We work at global to local scales, finding solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the natural world, including climate change, pollution, habitat loss, plant pathogens and more.
We undertake conservation assessments and prioritisation, design programs of sustainable management and nature recovery for biomes through to habitats and species, and we show how plants and fungi can improve the resilience of society and the lives of individuals.
Our research supports the documentation of global environmental change affecting genetic, species through to ecosystem diversity, enabling prioritisation of actions to minimise extinction, biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems and the services they provide. This cross-cutting activity is coordinated across RBGE Departments, and we work closely with partner institutes and among practitioners and policymakers globally.
For more information: Alex Davey (adavey@rbge.org.uk)
With focal research on the diversity of conifers and Rhododendron, RBGE coordinates the International Conifer Conservation Programme, the Global Conservation Consortium for Conifers and the Global Conservation Consortium for Rhododendron. We provide updated global Red List assessments to guide species prioritisation and conservation actions. We undertake horticultural and ecological research to support in situ conservation of threatened species, and protocols for their restoration and reintroduction.
For more information : Hannah Wilson (conifers), Alan Elliott (Rhododendron)
The Centre for Middle Eastern Plants (CMEP) works with partners across the Middle East to address knowledge gaps in plant diversity, identifying priority conservation areas and delivering programmes linking biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and livelihood benefits.
For more information: Sophie Neale
We use genetic and ecological research to identify species most in need of conservation translocations and restoration. A synthesis of science and horticultural expertise is used to build large, genetically diverse and resilient ex-situ collections which are available for restoration. We publish best practice guidance for translocations and restoration, with priority species planted into the wild to reinforce existing sites and establish new and resilient populations and habitats.
For more information: Aline Finger
Habitat loss and degradation are driving species extinction globally. Many species now exist in small and isolated populations that lack sufficient resilience to cope with environmental pressures, including climate change. Our research provides critical insight into restoration and management of threatened habitats, providing practical actions that can offset a global change threat to biodiversity.
For more information: Christopher Ellis
Land use change is a major driver of biodiversity loss and accounts for 10-15% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. An ability to monitor land use change and associated biodiversity outcomes is critical for sustainability interventions. Harnessing a combination of earth observation, modelling and field approaches our research contributes to international efforts mapping tree crops and natural forest, including the large-scale monitoring of biodiversity.
For more information: Antje Ahrends
The legacy of traditional urban planning and infrastructure is that our cities are ill-prepared to cope with the impacts of changing climate, such as extreme heat and intense rainfall. We see nature increasingly squeezed out of our urban centres, to the detriment of both our living planet and the well-being of citizens. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) offer a credible route through these crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and nature poverty. RBGE’s urban research and innovation programme contributes to a global evidence-base that is urgently optimising and mainstreaming NbS across society.
For more information: Emma Bush and Caitlyn Johnstone
RBGE's plant health and biosecurity activities reduce the risk of introduction and spread of harm-causing organisms through improved biosecurity processes, awareness raising, and training. RBGE is a trusted authority on plant health and biosecurity in the horticultural and wider environment sectors through engagement with stakeholders such as via Scotland's Plant Health Centre.
For more information: Matt Elliot
