Botany, why is it important to you?
I love all things Biology! Throughout my college years, I enjoyed all the degree specific courses I took while exploring the different branches of the discipline of Biology. True, I’d been draw to plants since childhood – from reveling in the bounty of my grandparent’s vegetable gardens to dividing my numerous aloe plants and propagating strawberry begonias. As a young adult, I would find myself walking by the college greenhouse or driving by farms with greenhouses wondering what it would be like to grow plants to make a living. Still, I thought my career would involve working with animals or in genetics. That is, until I took my first introduction to basic plant biology course as an undergrad. That course piqued my interest in plants and how interesting, different, and challenging they are! It was after that when a summer internship in the Botany Department of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History led to a career as a Botanist.
What is Botany?
Dewberry (Rubus flagellaris Willd.)
Botany, a branch of Biology, is the scientific study of plants. The discipline of Botany, also referred to as Plant Biology or Plant Science, includes:
Systematics
Evolution
Floral morphology and plant anatomy
Phytochemistry
The study of the properties of and uses of plants (Herbalism, for example)
Plant ecology
Ethnobotany
Plant biotechnology
Interestingly, hundreds of new vascular plant species are still being described and named every year! According to the 2020 State of the World’s Plants and Fungi published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, an estimated 350,000 plant species have been identified and documented and the number continues to grow.
Throwback to my pre-pandemic fieldwork days - me in a swamp forest. Photo credit: G. Hydinger
My work involved the study of local flora and the natural ecosystems in which they grow. It was eye-opening. Outdoorsy since childhood, I’d spent countless hours in woodlands and natural areas. After I began learning my local flora and ecosystems, I was so much more aware of what I was seeing around me. For example, knowing the plants around me, I cannot help but identify them as I’m mowing my lawn. If I happen to see a wild plant I particularly like, I’ll often mow around it or the patch of plants to allow them to finish their lifecycle. I’m not sure how thrilled my neighbors are with my antics, but I’m confident the insects and animals who visit my yard appreciate it! Similarly, a simply walk in the park has never been the same for me. Instead, I find myself identifying the plants, mentally sorting out what ones naturally belong there, which plants wouldn’t have naturally grown there, and assessing the overall health of the habitat. I can’t help myself, and I often wonder what I was seeing prior to my introduction to local ecosystems.
If you, too, fall in love with your local flora, it will likely change your view of the world around you. Oh, and incidentally, I’ve learned that the tendency to overlook plants in your surroundings is termed “plant blindness.” Read this interesting article “Overcoming plant blindness in science, education, and society” published in 2019 by the New Phytologist Foundation if you’d like to learn more.
One of the Oldest Sciences
Unsurprisingly, the study of plants is one of the oldest sciences. Afterall, human existence is dependent on the plant kingdom for food, fuel, shelter, medicines, fiber, and aesthetics, among other things. The founding of the discipline of Botany can be traced back to the 4th century B.C.E and is attributed to the Greek philosopher Theophrastus. (Britannica article accessed February 20, 2023)
The study of Botany had historically included other organisms that were plant-like, or not animal-like, such as the study of fungi (mycology), bacteria and viruses (microbiology), and algae (phycology). These groups have since been moved out of the Plantae Kingdom classification into different Kingdoms.
Is Botany Still Important today?
We all know from our high school science classes that plants are fundamentally important to life on Earth. Plants form the basis of ecosystem and are the primary producers through which energy is passed to other organisms. Plus, they generate the oxygen we breathe while absorbing and sequestering CO2. The study of Botany is relevant to many other areas, such as:
1. Botany plays an important role in our food source/supply chain:
a. Food security and feeding the world – Researchers in crop sciences are studying plants to develop high yielding crops that can be grown efficiently, need fewer resources, and have a minimal impact on the environment.
b. Crop physiologists provide basic scientific knowledge of plant processes for use in food production. Being aware of how plants grow in response to changing environments will help us to better prepare to continue to grow food crops and meet food needs as our global climate continues to change, for example.
c. By studying plants roles in soil conservation, we can utilize this knowledge to build healthier soils, to improve crop production, and to increase the nutritional value of food crops.
2. Botanical experiments using plants have furthered knowledge of life processes. This is useful because it:
a. Helps us to learn how plants may respond to changes in our atmosphere due to climate change. This knowledge can help us to prepare for future changes to our local climates and ecosystems.
b. Helps to determine how plants may be utilized to mitigate climate change.
c. Helps with ecological conservation and restoration efforts. For example, in phytoremediation, some species of plants have been used in soil remediation efforts for their ability to remove or reduce toxins from contaminated soils.
3. Field Botanists, Arborists, Foresters, Naturalists – care for plants and their communities.
4. Medicinal Botany. Most of us in our modern societies seem to be removed from traditional medicinal uses of plants, but plants have been used by humans to cure illness since ancient times. Researchers continue to study plants in our modern times to find new uses, such as the development of life-saving medicines.
During my time at the museum, as overseer of the Herbarium, I would have to lead tours and talk about the work we did in the Botany Department. As an introvert this was not a natural comfort zone for me, but I would soon overcome that anxiety as I witnessed our visitor’s enthusiasm and interest in our botanical work. While I no longer work in the Herbarium, my passion for plants still flourishes. I have always enjoyed sharing with others this topic that is special to me and that’s one inspiration for this blog – my hope is to ignite a spark in you and see where that interest takes you. If you would like to learn more on the topic of Botany, I’ve included a few resources below.
Resources
1. Pelczar, M.J., Steere, W.C. & Pelczar, R.M. Botany. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/botany . Accessed February 20, 2023.
2. New World Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Botany. https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Botany . Accessed February 21, 2023.
3. Jose, S.B., Wu, C., Kamoun, S. (2019). Overcoming plant blindness in science, education, and society. New Phytologist Foundation. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ppp3.51 . Accessed February 25, 2023.
4. University of Leeds. (2022). Education system ‘neglecting the importance of plants.’ Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/07/220711095139.htm . Accessed February 13, 2023.
5. Antonelli, A., Fry, C., Smith, R.J., Simmonds, M.S.J., Kersey, P.J., Pritchard, H.W., et al. (2020). State of the World’s Plant and Fungi 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet https://www.kew.org/sites/default/files/2020-09/Kew%20State%20of%20the%20Worlds%20Plants%20and%20Fungi.pdf Accessed on March 3, 2023.
6. Trelease, W. (1924). The Relation of Botany to Agriculture. Science. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.60.1544.89Accessed February 13, 2023.
7. American Journal of Botany. (2014, October 14). Building a bridge from basic botany to applied agriculture. Science Daily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141014152639.htm . Accessed February 13, 2023.
8. Uno, G. (n.d.). What can I do with a major in Botany? University of Oklahoma. https://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/wcidwmib.html . Accessed February 16, 2023.
9. Botanical Society of America. (n.d.). Botany and Society. https://botany.org/home/careers-jobs/careers-in-botany/botany-and-society.html. Accessed February 16, 2023.
10. Lamb, E. (n.d.). Basic Botany. Florida Master Gardener. https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/media/sfylifasufledu/wakulla/images/master-gardeners/Botany-101.pdf . Accessed February 20, 2023.
Note: Unless otherwise noted in the image caption, all images were taken by me.
