Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) is a plant conservationcharity based in Kew, Surrey, England. It is a membership organisation, working with 800 botanic gardens in 118 countries, whose combined work forms the world's largest plant conservation network.
BGCI's patron is Charles III. Lady Suzanne Warner was Chair of BGCI from December 1999 to December 2004. She received an OBE in the Queen's 2006 New Year's Honours for her services to plant conservation.[2]
Dedicated to plant conservation and environmental education, the charity works to support and promote the activities of its member gardens. Its official stated mission is to "mobilise botanic gardens and engage partners in securing plant diversity for the well-being of people and the planet."
As a global organisation BGCI has projects in a variety of different countries, with major ongoing projects in China[3] (where half of the wild magnolias are threatened),[4] North America, the Middle East and Russia. Two of its major projects are the creation of on-line searchable databases listing the world's botanic gardens (Garden Search) and plants in cultivation among participating botanic gardens (Plant Search).[5]
On 18 January 2008, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (representing botanic gardens in 120 countries) stated that "400 medicinal plants are at risk of extinction, from over-collection and deforestation, threatening the discovery of future cures for disease." These included yew trees (the bark is used for cancer drugs, paclitaxel); Hoodia gordonii (from Namibia, source of weight loss drugs); half of Magnolias (used as Chinese medicine for 5,000 years to fight cancer, dementia and heart disease); and Autumn crocus (for gout). The group also found that 5 billion people benefit from traditional plant-based medicine for health care.[6]
In 2017 Botanic Gardens Conservation International published a list of 60,065 tree species worldwide obtained from information supplied by its member organisations. The aim of the project was to identify trees that are in danger of extinction and promote efforts to conserve these trees.[7]
In 2021 BGCI published a landmark State of the World's Trees report. The report, compiling work led by the Global Tree Assessment (GTA), is the culmination of five years of research to identify major gaps in tree conservation efforts. It is one of the first assessments of the world's threatened trees. Examining the globe's 60,000 tree species, it reveals that 30% (17,500) of tree species are currently at risk of extinction.[8] That means there are twice the number of threatened tree species globally than threatened mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles combined. The State of the World's Trees report brings together research from over 60 institutional partners, including botanic gardens, forestry institutions and universities worldwide, as well as more than 500 experts who have contributed to tree assessments in the last five years.
↑ Beech, E.; Rivers, M.; Oldfield, S.; Smith, P. P. (2017-03-23). "GlobalTreeSearch – the first complete global database of tree species and country distributions". Journal of Sustainable Forestry. 36 (5): 454–489. doi:10.1080/10549811.2017.1310049. ISSN1054-9811. S2CID89858214.
A rare species is a group of organisms that are very uncommon, scarce, or infrequently encountered. This designation may be applied to either a plant or animal taxon, and is distinct from the term endangered or threatened. Designation of a rare species may be made by an official body, such as a national government, state, or province. The term more commonly appears without reference to specific criteria. The International Union for Conservation of Nature does not normally make such designations, but may use the term in scientific discussion.
ARKive was a global initiative with the mission of "promoting the conservation of the world's threatened species, through the power of wildlife imagery", which it did by locating and gathering films, photographs and audio recordings of the world's species into a centralised digital archive. Its priority was the completion of audio-visual profiles for the c. 17,000 species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Erythrophleum chlorostachys, commonly known as Cooktown ironwood, is a species of leguminous tree endemic to northern Australia.
The San Juan Botanical Garden, officially known as the Botanical Garden of the University of Puerto Rico, is located in the Caribbean city of San Juan, capital of Puerto Rico. This lush 300-acre (1.2 km2) “urban garden” of native and exotic flora serves as a laboratory for the study, conservation and enrichment of plants, trees, flowers, grasses and many other plants. Seventy-five acres are landscaped and open to the general public as well as researchers.
Karomia gigas is a species of plant in the family Lamiaceae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania, where only small populations survive.
Magnolia wolfii is a tree species in the family Magnoliaceae. It is endemic to Colombia. The species is recorded only from one locality in Risaralda Department. The species is being investigated by a conservation and propagation research program implemented by the Technological University of Pereira, with the support of Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
A Regional Red List is a report of the threatened status of species within a certain country or region. It is based on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, an inventory of the conservation status of species on a global scale. Regional Red Lists assess the risk of extinction to species within a political management unit and therefore may feed directly into national and regional planning. This project is coordinated by the Zoological Society of London, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and partners in national governments, universities and organizations throughout the world.
Sara Felicity Oldfield has been Secretary General of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) since May 2005. Previously she worked as Global Programmes Director for Fauna & Flora International. She has worked for a wide range of other conservation organisations, including UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and also as a freelance consultant for over ten years, working as a researcher and policy advisor for international biodiversity conservation.
Planera aquatica, the planertree or water elm, is a species of flowering plant. Found in the southeastern United States, it is a small deciduous tree 10–15 m tall, closely related to the elms but with a softly, prickly nut 10–15 mm diameter, instead of a winged seed. It grows, as the name suggests, on wet sites. Despite its common English name, this species is not a true elm, although it is a close relative of the elms. It is also subject to Dutch elm disease, a disease which affects only members of the Ulmaceae. It is native to most of the southeast United States. It is hardy down to Zone 7.
Persea borbonia or redbay is a small, evergreen tree in the laurel family (Lauraceae), native to the southeastern United States. It belongs to the genus Persea, a group of evergreen trees including bays and the avocado. Persea borbonia has several common names including tisswood, scrubbay, shorebay, and swampbay.
Arboretum Wespelaar is an arboretum in Wespelaar, Belgium.
The North-West University Botanical Garden on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU) is the only botanical garden in the North West Province of South Africa. The Garden spans just under three hectares and is open to the public.
Cotinus obovatus syn. C. americanus, the American smoketree, chittamwood or American smokewood, is a rare species of flowering plant in the genus Cotinus of the family Anacardiaceae, native to scattered locations in Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee. It is a deciduous, conical shrub growing to 10 m (33 ft) tall by 8 m (26 ft) broad, with oval leaves up to 12 cm (5 in) long. It produces panicles of pink-grey flowers in summer, and its foliage turns a brilliant scarlet in autumn; considered by many to be the most intense fall color of any tree. The smokey effect derives from the clusters of hairs on the spent flower stalks. It is highly sought after and cultivated in botanical gardens worldwide. It is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants.
The Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden located in the historical center of Stellenbosch is the oldest university botanical garden in South Africa. The Garden is relatively small and houses an enormous diversity of plants, both indigenous to South Africa and introduced species. It is open to the public.
Rauvolfia mannii grows as a shrub or small tree up to 8 metres (26 ft) tall. Its fragrant flowers feature white to pink or red-brown, or yellow corolla lobes. Its habitat is forests from sea level to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) altitude. The plant has been used as arrow poison. Rauvolfia mannii is native to central Africa.
Tabernaemontana stapfiana is a medium-sized tree in the family Apocynaceae. Its flowers feature white with yellow-throated corolla lobes. The fruit is fleshy grey-green, in pairs, each up to 20 centimetres (8 in) in diameter and weighing up to several kilograms. Its habitat is montane evergreen forests from 700–2,000 metres (2,300–6,600 ft) elevation. The plant is native to an area of Africa from Uganda south to Mozambique.
Tabernaemontana pandacaqui, known as windmill bush and banana bush, is a species of plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae.
Vachellia macracantha is a species of tree in the family Fabaceae. Its native range spans from southern Florida to South America.
Grewia optiva, the bhimal, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to the Indian Subcontinent.
Limbe Botanic Garden or Limbe Botanical Gardens (LBG) is the principal botanic garden of Cameroon. It was created in 1892, during the German colonial era, in Victoria, between the ocean and Mount Cameroon. Initially with an agronomic intent, it has become one of the main recreational and tourist attractions of the South-West Region.
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