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Page 121 · DO #4777 · 231_Rogers_Bx5FF27_r
- Collection
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David James Rogers (1918–2007) papers
- Item/Folder
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Correspondence - NRC Comm. on Germplasm, 1977
- Digital Object
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DO #4777,
page 121
- Collection-level dates
- 1948–1977
Page transcription
- 11 -
Some species may lend themselves to seed-bank conservation; others will require the maintenance of successive generations, all in the hope that eventual reintroduction to the wild will be a possibility.
Because of the traditional involvement of some larger gardens with programs in the tropics, where both speciation generally and problems associated with the protection of rare and endangered species are greater (in part because so little is known about them), such institutions might well become engaged in the preservation of certain tropical groups. International coordination is obviously essential to success in such a complex endeavor, and several conferences addressing this topic have been held in recent years.
To summarize, botanical gardens, the only human institution created to display and interpret plants for people, are central to all activities associated with the conservation of plant genetic resources. They embrace a philosophy of conservation, have access to real estate on which to grow and exhibit living plants, and are equipped with trained professionals, research facilities, and museological and bibliographic collections. In any national effort to conserve this continent's biotic resources, botanical gardens will surely play a pivotal part. With proper documentation and adequate source data, living collections can serve as genetic resources. The questions before botanical gardens with respect to threatened and endangered species include:
(1) How can gardens serve as salvage centers for species otherwise certain to become extinct? (2) How can the already slender and diminishing financial resources available to gardens be
