Development status of global national botanical gardens and its implications: Toward a strategic framework for China’s national botanical garden system

doi:10.17520/biods.2025310

Abstract

Abstract:

Background: Botanical gardens worldwide have evolved from their historical origins as aesthetic gardens to contemporary scientific institutions, emerging as pivotal force in biodiversity conservation. Functioning as key institutions for biodiversity protection, scientific research, and public education, national botanic gardens have garnered growing attention regarding their development status. This paper conducts a systematic analysis of national botanical garden systems of the United Kingdom, France, Russia, South Africa, and other representative nations, synthesizing insights from their strategic approaches to organizational structure, research coordination, and functional prioritization.

Findings: To strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts and enhance international impact, national botanical gardens globally are adopting comprehensive strategies. These strategies include clarifying institutional missions, reinforcing conservation-focused research assessment mechanisms, implementing standardized protocols for managing living plant collections, advancing the digital curation of scientific collections, and innovating paradigms for plant resource utilization.

Recommendations: China’s national botanical garden system should prioritize its core mission of plant biodiversity conservation by establishing a scientifically rigorous ex situ conservation network. This entails advancing taxonomic research, developing integrated conservation strategies and wild reintroduction techniques for rare and endangered species, and creating nature education platforms to enhance public engagement. In the future, China’s national botanical garden system is expected to strategically align ex situ and in situ conservation efforts, fostering synergistic collaboration with the national park system to contribute a Chinese solution to global biodiversity governance.

Key words: national botanical garden, ex situ conservation, biodiversity, global development of botanical gardens

Tuo He, Zhihua Zhou, Hui Dong, Lixin Guo, Miaomiao Zheng, Yongteng Wang, Yalong Qin, Yufeng Gu, Liangchen Yuan, Jingping Liao. Development status of global national botanical gardens and its implications: Toward a strategic framework for China’s national botanical garden system[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2025, 33(11): 25310.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2025310

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2025/V33/I11/25310

Figures/Tables 2

References 26

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国家 Nation	国家植物园主管部门 Administrative department of the NBG	国家植物园数量和布局 Number and layout of NBG	国家植物园体系主要特征 Main characteristics of the NBG system
英国 United Kingdom	英国环境、食品和农村事务部 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)	英联邦共6个皇家植物园, 分布于英国(邱园、爱丁堡)、澳大利亚(维多利亚、悉尼、塔斯马尼亚)和加拿大(安大略) Six royal botanic gardens located in the UK (Kew, Edinburgh), Australia (Victoria, Sydney, Tasmania) and Canada (Ontario)	以植物多样性保护、科学研究和公众教育为核心使命; 推动全球植物科学合作和资源共享; 开展千年种子库合作计划; 参与国际公约履约; 科学收藏为支柱, 涵盖系统分类、生态学等研究 Core missions include plant diversity conservation, scientific research, and public education; promote global plant science collaboration and resource sharing; implement the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership; participate in international convention implementation; rely on scientific collections spanning taxonomy, ecology, etc.
法国 France	法国生物多样性办公室 The French Biodiversity Agency (OFB)	由10个本土园区和1个海外领土园区组成, 覆盖法国本土及海外领地, 构建了覆盖四大生物地理区域(大西洋、大陆、地中海、高山)的保护网络 Ten gardens in metropolitan France and one in an overseas territory, forming a conservation network covering four biogeographic regions (Atlantic, continental, Mediterranean, alpine)	注重本土野生植物区系调查、生态系统保护和数据共享; 拓展数字资源库; 通过生物地理区划框架开展保护工作; 核心任务包括科学认知、数据管理、保护管理、政策支持、公众教育; 形成“保护-研究-教育”协同范式 Focus on native flora surveys, ecosystem conservation, and data sharing; expand digital resources; conducts conservation within a biogeographic framework; core tasks include scientific knowledge, data management, conservation management, policy support, and public education; form a synergistic “conservation-research-education” model
俄罗斯 Russia	俄罗斯科学院 Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)	共24个园区, 按地区划分管理, 分布在欧亚大陆的六大气候及植被带Twenty-four gardens managed by region, distributed across six major climatic and vegetation zones of Eurasia	致力于植物引种、驯化研究和植物多样性保护; 研究重点包括实验植物学等; 核心任务包括植物引种驯化、远缘杂交、遗传资源保护、活植物收藏保存、生物生态知识普及 Dedicated to plant introduction, acclimatization research, and plant diversity conservation; research focuses include experimental botany; core tasks encompass plant introduction/acclimatization, distant hybridization, genetic resource conservation, living plant collection preservation, and bio-ecological knowledge dissemination
南非 South Africa	南非国家生物多样性研究所 South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)	10个国家植物园, 覆盖草原、灌丛、卡鲁多肉植物等多种生物群落 Ten national botanical gardens, covering biomes such as grassland, fynbos, and Succulent Karoo	以生态系统代表性、地方参与和科学传播为主要特色; 保护和展示本土植物多样性; 通过生物多样性研究、评估与监测支撑保护; 扩建战略包括在每个省至少建1个植物园, 每个生物群落建代表性植物园 Key features include ecosystem representativeness, community involvement, and science communication; protect and display indigenous plant diversity; support conservation through biodiversity research, assessment, and monitoring; expansion strategy aims for at least one garden per province and per biome
印度 India	印度植物调查局 Botanical Survey of India (BSI)	以贾格迪什·钱德拉·博斯印度植物园和印度共和国植物园为核心, 下设11个区域中心的实验植物园网络, 覆盖多个生物地理区 Network centered on AJC Bose Indian Botanic Garden and Republic of India Botanic Garden, with 11 regional experimental gardens covering multiple biogeographic zones	重点关注植物志编纂、植物地理区系、传统植物知识传播; 侧重植物分类学、经济植物学研究; 通过区域中心联动保护区和国家公园, 构建保护网络 Focus on flora compilation, plant geography, and dissemination of traditional plant knowledge; emphasize plant taxonomy and economic botany; link regional centers with protected areas and national parks to form a conservation network
巴西 Brazil	国家植物园委员会 National Commission of Botanical Gardens (CNJB)	有21个植物园通过认证并建立了全国性的植物园网络 Twenty-one accredited botanical gardens forming a national network	建立功能导向分类标准(A、B、C级); 主要任务涵盖生物多样性保护与研究、环境教育、休憩展示; 重点推进濒危物种保护、种质资源库建设 Establish function-oriented classification standards (category A, B, C); main tasks include biodiversity conservation/research, environmental education, and recreation/exhibition; key priorities are endangered species protection and germplasm bank development
斯里兰卡 Sri Lanka	农业部国家植物园分部 Department of National Botanic Gardens (DNBG)	依据生态带划分设立了6个国家植物园, 构建了覆盖全国15个植物地理区系的迁地保护网络 Six national botanical gardens established based on ecological zones, forming an ex situ conservation network covering 15 phytogeographic regions nationally	重点布局花卉产业开发、药用植物产业发展和遗传资源保护; 首要任务是药用植物和花卉资源研究、品种培育和综合利用; 形成植物资源高效利用模式 Focus on floriculture industry development, medicinal plant industry development, and genetic resource conservation; primary tasks include research on medicinal plants/floricultural resources, cultivar development, and comprehensive utilization; forms a model for efficient plant resource utilization

国家 Nation	国家植物园主管部门 Administrative department of the NBG	国家植物园数量和布局 Number and layout of NBG	国家植物园体系主要特征 Main characteristics of the NBG system
英国 United Kingdom	英国环境、食品和农村事务部 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)	英联邦共6个皇家植物园, 分布于英国(邱园、爱丁堡)、澳大利亚(维多利亚、悉尼、塔斯马尼亚)和加拿大(安大略) Six royal botanic gardens located in the UK (Kew, Edinburgh), Australia (Victoria, Sydney, Tasmania) and Canada (Ontario)	以植物多样性保护、科学研究和公众教育为核心使命; 推动全球植物科学合作和资源共享; 开展千年种子库合作计划; 参与国际公约履约; 科学收藏为支柱, 涵盖系统分类、生态学等研究 Core missions include plant diversity conservation, scientific research, and public education; promote global plant science collaboration and resource sharing; implement the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership; participate in international convention implementation; rely on scientific collections spanning taxonomy, ecology, etc.
法国 France	法国生物多样性办公室 The French Biodiversity Agency (OFB)	由10个本土园区和1个海外领土园区组成, 覆盖法国本土及海外领地, 构建了覆盖四大生物地理区域(大西洋、大陆、地中海、高山)的保护网络 Ten gardens in metropolitan France and one in an overseas territory, forming a conservation network covering four biogeographic regions (Atlantic, continental, Mediterranean, alpine)	注重本土野生植物区系调查、生态系统保护和数据共享; 拓展数字资源库; 通过生物地理区划框架开展保护工作; 核心任务包括科学认知、数据管理、保护管理、政策支持、公众教育; 形成“保护-研究-教育”协同范式 Focus on native flora surveys, ecosystem conservation, and data sharing; expand digital resources; conducts conservation within a biogeographic framework; core tasks include scientific knowledge, data management, conservation management, policy support, and public education; form a synergistic “conservation-research-education” model
俄罗斯 Russia	俄罗斯科学院 Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)	共24个园区, 按地区划分管理, 分布在欧亚大陆的六大气候及植被带Twenty-four gardens managed by region, distributed across six major climatic and vegetation zones of Eurasia	致力于植物引种、驯化研究和植物多样性保护; 研究重点包括实验植物学等; 核心任务包括植物引种驯化、远缘杂交、遗传资源保护、活植物收藏保存、生物生态知识普及 Dedicated to plant introduction, acclimatization research, and plant diversity conservation; research focuses include experimental botany; core tasks encompass plant introduction/acclimatization, distant hybridization, genetic resource conservation, living plant collection preservation, and bio-ecological knowledge dissemination
南非 South Africa	南非国家生物多样性研究所 South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)	10个国家植物园, 覆盖草原、灌丛、卡鲁多肉植物等多种生物群落 Ten national botanical gardens, covering biomes such as grassland, fynbos, and Succulent Karoo	以生态系统代表性、地方参与和科学传播为主要特色; 保护和展示本土植物多样性; 通过生物多样性研究、评估与监测支撑保护; 扩建战略包括在每个省至少建1个植物园, 每个生物群落建代表性植物园 Key features include ecosystem representativeness, community involvement, and science communication; protect and display indigenous plant diversity; support conservation through biodiversity research, assessment, and monitoring; expansion strategy aims for at least one garden per province and per biome
印度 India	印度植物调查局 Botanical Survey of India (BSI)	以贾格迪什·钱德拉·博斯印度植物园和印度共和国植物园为核心, 下设11个区域中心的实验植物园网络, 覆盖多个生物地理区 Network centered on AJC Bose Indian Botanic Garden and Republic of India Botanic Garden, with 11 regional experimental gardens covering multiple biogeographic zones	重点关注植物志编纂、植物地理区系、传统植物知识传播; 侧重植物分类学、经济植物学研究; 通过区域中心联动保护区和国家公园, 构建保护网络 Focus on flora compilation, plant geography, and dissemination of traditional plant knowledge; emphasize plant taxonomy and economic botany; link regional centers with protected areas and national parks to form a conservation network
巴西 Brazil	国家植物园委员会 National Commission of Botanical Gardens (CNJB)	有21个植物园通过认证并建立了全国性的植物园网络 Twenty-one accredited botanical gardens forming a national network	建立功能导向分类标准(A、B、C级); 主要任务涵盖生物多样性保护与研究、环境教育、休憩展示; 重点推进濒危物种保护、种质资源库建设 Establish function-oriented classification standards (category A, B, C); main tasks include biodiversity conservation/research, environmental education, and recreation/exhibition; key priorities are endangered species protection and germplasm bank development
斯里兰卡 Sri Lanka	农业部国家植物园分部 Department of National Botanic Gardens (DNBG)	依据生态带划分设立了6个国家植物园, 构建了覆盖全国15个植物地理区系的迁地保护网络 Six national botanical gardens established based on ecological zones, forming an ex situ conservation network covering 15 phytogeographic regions nationally	重点布局花卉产业开发、药用植物产业发展和遗传资源保护; 首要任务是药用植物和花卉资源研究、品种培育和综合利用; 形成植物资源高效利用模式 Focus on floriculture industry development, medicinal plant industry development, and genetic resource conservation; primary tasks include research on medicinal plants/floricultural resources, cultivar development, and comprehensive utilization; forms a model for efficient plant resource utilization