BGjournal
BGjournal is the worldwide journal of botanic garden conservation.
It covers a range of detailed content including in-depth features, congress reports, profiles of gardens and case studies of conservation work being carried out in gardens around the world.
Produced bi-annually this publication was formerly called BGCNews. There were 31 issues of BGCNews published twice yearly from 1987-2003. You can browse the BGCNews archives here.
Latest Issues
July 2011 - Botanic gardens and invasive alien species
This issue of BGjournal addresses the important problem of alien invasive species. It looks at the role that botanic gardens can play in helping to control existing invasive species and steps they can take to ensure that they do not cause problems for the future. It is suggested that the extensive plant collections in botanic gardens around the world could form the basis of an International Sentinel Plant Network, supported by BGCI's PlantSearch database.
January 2010 - International collaboration - Botanic garden partnerships for conservation
In this issue we focus on international partnerships amongst botanic gardens and between botanic gardens and other institutions working towards biodiversity conservation goals. At a time when financial resources are limited, working together can help to overcome common constraints in delivering research, training, education and action for conservation.
July 2010 - From policy to action: the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation – a conservation success story
In this issue of BGjournal we focus on the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) of the CBD. What has it achieved over the past eight years and what can we expect for its development and implementation in the future? Undoubtedly, there have been huge achievements since the GSPC was first conceived - but despite all our work, huge challenges remain in raising the profile of the importance of plant diversity and the need to generate financial resources to prevent extinction on an unprecedented scale.
January 2010 - Ex situ conservation: the value of plant collections
This issue of BGJournal focuses on the role of botanic gardens in ex situ conservation. Are we doing enough and are we doing it well? How can we ensure that all wild plant species are backed up in well documented ex situ collections, and available for restoration programmes? Various case studies explore how to value national collections and how to revalue collections in light of current issues, such as climate change.
July 2009 - The Challenge of Sustainability
Sustainable development is generally accepted to encompass environmental, social and economic sustainability. Botanic gardens have a role to play in supporting sustainable development as well as looking at their own sustainability. Considerations of energy and water use are critical at a time of global climate change and financial sustainability is foremost in all our minds. This issue of BGJournal provides case studies of how botanic gardens are tackling various aspects of sustainability around the world.
January 2009 - Ecological restoration and the role of botanic gardens
Botanic gardens have long played a crucial role in documentation plant diversity and supporting efforts to protect it. Now, in the face of accelerating climate change and loss of biodiversity, it is clear that repair and restoration of damaged plant communities is needed more than ever before. With the unique combination of scientific and practical plant-based skills in botanic gardens, they are ideally placed to support a new surge in restoration scienc and management.
July 2008 - Botanic gardens and urban biodiversity
This issue of BGJournal looks at the issues surrounding plant conservation in urban areas.
Over half the world's people live in urban areas. Increasingly cut off from the countryside how will their experiences of nature be shaped? Urban green spaces provide an increasingly important opportunity for people to connect with the natural world. Botanic gardens, generally located within cities, offer opportunities for people to enjoy and learn about a wide range of plant diversity and to benefit from the sense of well-being that botanic gardens provide.
January 2008 - Conserving Forest Diversity
This issue of BGJournal explores how botanic gardens are conserveing these essential forest resources.
Deforestation is now recognised as the second leading contributor of carbon emissions worldwide, after the burning of fossil fuels. Conversely the protection of forests is increasingly seen as a major response in mitigating the impacts of climate change.Botanic gardens have a major role to play in conserving forest biodiversity.
BGCI is grateful to the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation for their support.
BGCI Associate Membership - Journal pack
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BGjournal Special 20th Anniversary Editions
2007 was BGCI's 20th Anniversary year. To commemorate the event BGCI, with the support of the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation, published special editions of BGjournal and has made them available in full for free download from our website.
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