CONNECTING PEOPLE AND PLANTS. Science at the CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN

Transcription

1 CONNECTING PEOPLE AND PLANTS Science at the CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN

2 Plants are fundamental to our existence, yet millions face extinction. Plants in our own temperate zone are no less threatened or important than those in tropical rain forests. Thirty percent of all plant species in the United States are facing extinction within 50 years within our children s and grandchildren s lifetimes, if not our own. We are in the midst of a global extinction crisis, the size of which has not been experienced since the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. The Chicago Botanic Garden is a leader in the campaign to safeguard the world s plants, preserve diversity and maintain healthy ecosystems. In its four centers of science plant conservation biology, ornamental plant development, global plant collections, and aquatic plant and urban lake studies, Garden professionals are partnering worldwide to make a difference. Through research and education initiatives, the Garden teaches people the importance of plants, develops the next generation of plant stewards and scientists, and assists the global science community in preserving and protecting plants and their ecosystems. People need plants for food, clothing, medicine and oxygen as well as beauty but many plants are becoming extinct. 2 Introduction

3 Plants provide: The air we breathe plants produce oxygen and help regulate climate The food we eat all food comes directly or indirectly from plants The water we drink healthy plant systems purify water and prevent erosion The medicines we need more than 80 percent of pharmaceuticals are or were originally derived from plants Plants also provide much of: The clothing we wear The shelter we seek The beauty that nourishes the human soul Top: Unless action is taken, 100,000 of the nation s plant species may disappear in 50 years. Second from top: Plants such as Digitalis, or foxglove, provide medicine, as well as beauty that nourishes the human spirit. Third from top: Chicago Botanic Garden scientists are leaders in the effort to safeguard the world s plants. Bottom: The Garden teaches people the importance of plants and how to be stewards of the natural world. Habitat loss the single greatest threat to plants and biodiversity in America has accelerated to the rate of 251 acres per hour. In Lake County, Illinois from 1970 to 1990, the population grew 4 percent while land development grew 47 percent. One tree produces enough oxygen for 10 people a year.

4 Plant Conservation Biology The plant population in the United States is the fourth most threatened in the world. Twenty-three globally endangered or threatened plant species occur in the Upper Midwest, and many more are rare, their numbers reduced to fewer than 20 total locations. In the Garden s laboratories, in the field, on the Internet and in classrooms, Garden scientists are part of an international effort to understand plant rarity, plant communities and healthy ecosystems. The Garden s plant conservation biology program is rapidly becoming one of the most significant applied plant conservation research efforts in the nation. Conservation Sciences To retard the loss of biodiversity, threatened plants must be located and safeguarded; their reproductive biology must be understood; and they must be propagated and reintroduced to native habitats that will sustain them into the future. Ex Situ Conservation As a member of the national Center for Plant Conservation (CPC), the Garden protects rare plants ex situ, outside their native habitats. The Garden, together with The Morton Arboretum, is responsible for the conservation of the nine globally rare plant species of the Upper Midwest. The Garden first collects and seed banks rare plants to conserve their germ plasm, creating a genetic safety net against their disappearance in the wild. Seed banking and propagation techniques include cryogenics, a freezing process, and in vitro tissue culturing. Scientists also analyze the genetics of rare species using advanced DNA fingerprinting techniques. Several of the nine species have reached the ultimate goal of reintroduction back into their native habitats. Studies by conservation scientist Dr. Stuart Wagenius on seedlings of narrow-leaved purple coneflower provide a model for helping prairie plants to survive. 4 Plant Conservation Biology

5 Conservation scientists use advanced techniques to study why threatened plants are declining and how to restore them. The Garden monitors rare plants and maintains a herbarium for scientific research. The Institute s unique academic program trains the next generation of plant conservation scientists. Restoration Research Understanding the many factors that affect plant population stability habitat management, habitat fragmentation, genetics, soil composition and invasive species is key to restoring plants. Currently, Garden scientists work with 10 rare plant species to determine the reasons for their decline and the options for recovery. Studies concern population genetics, reproductive patterns, ecology and demography. Below ground, microbe activity and seed germination are analyzed, as the interaction between plants and microbes is elemental to 95 percent of the world s flora. Regional Floristics Locating, mapping and monitoring rare plants is fundamental to all other conservation efforts. One Garden project, Plants of Concern, trains volunteers to monitor rare plants. In 2001, findings from 60 volunteers on 40 rare species in seven counties informed the work of not only Garden researchers, but also of land managers and owners, thus minimizing threats to plant survival. In the Garden s Nancy Poole Rich Herbarium, Garden staff maintain a collection of 12,000 pressed, dried plant specimens of value to scientists and students. On the Internet, the vplants database of herbarium plants is available for study worldwide. Institute for Plant Conservation Biology The Institute for Plant Conservation Biology is a unique academic program in conservation biology and restoration ecology. Using both applied and academic methods, it investigates species-specific problems as well as community-level issues. The Institute contributes to global biodiversity with its studies of endangered plants and habitats, and by disseminating results through teaching, publications, symposia and Web-based projects. In collaboration with Loyola University, the Institute offers certificate and undergraduate programs, training the next generation of plant scientists. With the Bureau of Land Management, the Institute trains undergraduates in endangered species restoration on federal lands throughout the country, which addresses a distressing nationwide shortage of botanists. On average, each field botanist employed by federal agencies is responsible for more than three million acres of land. Only 5 percent of the 330,000 estimated plant species on earth have been studied for potential use.

6 Ornamental Plant Development The spectacularly beautiful plant displays at the Chicago Botanic Garden depend on the work of scientists. That work is shared with an eager and enormous gardening public. Garden scientists enhance the beauty of the landscape by breeding, evaluating and introducing new plants. The goal is to develop not only extraordinarily beautiful new plants but also varieties hardy for the climate and soils, and resistant to the pests and diseases, of the Midwest. The Garden creates beautiful new hybrids of popular garden plants including Echinacea, or coneflower. 6 Ornamental Plant Development

7 Plant Breeding The Perennial Plant Breeding Program, one of the few such public programs in the country, focuses on hybridizing popular plants native to the region. Garden scientists use traditional and custom-designed propagation methods, and have already produced hybrids for five types of plants. Never-before-seen orange, red and yellow coneflowers and two-toned violet and yellow baptisia will soon be introduced to the gardening public. Chicago Botanic Garden shrub hybrids, including butterfly bush, beautyberry, chaste tree, New Jersey tea and hydrangea, are now being evaluated at sites throughout the country for eventual introduction nationwide. Plant Evaluation The Garden s Plant Evaluation Program is one of the largest of any public garden in America, with 10,000 landscape plants representing 1,400 taxa under study. Research trials four to 10 years long assess popular plants ornamental qualities, cultural adaptability, winter hardiness and resistance to pests and disease. The results are compiled in a series of publications, Plant Evaluation Notes. Frequently cited by the national gardening media, the Notes promote the best plants available and assist the environmentally concerned gardener in using less herbicide, pesticide, fertilizer and other potential pollutants. Plant Introduction The Chicago Botanic Garden, The Morton Arboretum and the Ornamental Growers Association of Northern Illinois in 1986 formed a plant introduction partnership called Chicagoland Grows. The partnership introduces new and unique varieties to the market. It combines the research and resources of the two botanical institutions with the growing experience of nurseries, universities and municipalities. Once a plant has been evaluated as superior, an international network of 85 licensed nurseries in 22 states produces the plant for commercial sale. To date, 10 trees and shrubs have been released through Chicagoland Grows, and 20 more are nearing introduction. Photos along top of page, left to right: Breeding new plants involves propagation techniques such as tissue culture. Multi-year evaluations assess 1,400 types of garden plants. Introducing superior new plants to the market is a Garden goal. Gardening is America s most popular leisure activity.

8 Global Plant Collections At the heart of the Chicago Botanic Garden is its collection of two million living plants, representing almost 9,000 taxa. There are more than 900,000 perennials, 810,000 bulbs, 103,000 ground covers and 9,800 trees. In addition to creating diversity within the collection, Garden scientists build depth within selected genera. These specialty collections include ginkgo, oak, spirea, aster, sedge, goldenrod and narcissus as well as bonsai and aquatics. The collection is a genetic repository for horticultural research. In 26 display gardens and native habitats, the collection enhances the quality of life with beauty and design, teaches the relationship of plants and people, provides a living laboratory for scientists, and showcases the best plant practices for home and community gardens. 900,000 perennials 810,000 bulbs 103,000 ground covers 9,800 trees Garden plant collecting expeditions range between the 35th and 55th parallels, where the climate resembles that of the Midwestern United States. Page 9: Clockwise, from top left: 8 Global Plant Collections Garden scientists search the world to find beautiful new plants for the Midwest s demanding climate. With display labels and other records, the Garden documents its global plant collections. In its 100-acre Mary Mix McDonald Woods, the Garden conducts research on woodland restoration. Studies in the Suzanne S. Dixon Prairie focus on native prairie ecology.

9 Acquisition The collection is ever changing. It increases by about 100,000 specimens each year, obtained though the market, exchange programs, gifts and expeditions. With national and international organizations, the Garden has sponsored collection trips to the Republic of Georgia, Russia, China, Korea, England, Wales, Poland, Hungary, Japan and Germany. New acquisitions undergo an intensive evaluation to assess their habits. If a plant is found to be invasive, it is destroyed. At the same time, the Garden is committed to educating the public about Documentation Plant records are as important to most researchers as the plants themselves. They provide information about the provenance, genetics and health of the collections, and are valuable tools for education. The Garden documents its collections through accession records, location mapping and display labels. Accession records can provide a database of the source of the plants genetic material so that interbreeding can be avoided. Interbreeding stresses plants, which then may require synthetic, often pollutioncausing, remedies. Native Habitats Prairies and oak woodlands once flourished in the Midwest, but are declining at startling rates. Only 0.1 percent of Illinois prairie remains. The Garden s 100-acre woodland and 15-acre prairie are living laboratories and public education sites. In the Garden s Mary Mix McDonald Woods, scientists investigate the reasons for declining diversity in the herbaceous layer and the effect of low light levels caused by a dense canopy of invasive trees. They also study insect and breeding bird populations, soil fauna and ecosystem function. The woods is a restoration site, where low-intensity fires and invasive species removal lead to improved natural habitat for rare native plants. invasive species, which pose an enormous threat to the environment and economy. Nearly half of the threatened or endangered species listed in the Endangered Species Act are at risk due to competition with non-native species. Invasives, which can alter the hydrology or soil chemistry of an ecosystem, are second only to habitat loss as a threat to U.S. plants. Prairie ecology is the focus of the reconstructed Suzanne S. Dixon Prairie, where six different prairie communities once common to the region are maintained. Studies to manage the prairie focus on encouraging seed germination, deterring invasive plants, recycling nutrients, engineering soils and controlled burning. The best management practices and discoveries are shared with restorationists, landscape architects and land managers around the nation, to protect and expand biodiversity. Invasive species cost the United States almost $125 billion per year. Less than 0.1 percent of tallgrass prairie remains.

10 Aquatic Plant and Urban Lake Studies Unique among public gardens, the Chicago Botanic Garden contains 60 acres of lakes, six miles of shoreline and a mile-long river corridor. More than 133 million gallons of water beautify the Garden landscape and provides an exceptional opportunity to study and teach about lake water quality, aquatic plant ecology and shoreline erosion. Lake Ecosystems Freshwater aquatic systems decline for a myriad of reasons. Fertilizer runoff and waterfowl waste increase the nutrients that encourage algae blooms. Fluctuating water levels add to shoreline erosion, which decreases water clarity. This limits the sunlight native plant species need and can even clog fish gills. Shoreline erosion also reduces the rich diversity of aquatic life. Invasive flora and fauna choke out native communities, causing entire aquatic ecosystems to degrade. The Garden employs new techniques to improve water quality and maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems. Its findings are shared with water resource professionals, government agencies and homeowners throughout the nation. The Garden s studies of aquatic plants and water quality lead to healthy aquatic ecosystems nationwide. 10 Aquatic Plant and Urban Lake Studies

11 Preventing Erosion The Garden uses innovative methods to restore eroded shorelines. Rolls of biodegradable coconut-husk fiber trap sediments and provide plants with a sheltering environment until they form their own protective barrier. Creating shallow-water planting shelves helps to stabilize shoreline plants. The Garden has also pioneered the use of mesh grids to reduce shoreline erosion, improve water quality and anchor plants. Studying Aquatic Plants Aquatic plants are the core of a lake s complex web of life. Plants provide habitat for fish, amphibians and microscopic insects. They offer food, cover and nesting material for waterfowl and shorebirds. Research, such as a study concerning the reproductive cycle of the nuisance plant curly-leaf pondweed, helps scientists unlock the secrets to healthy aquatic ecosystems. The Garden s research seeks ecologically sensitive ways, such as selective harvesting, to control invasive aquatic plants. Managing Watersheds Scientists agree on the importance of a lake s watershed, for the quality of lake water is intricately connected to the land draining into it. Management efforts that control sources of pollution in upland watersheds protect downstream lakes and streams. Effective watershed management brings together government agencies, advocacy groups and interested citizens. To facilitate these partnerships, and at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Garden hosts several national conferences each year on water resource science, policy and public outreach. River Restoration The mile-long stretch of the Skokie River that meanders through the Garden is typical of many urban waterways. It has been restored and serves as a demonstration model for river restoration, rehabilitation and enhancement. Like the lakes, this river corridor showcases successful management techniques from streambank stabilization to vegetative bioengineering. Garden ecologists also study protocols for the river s 12-acre riparian buffer of wetland and prairie habitats, intended to illustrate diverse, sustainable communities of native plants and animals. With 60 acres of lakes and six miles of shoreline, the Garden demonstrates innovative methods for preventing shoreline erosion and improving aquatic habitat. In Illinois alone, there are more than 2,900 lakes and 84,000 ponds. Each is a complex ecosystem that can easily be degraded. Once damage is done, it is difficult to reverse. Each year, through erosion alone, the earth loses enough fertile topsoil to cover the state of Illinois.

12 Plants are essential to the quality of life. A beautiful plant or landscape can inspire great art, spark the senses and ineffably convey our place in the complex web of life. Especially in this time of rapid changes in technology, population growth and style of life, plants are essential to who we are, to what we eat, breathe, wear and use in short, to life itself. Yet those same changes will lead to the extinction of one in three plants globally before today s high school graduates reach their golden years unless some actions are taken to make a difference. The first prerequisite of intelligent tinkering is to save all the pieces, according to Aldo Leopold, the father of American ecology. Scientists at the Chicago Botanic Garden are at the forefront of global efforts to save all the pieces of our threatened natural diversity and to improve the quality of life through intelligent tinkering with the connection of plants, life and people. Chicago Botanic Garden scientists are leaders in the effort to save endangered plants to provide new understandings through the scientific study of plants

13 Chicago Botanic Garden Partners in Science Argonne National Laboratory Berry Botanic Garden Brookfield Zoo Center for Plant Conservation Chicago Audubon Chicago Wilderness College of DuPage Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation DePaul University Federal Bureau of Land Management Field Museum of Natural History Forest Preserve District of Cook County Garden Club of Barrington Garden Guild of Winnetka The Haffner Foundation Helen V. Froehlich Foundation Illinois Department of Natural Resources Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Illinois Landscape Contractors Association Illinois Natural History Survey Institute of Museum and Library Services Iowa State University Josephine P. and John J. Louis Foundation Kings Park and Botanic Garden Lake Forest Garden Club Lincolnshire Garden Club Loyola University Chicago Midwest Plant Collecting Collaborative Missouri Botanical Garden The Morton Arboretum Nachusa Grasslands National Fish and Wildlife Foundation National Science Foundation National Tropical Botanic Garden National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council The Nature Conservancy Ornamental Growers of Northern Illinois PotashCorp Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew USDA Forest Service/Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service University of Illinois University of Minnesota University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee to develop new plants and discover new uses for plants and to strengthen the all-important connection between people and plants because without plants, life is not possible.

14 Cover image: Chicago Botanic Garden scientists help to save endangered plants such as Eastern prairie white fringed orchid. The Chicago Botanic Garden cannot do the work of conserving and studying plants alone. You can help by learning about the importance of plants, participating in plant conservation and supporting efforts to further plant science. From children with a budding interest in plant science to professionals pursuing the most sophisticated research, all are invited to join the Chicago Botanic Garden in studying and saving plants. Chicago Botanic Garden 1000 Lake Cook Road Glencoe, Illinois (847) This publication was made possible through support from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation and PotashCorp, promoting science and sound practices for a sustainable environment. The Chicago Botanic Garden is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN PR2393