Brooklyn Botanic Garden prunes it's science department

Every research/science institute dreads funding cuts as big programs can be affected. Or in the case of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the entire science department can be shut down! Apparently, this was a result of a combination of building issues (a subsiding foundation) and "increased insurance and employee-benefits expenses." What a loss for the scientific community as well as the garden.

A map of plant families

Check this out! The GIS department at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London has made an interactive map that will tell you the number and percentage of plant families and generas that occur in different parts of the world!

Did you know that Northern Europe (Denmark, Finland, The Faroe Islands, Great Britain, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Svalbard and Sweden) have 596 plant genera and 111 plant families.

It is ranked 40th in the world for genera and 44th for families.

And did you know that the Southeastern US (which oddly, Maryland is lumped into) has 1064 genera and 202 families, it is ranked 25th in the world for genera and 22nd for families.



Go have a play, you might find it interesting too!