BOTANICAL GARDEN
Botanic gardens are institutions holding documented collections of living plants for the purpose of scientific research, conservation, display and education. In 2018, BGCI (botanical garden conservation international) updated the criteria that define a botanic garden to have a greater emphasis on conserving rare and threatened plants, compliance with international policies and sustainability and ethical initiatives. The garden is generally defined as a place for growing flowers, fruits or vegetables. But botanic or botanical garden is an educational institution for scientific workers and general public or layman to awake and enlightened interest in plant life. The botanical gardens are of immense value not only to botanists, home gardeners, nurserymen, horticulturists, landscape gardeners and foresters but also to millions of national and international tourists.
A botanical garden is an institution for botanical research, especially on the native flora of the region. There should be a herbarium, library, photographic studies, lecture pavilon and recreational facilities. In fact all the fundamental and applied aspects of botany come within the purview of botanical garden and it becomes the centre of cultural activities of the region in which it is situated.It not only helps in conservation and maintenance of germplasm but also provides research material, class work material to faculty and students. The botanical garden is rich in plant biodiversity. It has Gymnosperms like Cycas,Araucaria, Thuja, Cupressus, etc and angiosperms like Arjun, Amla, Neem, Peepal, Banyan tree, Toon, Moringa, Silver oak along with fruit trees (Mango, Citrus, Guava, Syzgium etc).
History of Botanical Gardens:
The gardens are as old as civilization. Man had begun to cultivate plants in gardens, to supply him conveniently with food, to provide drugs, or to grow beautiful flowers. Even very primitive tribes engage in vegetable gardening and often, surprisingly, flower gardening.In India the botanic gardens existed at a very early date probably as early as 546 B.C. The famous Indian physician Jivaka Komarabhacca who flourished during the region of King Bimbisara of Magadh (modern Bihar) from 546 to 494 B.C. made intensive survey of the medicinal plants of India. During the progress of Mughals, East India Company, and British, botanical gardens prospered and with their fall, the garden decayed. Now with India’s independence, they are again coming up. A network of botanical gardens has come up and is functioning throughout the country with intensive botanical activity.
Functions of Botanical Gardens:
The botanical gardens are the natural source of science and culture.
1. Botanical gardens act as out-door laboratories.
2. Initiate studies on the tropical and temperate ecosystems and their biota, before they are lost to science and preserve such systems.
3. Serve as centers of gene pools or germplasm bank of wild relatives of economically important plants.
4. Establish Nature centers and youth Museums to focus attention on destruction of tropical and temperate ecosystem, environmental degradation.
5. Maintain less attractive and abandoned ornamental plants.
6. Train city arborists in the plantation of trees in urban areas.
7. Collaborate university and others to conduct research in environmental biology etc.
8. Organize educational programmes to create environmental awareness among children students and train teachers in environmental education.
9. Centers of conservation of endangered and rare species.
