2018 ASHS Annual Conference

Plants are indispensible for human survival, and the diversity of plants on our planet is an extraordinary gift bequeathed to us by 450 million years of plant evolution. However, the fundamental importance of plants remains insufficiently recognized and in the face of rapid global change the variety of plant life, both at the level of species and populations, is steadily being eroded. In this lecture I will review the diversity of plant life, its current status, the threats it faces, and ongoing patterns of change. I will also offer a personal perspective on some current attempts to conserve and use plant diversity in sustainable ways, including efforts by botanic gardens and arboreta around the world. On a planet dominated by people the future of plants is in our hands. It remains to be seen whether we have the wisdom and will for meaningful action that will secure the future for plants, and for ourselves.