which not only strengthens the ex situ conservation of original plants in the region, but also provides a suitable growth environment for precious rainforests.
Orchid is the national flower of Singapore and many varieties are endangered. Botanical gardens play an important role in promoting the conservation and breeding of orchids. Since 1932, the Botanical Garden has cultivated about 630 orchid varieties. The Botanical Garden has also dedicated about 3 hectares of the National Orchid Garden, planting about 1,200 species of orchid flowers.
Singapore's first seed vault is housed in an old building in the Botanic Gardens. It has a well-equipped seed cleaning laboratory, drying room, cold room and cryogenic laboratory, and can store up to 25,000 plant seeds. The seed bank is also used to study how tropical plant seeds are preserved to withstand natural disasters and the threat of climate change.
The Botanic Gardens are also an important educational base in Singapore. The Folklore Botanical Gardens showcase more than 300 species of plants that play an important role in southeast Asia's economy and folklore, and classify plants according to traditional uses such as handicrafts, sacrifices, medicines, etc., providing visitors with a unique cultural experience. In addition, for visitors of different ages, the Botanical Garden has set up a special tour program. The Jagbaras Children's Garden is specially designed for children under the age of 14 with farms, orchards, forests, streams, etc., allowing children to come into direct contact with nature.
"The predecessors planted trees, and the posterity cooled down." Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong once commented on the Singapore Botanical Gardens, believing that the current construction results have been accumulated over generations. The development of the Botanic Gardens has witnessed an increase in the awareness of ecological protection among the people of Singapore, and people are increasingly aware of the importance of living in harmony with nature.
People's Daily ( 2022-07-31 Edition 07)