Naslov
A review of the Lokrum Botanical Garden development

Autori
Dolina, Katija

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Book of Abstracts of the 39th Meeting of the Eastern Alpine and Dinaric Society for Vegetation Ecology (EADSVE) / Jasprica, Nenad ; Škvorc, Željko ; Krstonošić, Daniel - Dubrovnik : Sveučilište u Dubrovniku, 2022, 14-14

ISBN
978-953-7153-62-5

Skup
39th meeting of the Eastern Alpine and Dinaric Society for Vegetation Ecology

Mjesto i datum
Dubrovnik, Hrvatska, 04.05.2022. - 07.05.2022

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Croatia ; botanical collections ; non-native plants ; restoration project ; sustainable tourism

Sažetak
The island of Lokrum, with surface area of 72 ha is a special reserve of forest vegetation, statutorily protected since 1948. The introduction of non-native plant species to the island began with the Benedictines in the 11th century. The diversity and abundance of the islands exotic flora was enriched by Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Habsburg, who started a planned cultivation of exotic plants, and the Dubrovnik seamen, who brought unusual plants from their voyages to far-away lands. The National Academy of Science and Art continued this tradition with the establishment of a Botanical Garden within the institutional frame of the Biological Institute in 1959. The purpose of the garden was to investigate the introduction and adaptation of tropical and sub-tropical plant species to our region’s typically Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Special attention was given to introducing species of importance to forestry, horticulture, and pharmaceutical use. These plants, mostly of Australian and American origin, were obtained as seeds through an active exchange program with botanical gardens from around the world. In 1991-1992, during Croatia’s War of Independence, the garden suffered more than 50 direct artillery hits that damaged many of its plants and destroyed much of its infrastructure. One particular casualty was the library’s collection of botanical treatises and research files, a large portion of which was lost in a fire sparked by one of these attacks. Restoration of the garden and its facilities began in earnest in 1993 and is still ongoing. Until now, the Lokrum Botanical Garden continuous to be an active part of the Institute for Marine and Coastal Research of the University of Dubrovnik. It covers an area of 3.3 ha, of which the exhibition section encompasses 1.6 ha with more than 450 plant species, mostly trees and shrubs. The most common plant family in the garden is the myrtle (Myrtaceae), counting over a hundred species. In addition to its botanical research mission, the Garden plays an important role in education and tourism considering that it attracts a large number of tourists and fans of nature each year.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Biologija

POVEZANOST RADA