Thoughts on Scientific Research in Chinese Botanic Gardens at the Beginning of the 21st Century

Volume 3 Number 2 - July 2006

Hongwen Huang and Ziyuan Duan

In the 21st century there are major challenges to meet the demand for plant resources sustainably. Botanic gardens play an increasingly important role in plant conservation and their sustainable development (Wyse Jackson & Sutherland, 2000).

The Current Status of Wild Plant Resources and Plant Conservation in Chinese Botanic Gardens

China has over 30,000 species of higher plants, representing 10% of the world total; the richest plant diversity, after Brazil and Colombia. However, in the past 30 years, rapid economic development and population growth has damaged the ecological environment and reduced plant diversity and research into conservation and development is falling behind. For instance native species are endangered, crop wild relatives are becoming extinct, plant genetic diversity is being lost (China had 10,000 wheat cultivars and varieties in 1949, but only 1,000 were in cultivation in 1970s (FAO, 1998), research and development on economic crops is weak and alien species threaten indigenous plants and associated ecosystems.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) regards botanic gardens as an essential resource for the development and utilization of plants and has 14 botanic gardens under their management. By 2004, CAS botanic gardens had introduced and conserved about 20,000 higher plant species, which is 60% of the China Floristic Region and provides a resource pool for sustaining economic development in China. CAS has also set up 90 specialized gardens, which form a solid foundation for botanic research, development, utilization and conservation of plant resources, as well as public education in China. Since, 2004, they have had over 100 articles published in science journals (e.g. Science, Nature, Conservation Biology and Molecular Ecology), three times higher than that in 2001. These include the discovery of two new pollination mechanisms. These botanic gardens have applied for over 100 patents and have had 50 approved and have cultivated and propagated nearly 20 new cultivars.

Thoughts on Scientific Research in Chinese Botanic Gardens in the Early 21st Century

According to Wagner (1972), "A botanic garden without scientific research is just a park. A botanic garden with scientific research plays an important role in social development." Further, the life sciences are in an era of molecular biology and so research in botanic gardens faces a great opportunity as well as a grave challenge, for broadly-based botanical research.

1 Research Direction and Targets

The focus should shift from plant collection and conservation to the identification, development and sustainable use of resources and include the selection and evaluation for improved quantity and quality.

Resource information should be shared fully within China and conditionally across nations.

A conservation network should be set up that covers at least 80% of all the native plants in China.

Chinese botanic gardens should take advantage of their accumulated research and rich plant diversity and take a leading role in the East Asia Botanic Garden Network.

2 Strengthen Capacity and Scientific Research

Development of specialized gardens and related scientific research
Botanic gardens should support the development of specialized gardens for endemic and native plants especially those of economic value to enhance China's development. This will build on current plant collections. For instance gardens for medicinal plants, bio-fuels (taxa which are rich in carbon-hydrogen bonds), amenity plants, fruits and vegetables and plants which can be used for habitat restoration and environmental protection.

Research and development centres for research into molecular biology and comparative biotechnology
The plant resources held by botanic gardens provide valuable materials and are important centres for research into comparative functional genomics, phytochemistry and proteomics as well as research into model genes and model plant species. This will support China's current life science and biotechnology research.

Development of information technology
An information management system for a National Botanic Garden System of China should be set up to improve resource management within the network, improve information retrieval, research and development and information exchange, and raise the level of popular science education of the general public and mass media.

3 Research Topics and Direction

Certain core research studies in China are essential for species recovery plans such as population genetics and breeding systems and the theory and practices of habitat restoration to conserve native plant species in situ. Research into living plant collections and seed banks are strategically important to conserve plant species and genetic samples.

There is also a need to set up a chemo-resource bank for medicinal plants and a DNA bank for rare, endangered and endemic plants with an associated data information platform. Another necessary research topic is the biosafety of plant resources globally.

4 China's National General Survey of Plant Resources for the Century

A National general survey of plant resources for the century is an urgent task to provide a solid scientific basis for the formulation of China's social and economic development strategies.

The content and objectives should be to:

a) research and identify the status of plant resources in China to produce a Report on the current status of China's plant resources with an on-going Report monitoring the dynamic changes of China's plant resources every 3-5 years,
b) enrich the collections in China's national herbaria,
c) encourage experts in plant taxonomy and horticulture, and
d) provide facilities for the new editions of Floras available in English and Chinese.

Conclusion

Through defining the scope of research for Chinese botanic gardens as well as strengthening both the network and capacity for botanic gardens in China, the safety and sustainable use of plant resources in China will be ensured and can become a possible task.

References

FAO, 1998. The state of the world’s plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. FAO, Rome.

Wagner W. H. 1972. Botanic research at botanic gardens. In: Rice P.F. (ed.) Proceedings of the symposium in a national garden system for Canada, Techn. Bull. Roy. Bot. Gard. Hamilton 6:1-6.

Wyse Jackson P. S. and Sutherland, L, 2000. International Agenda for Botanic Gardens in Conservation. Botanic Gardens Conservation International, London, U.K.

About the Authors

Hongwen Huang and Ziyuan Duan are on the Botanic Garden Working Committee at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Wuhan Botanical Garden