people and plants connecting - chicago … · people and plants science at the chicago botanic...

CONNECTINGPEOPLE AND PLANTS

Science at the CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN

PR1258 Science Broc 6/20 10/14/02 12:30 PM Page 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 profes-

sionals are partnering worldwide

to make a difference. Through

research and education initia-

tives, the Garden teaches people

the importance of plants, devel-

ops the next generation of plant

stewards and scientists, and assists

the global science community in

preserving and protecting plants

and their ecosystems.

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Introduction

People need plants forfood, clothing, medicineand oxygen – as well as

beauty – but many plantsare becoming extinct.


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

The clothing we wear

The shelter we seek

The beauty that nourishes the human soul

Plants provide:

Plants also provide much of:

One tree produces enough oxygen for 10 people a year.

Habitat loss – the single greatest threat to plants and biodiversity in America – hasaccelerated to the rate of 251 acres per hour. In Lake County, Illinois from 1970 to1990, the population grew 4 percent while land development grew 47 percent.

Second from top: Plants such as Digitalis, or foxglove,provide medicine, as well as beautythat nourishes the human spirit.

Top:Unless action is taken, 100,000of the nation’s plant species maydisappear in 50 years.

Third from top:Chicago Botanic Garden scien-tists are leaders in the effort tosafeguard the world’s plants.

Bottom:The Garden teaches people theimportance of plants and how tobe stewards of the natural world.


Plant Conservation Biology

Studies by conservationscientist Dr. Stuart

Wagenius on seedlings ofnarrow-leaved purpleconeflower provide a

model for helping prairieplants to survive.

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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 conserva-

tion research efforts in the nation.

Conservation SciencesTo retard the loss of biodiversity,threatened plants must be located and safeguarded; their reproductivebiology must be understood; and theymust be propagated and reintroducedto native habitats that will sustainthem into the future.

Ex Situ Conservation As a member of the national Centerfor Plant Conservation (CPC), theGarden protects rare plants ex situ,outside their native habitats. TheGarden, together with The MortonArboretum, is responsible for the conservation of the nine globally rareplant 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.

Plant Conservation Biology


Restoration Research Understanding the many factors thataffect plant population stability –habitat management, habitat frag-mentation, genetics, soil composi-tion and invasive species – is key to restoring plants.

Currently, Garden scientists workwith 10 rare plant species to deter-mine the reasons for their declineand the options for recovery. Studies concern population genetics, reproductive patterns, ecology and demography. Below ground, microbe activity and seed germination areanalyzed, as the interaction betweenplants and microbes is elemental to95 percent of the world’s flora.

Regional FloristicsLocating, mapping and monitoringrare plants is fundamental to allother conservation efforts. OneGarden project, “Plants of Concern,”trains volunteers to monitor rareplants. In 2001, findings from 60volunteers on 40 rare species inseven counties informed the work ofnot only Garden researchers, but alsoof land managers and owners, thusminimizing threats to plant survival.

In the Garden’s Nancy Poole RichHerbarium, Garden staff maintain a collection of 12,000 pressed, driedplant specimens of value to scientistsand students. On the Internet, the“vPlants” database of herbariumplants is available for study worldwide.

Institute for PlantConservation BiologyThe Institute for Plant ConservationBiology is a unique academic program in conservation biology and restoration ecology. Using bothapplied and academic methods, itinvestigates species-specific problemsas well as community-level issues.The Institute contributes to globalbiodiversity with its studies ofendangered plants and habitats, and by disseminating results throughteaching, publications, symposia and Web-based projects.

In collaboration with LoyolaUniversity, the Institute offers cer-tificate and undergraduate programs,training the next generation of plantscientists. With the Bureau of LandManagement, the Institute trainsundergraduates in endangeredspecies restoration on federal landsthroughout the country, whichaddresses a distressing nationwideshortage of botanists.

Conservation scientists use advanced tech-niques to study why threatened plants aredeclining and how to restore them.

The Institute’s unique academicprogram trains the next generationof plant conservation scientists.

On average, each field botanist employed by federal agenciesis 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.

The Garden monitors rare plantsand maintains a herbarium forscientific research.


Ornamental Plant Development

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The spectacularly beautifulplant displays at the ChicagoBotanic Garden depend on thework of scientists. That work is shared with an eager andenormous 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.

Ornamental Plant Development

The Garden creates beautiful newhybrids of popular garden plants

including Echinacea, or coneflower.


Multi-year evaluationsassess 1,400 types of garden plants.

Introducing superior newplants to the market is aGarden goal.

Plant BreedingThe Perennial Plant BreedingProgram, one of the few such publicprograms in the country, focuses onhybridizing popular plants native to the region. Garden scientists usetraditional and custom-designedpropagation methods, and havealready produced hybrids for fivetypes of plants. Never-before-seenorange, red and yellow coneflowersand two-toned violet and yellowbaptisia will soon be introduced tothe gardening public.

Chicago Botanic Garden shrubhybrids, including butterfly bush,beautyberry, chaste tree, New Jerseytea and hydrangea, are now beingevaluated at sites throughout thecountry for eventual introductionnationwide.

Plant EvaluationThe Garden’s Plant EvaluationProgram 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 longassess popular plants’ ornamentalqualities, cultural adaptability, winter hardiness and resistance topests and disease. The results arecompiled in a series of publications,Plant Evaluation Notes. Frequentlycited by the national gardeningmedia, the Notes promote the best plants available and assist the environmentally concerned gardener in using less herbicide, pesticide, fertilizer and other potential pollutants.

Plant IntroductionThe Chicago Botanic Garden, The Morton Arboretum and theOrnamental Growers Association of Northern Illinois in 1986 formeda plant introduction partnershipcalled Chicagoland Grows®. Thepartnership introduces new andunique varieties to the market. Itcombines the research and resourcesof the two botanical institutionswith the growing experience ofnurseries, universities and munici-palities. Once a plant has been eval-uated as superior, an internationalnetwork of 85 licensed nurseries in 22 states produces the plant forcommercial sale. To date, 10 treesand shrubs have been releasedthrough Chicagoland Grows, and 20 more are nearing introduction.

Gardening is America’s most popular leisure activity.

Breeding new plants involvespropagation techniques suchas tissue culture.

Photos along top of page, left to right:


Global Plant Collections

Garden scientistssearch the world tofind beautiful newplants for the Midwest’sdemanding climate.

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At the heart of the Chicago Botanic Garden is its collec-

tion 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.

Global Plant Collections

900,000 perennials

810,000 bulbs

103,000 ground covers

9,800 trees

Garden plant collecting expedi-tions range between the 35thand 55th parallels, where theclimate resembles that of the

Midwestern United States.

With display labels andother records, the Gardendocuments its globalplant collections.

In its 100-acre Mary MixMcDonald Woods, theGarden conducts researchon woodland restoration.

Studies in the Suzanne S.Dixon Prairie focus onnative prairie ecology.

Page 9: Clockwise, from top left:


AcquisitionThe collection is ever changing. It increases by about 100,000 speci-mens each year, obtained thoughthe market, exchange programs,gifts and expeditions. With nationaland international organizations, theGarden has sponsored collectiontrips to the Republic of Georgia,Russia, China, Korea, England,Wales, Poland, Hungary, Japan and Germany.

New acquisitions undergo an intensive evaluation to assess theirhabits. If a plant is found to beinvasive, it is destroyed. At thesame time, the Garden is committedto educating the public about

invasive species, which pose anenormous threat to the environ-ment and economy. Nearly half of the threatened or endangeredspecies listed in the EndangeredSpecies Act are at risk due to competition with non-nativespecies. Invasives, which can alterthe hydrology or soil chemistry of an ecosystem, are second only to habitat loss as a threat to U.S. plants.

DocumentationPlant records are as important tomost researchers as the plants them-selves. They provide informationabout the provenance, genetics andhealth of the collections, and arevaluable tools for education. TheGarden documents its collectionsthrough accession records, locationmapping and display labels.Accession records can provide adatabase of the source of the plants’genetic material so that interbreed-ing can be avoided. Interbreedingstresses plants, which then mayrequire synthetic, often pollution-causing, remedies.

Native HabitatsPrairies and oak woodlands once flour-ished in the Midwest, but are declining atstartling rates. Only 0.1 percent of Illinoisprairie remains. The Garden’s 100-acrewoodland and 15-acre prairie are livinglaboratories and public education sites.

In the Garden’s Mary Mix McDonaldWoods, scientists investigate the reasonsfor declining diversity in the herbaceouslayer and the effect of low light levelscaused by a dense canopy of invasivetrees. They also study insect and breedingbird populations, soil fauna and ecosys-tem function. The woods is a restorationsite, where low-intensity fires and inva-sive species removal lead to improvednatural habitat for rare native plants.

Prairie ecology is the focus of the recon-structed Suzanne S. Dixon Prairie, wheresix different prairie communities oncecommon to the region are maintained.Studies to manage the prairie focus onencouraging seed germination, deterringinvasive plants, recycling nutrients, engi-neering soils and controlled burning. Thebest management practices and discover-ies are shared with restorationists, land-scape architects and land managersaround the nation, to protect and expand biodiversity.

Invasive species cost the UnitedStates almost $125 billion per year.

Less than 0.1 percent of tallgrass prairie remains.


Aquatic Plant and Urban Lake Studies

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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 EcosystemsFreshwater 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 ero-

sion 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 ofaquatic plants and water

quality lead to healthyaquatic ecosystems

nationwide.

Aquatic Plant and Urban Lake Studies


Preventing ErosionThe Garden uses innovative methodsto restore eroded shorelines. Rolls ofbiodegradable coconut-husk fiber trapsediments and provide plants with a sheltering environment until theyform their own protective barrier.Creating shallow-water plantingshelves helps to stabilize shorelineplants. The Garden has also pio-neered the use of mesh grids to reduce shoreline erosion, improvewater quality and anchor plants.

Studying Aquatic PlantsAquatic plants are the core of a lake’s complex web of life. Plants provide habitat for fish, amphibiansand microscopic insects. They offerfood, cover and nesting material forwaterfowl and shorebirds. Research,such as a study concerning the repro-ductive cycle of the nuisance plantcurly-leaf pondweed, helps scientistsunlock the secrets to healthy aquaticecosystems. The Garden’s researchseeks ecologically sensitive ways, such as selective harvesting, to control invasive aquatic plants.

Managing WatershedsScientists agree on the importanceof a lake’s watershed, for the qualityof lake water is intricately connect-ed to the land draining into it.Management efforts that controlsources of pollution in uplandwatersheds protect downstreamlakes and streams.

Effective watershed managementbrings together government agen-cies, advocacy groups and interestedcitizens. To facilitate these partner-ships, and at the request of the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency,the Garden hosts several nationalconferences each year on waterresource science, policy and public outreach.

River RestorationThe mile-long stretch of the SkokieRiver that meanders through theGarden is typical of many urbanwaterways. It has been restored andserves as a demonstration model forriver restoration, rehabilitation andenhancement.

Like the lakes, this river corridorshowcases successful managementtechniques from streambank stabiliza-tion to vegetative bioengineering.Garden ecologists also study protocolsfor the river’s 12-acre riparian bufferof wetland and prairie habitats,intended to illustrate diverse, sustainable communities of nativeplants and animals.

With 60 acres of lakes and sixmiles of shoreline, the Garden

demonstrates innovative methodsfor preventing shoreline erosionand improving aquatic habitat.

Each year, through erosion alone, the earth losesenough fertile topsoil to cover the state of Illinois.

In Illinois alone, there are more than 2,900 lakes and84,000 ponds. Each is a complex ecosystem that can easilybe degraded. Once damage is done, it is difficult to reverse.


Plants are essential to the quality of life.A beautiful plant or landscape can inspire great art, spark the senses and ineffa-

bly 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 fore-

front 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 Gardenscientists are leaders inthe effort to save endangered plants …

to provide new understandingsthrough the scientific study ofplants …


Chicago Botanic Garden Partners in Science

to develop new plantsand discover new uses for plants …

and to strengthen the all-important connectionbetween people andplants – because withoutplants, life is not possible.

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

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


The Chicago Botanic Garden cannot do the work of conserving andstudying plants alone. You can help by learning about the importance ofplants, participating in plant conservation and supporting efforts to furtherplant science. From children with a budding interest in plant science toprofessionals pursuing the most sophisticated research, all are invited tojoin the Chicago Botanic Garden in studying and saving plants.

Chicago Botanic Garden

1000 Lake Cook Road

Glencoe, Illinois 60022

(847) 835-5440

www.chicagobotanic.org

The Chicago Botanic Garden is owned by the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.© 2002 CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN PR2393

Cover image:Chicago Botanic Garden scientists

help to save endangered plants such asEastern prairie white fringed orchid.

This publication was made possible through

support from the Helen V. Froehlich Foundation and

PotashCorp, promoting science and sound

practices for a sustainable environment.


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