| Gardens have been a significant instrument in scientific and cultural development of the assessment and study of plant resources. Public gardens have played a major role in the exploration of plant life, in the acclimatization and introduction of species, in the education of plant life and in plant conservation. Throughout the world, public gardens host more than 200 million people each year, helping their visitors appreciate, enjoy and respect the plant life that sustains our planet. In an age of rapid loss of plant species and wild habitats, gardens have become vital centers of education, research, horticulture and conservation. Gardens have developed roles and responsibilities that are becoming increasingly important for protecting plant biodiversity.; This research sought to determine if having conservation as part of the garden's mission promotes organizational practice's that conserve biodiversity. Surveys to public gardens in the United States and four case study site visits offered perceptions and opinions related to the contribution of organizational practices to biological diversity conservation. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
