RESEARCH TOPICS [back to main page]

Research Topics:

The research of the garden and centre is focused on the broad studies on plants diversity conservation, evaluation and utilisation and includes for example:

1. Monitoring and conservation of Polish flora diversity In Poland there are 418 plant species of vascular plants listed as endangered. In the last edition of Polish Red Data Book of Plants (2001) 296 species were described. The new law act from 2001 protects fully 228 and partly 42 species of vascular plants and 43 species of lower plants (mosses, fungi and lichenes). The main goal of botanical garden is to study the biology and distribution of endangered plants, to collect them from natural localities and protect them in the garden collections in so called ex situ conditions. Endangered plants of Polish flora are preserved as garden collection in semi-natural habitat or in seed bank. Botanical Garden has a modern gene bank for long-term storage in cryogenic conditions (in liquid nitrogen) of seeds, spores and tissues. Thanks to the research studies 251 species of Polish vascular plants were collected. Some of them were listed as extinct in the wild, for example the Polish endemic plant Cochlearia polonica (Brassicaceae) extinct on a single primary locality, but saved in botanical garden collection and in seed bank. Some studies also include reintroduction of threatened plants into natural localities, for example 3 mountainous rare plants: Astragalus penduliflorus, Pulsatilla slavica and Dryopteris villari.
2. Natural flora of Warsaw and synantropic flora of Polish botanical gardens For example 111 species of vascular plants were found on the roofs of the Palace of Culture and Sciences - the tallest building in Warsaw. Many species of alien origin were described in the Polish botanical gardens, like Sedum hispanicum or Euphorbia macaluta. Totally 1042 species of synantropic plants were noted in 8 botanical gardens.
3. The resources of natural and ornamental plant in country home gardens In eastern and south-eastern Poland still the local and traditional plants are cultivated in country home gardens. Among 255 taxa of ornamental plants grown there 83 could be treated as old, local landraces.
4. Diversity analysis and biosystematics of wild and cultivated plants with the use of molecular markers The studies includes population genetics of endangered plants as in situ and ex situ populations, for example Cochlearia polonica and Corydalis pumila analysed by means of several molecular markers, especially RAPD and AFLP markers. DNA markers are applied also for the studies on systematics of Secale L. and Malus L. species and cultivars.
5. Collecting, preservation and evaluation of the germplasm of selected crop plants Botanical Garden has collected several agricultural and horticultural genetic resources, however the main studies were devoted to rye (Secale L. spp.) and apple trees (Malus L. spp.). The collection of the genus Secale is one the biggest in the world and comprises 2.151 taxa represented by wild Secale species, local landraces, primitive and cultivated forms of winter or spring rye. The Secale collections of the garden was developed in close cooperation with the research units of Agricultural Research Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, especially with the National Seed Storage Laboratory in Ft. Collins, Colorado and the National Small Grain Collection in Aberdeen, Idaho. Many valuable seed samples were collected during expeditions to Turkey, Pakistan and Transcaucasia. The whole Secale collection was multiplied and evaluated in field conditions and the data were listed in the USDA database for plant genetic resources GRIN. Seeds are stored in three places in cold storage: in Warsaw (-30oC) and in Aberdeen (-20oC) and in liquid nitrogen tanks (ca. -160oC) in Ft. Collins. Rye seeds after long-term preservation in gene bank were used for the studies on the effects of natural ageing on genetic structure of populations by means of isozymes, storage proteins and DNA markers (RAPD and AFLP). Rye collection is also widely used as a source of the genes valuable for the breeding of new cultivars, especially dwarf and hybrid cultivars. The genetic mapping of dwarfness genes and cytoplasmic male sterility genes was done by AFLP markers. The second important collection of economic germplasm is genus Malus L. represented by 48 wild species and 261 old cultivars of apple trees (cultivated before 1930). The oldest cultivars originated from 17th century. 204 apple cultivars were identified, evaluated and listed in special catalogue in internet. Also Malus collection is used for biosystematic studies by means of molecular markers. The apple trees are planted in the garden orchard, however the preliminary studies were done on the cryopreservation of the buds. Several studies were also carried on watermelon genetics and breeding and on the evaluation of some ornamental plants collections, especially on irises, roses and perennials.
6. Manipulation of plant organism by the use of biotechnological techniques
   These studies include:
   • somatic embryogenesis of dicotyledonous plants, for example lupines and gentians, including suspension cultures.
   • genetic transformations of cereals and legumes (rye, wheat, lupines) by mean of Agrobacterium plazmid technique, electroporation and DNA gun.
   • micropropagation of ornamental plants with the special emphasis to tree ferns. The in vitro sporophytes and gametophytes were obtained from single spores.
   • cryopreservation of tissues of vegetativelly propagated ornamentals for example Leucoium, Gentiana.
7. The use of plants for environment pollution studies These studies include the observation on the growth and development of trees in urban and industrial habitats. The accumulation of chemical pollutants like sulphur dioxide, nitrate oxides, metals (including Pb, Cd, Chr, Hg, As), ozone is analysed in the leaves and is related to the wood anatomy. Since 1973 the observations on the growth and development of trees planted along the main streets in the downtown of Warsaw were done and it was noted, that 45 % of trees have died because of injures caused by air and soil pollution. The second part of these studies aims on the use of plants for the bioindication of air and soil pollution. For example Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) was used to produce the maps of the distribution of pollution by SO2 and metals in whole territory of Poland. The moss-bag method based on the accumulation of heavy metals in peatbog moss Sphagnum recurvum was applied for drawing the precise local pollution maps in different areas of Warsaw City.
8. Functional and developmental plant anatomy These studies are devoted mainly to morphogenesis of phloem system in woody and herbaceous plants and to cambium formation and differentiation of some trees and shrubs. A new model of multilevel cambium rearrangement in the early stages of development was described.

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