Exhibition of Endangered Plants Traveling to 7 Japanese Cities

A special display entitled the "Endangered Plants Exhibition" is traveling to seven locations in Japan, from April through November 2005. The exhibition is co-sponsored by Japan's Ministry of the Environment (MOE), the Japan Association of Botanical Gardens, and the Botanic Gardens Conservation International, and will visit Osaka, Okinawa, Tokyo, Niigata, Fukuoka, Hiroshima and Miyagi.

Some experts predict that more than half of all existing plants on Earth may disappear by the yaer 2100. Although Japan is rich in flora relative to its size, 1,665 species, or a quarter of the total, are on the verge of extinction, according to an MOE survey. Major causes include land developments, excessive plant collecting and harvesting, and environmental changes in woodlands that have been poorly managed in recent years.

The exhibition aims to get people to ask what must be done for the future of plants and people, and to raise public awareness of the issue.

The Japan Association of Botanical Gardens works to conserve wild plants by conducting surveys of their conditions and drawing up preservation plans. It also helps to preserve endangered plants that have been seized after being imported illegally. Japanese botanical gardens not only protect and grow wild plants native to Japan but also work internationally in cooperation with the Japanese government and other organizations to preserve plant life on Earth and to support botanical gardens in other countries.



Posted: 2005/06/16 11:53:34 PM
Japanese version