The Role of Botanic Gardens in the Science and Practice of Ecological Restoration

• Main Authors: Kate A. Hardwick, Peggy Fiedler, Lyndon C. Lee, Bruce Pavlik, Richard J. Hobbs, James Aronson, Martin Bidartondo, Eric Black, David Coates, Matthew I. Daws, Kingsley Dixon, Stephen Elliott, Kern Ewing, George Gann, David Gibbons, Joachim Gratzfeld, Martin Hamilton, David Hardman, Jim Harris, Pat M. Holmes, Meirion Jones, David Mabberley, Andrew Mackenzie, Carlos Magdalena, Robert Marrs, William Milliken, Anthony Mills, Eimear Nic Lughadha, Margaret Ramsay, Paul Smith, Nigel Taylor, Clare Trivedi, Michael Way, Oliver Whaley, Stephen D. Hopper
• Format: Journal
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Agricultural and Biological Sciences; Environmental Science
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=79952717401&origin=inward; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/49615
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

Many of the skills and resources associated with botanic gardens and arboreta, including plant taxonomy, horticulture, and seed bank management, are fundamental to ecological restoration efforts, yet few of the world's botanic gardens are involved in the science or practice of restoration. Thus, we examined the potential role of botanic gardens in these emerging fields. We believe a reorientation of certain existing institutional strengths, such as plant-based research and knowledge transfer, would enable many more botanic gardens worldwide to provide effective science-based support to restoration efforts. We recommend botanic gardens widen research to include ecosystems as well as species, increase involvement in practical restoration projects and training practitioners, and serve as information hubs for data archiving and exchange. ©2011 Society for Conservation Biology.