December 21, 2024

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(Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute)

A global gathering of botanical experts convened Wednesday at the National Arboretum in Sejong, South Korea, to address the pressing issue of plant biodiversity conservation in an era of climate change. The international symposium, jointly hosted by the Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute (KoAGI), Korea Forest Service and Korea National Arboretum, brought together 100 leading specialists from across the globe to hash out collaborative strategies for protecting the planet's flora.

Dr. Paul Smith, secretary general of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, kicked off the event with a keynote address. "Our organization’s Global Tree Assessment paints a stark picture," he said, referring to the world's most comprehensive evaluation of plants on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list led by BGCI.

"A third of the world's plant species are on the brink of extinction, with 2,800 classified as critically endangered." Dr. Smith underscored the critical role of botanical facilities and seed banks, which collectively house over 18,000 species, in stemming this tide, singling out the KoAGI-managed Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault as a key player in the fight against plant extinction.

Building on this theme, Dr. Kim Joo-hwan, director of Korean Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, emphasized the pivotal role of gardens and arboreta in ecosystem protection. "We need to double down on our efforts through global seed vaults," Dr. Kim said. "These facilities, along with gardens and arboreta in local communities, are the centerpiece of our strategy to safeguard plant biodiversity."

The symposium then shifted gears to explore specific avenues for international cooperation in conference sessions. Chang Kae-sun, a researcher at Korea National Arboretum, provided an overview of cross-border initiatives in Asia. Dr. Amy Bryne of Morton Arboretum in Illinois delved into the concept of botanic garden "metacollections" -- resources held by multiple institutions but managed collaboratively for research and conservation. Dr. Davit Kharazishvili, Deputy Director of Vatumi Botanical Garden in Georgia, rounded out the session with insights on plant diversity efforts in West Asia.

As the session progressed, attention turned to concrete measures for combating the effects of climate change on plant life. Dr. Na Chae-sun, wild plant seed conservation coordinator at KoAGI, outlined ongoing projects focused on Korea's Crop Wild Relatives -- native plants with high global conservation value. Dr. Ting-shuang Yi, research director of Kunming Institute of Botany, shared updates from his institution, while Dr. Fiona Hay, senior researcher at Aarhus University in Denmark, presented the latest research on gene banks led by the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research.

A panel discussion on collaborative seed vault efforts against climate change capped off the presentations. Dr. Kang Shin-gu, a director at KoAGI, addressed the challenges ahead. "We need to step up our efforts to preserve globally threatened plant species," he said. "It's urgent that we start working closely with countries that have higher biodiversity, leveraging networks between BGCI members."

The symposium was not just talk, though. In a show of international solidarity, several institutions put their money where their mouth is by donating wildplant seeds to the Baekdudaegan vault. Kongju National University and Chollipo Arboretum, both from South Korea's South Chungcheong Province, contributed seeds from 65 and 45 wildplant specimens, respectively. Georgia's Vatumi Botanical Garden chipped in with seeds from 14 local plant species, adding to the vault's growing global collection.

As the day drew to a close, the message was clear: The clock is ticking for the world's plants, and only through concerted global action can we hope to preserve the planet’s botanical heritage for future generations. Wednesday’s event reaffirmed cautious optimism that, with global initiatives like the Baekdudaegan seed vault leading the charge, the world can collectively rise to meet this monumental challenge.

By Moon Ki-hoon (mjh@heraldcorp.com), Lee Kwon-hyung (kwonhl@heraldcorp.com)

The official logo of Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute (Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute)