Los Visionarios – Articles and Publications

An International Center for the Conservation of the Earth's Rare and Endangered Flora and Fauna and Crop Genetic Resources

INTRODUCTION

Ecuador is at the center of the richest botanical diversity on the planet and is adaptable to the culture of almost any of the world's flora, yet there is no botanical garden of major importance located in Ecuador. As a model biosphere of the earth and world center of diversity, located on the equator, at the geographic center of the planet, Ecuador is ideally situated for a world class botanical garden, representing the diversity of our planet, and an international site of learning about life.

As the whole world now focuses intently upon the destruction of the environment, and efforts to regreen the earth and conserve our biological heritage, Ecuador, with its unique diversity of climate, topography, soils, and natural biological diversity, offers the opportunity for the establishment of an important new international center for the conservation of the earth's living resources. The World Peace Garden will provide a center of interest for citizens of the whole world for this and future generations to come. It is a gift to all people of all nations for a wholesome future. The World Peace Garden is a legacy of life for future generations. It is a devotion to the growth of Peace on Earth.

AN INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR THE CONSERVATION OF SPECIES

Botanical and zoological parks and gardens can be established in Ecuador, in a multitude of climates, from tropical to frigid, and from desert to pluvial, for the conservation of species and crop genetic resources from around the world, especially from the highland and lowland tropics and subtropics. To demonstrate the fundamental principals of ecology, a diversity of gardens may be established in each of Ecuador's 30 climatic zones, modeling the ecologies of each parallel bioregion of the earth, that shares similar climatic features, with education and demonstration centers, exhibiting each bioregions appropriate indigenous technologies, and useful native craft plants, industrial crops, timber species, food plants, and medicinal crops.

A WORLD CLASS GARDEN OF THE WORLD MODELED ON THE 35 FLORISTIC REGIONS OF THE WORLD AND THE 12 WORLD CENTERS OF DIVERSITY FOR OUR FOOD AND ECONOMIC CROPS

Thirty-five floristic regions have been distinguished on the planet, each region

having high amounts of species and generic endemism, and sometimes endemic taxa of higher rank up to families and orders. These regions have been subdivided into 153 provinces with species and generic endemism, but of a lower frequency. These may be further divided into districts and subdistricts. The distinguishing feature of floristic regions is the presence of endemic taxa found no where else in the world.

Most of our food and economic crops derive from 12 major regions on the planet, called centers of diversity. These centers of diversity are located mainly in the tropics and subtropics, and generally in mountainous regions. The Andean region of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia is one of these centers of crop diversity. These centers of diversity show where a crop species originated, or where it has a long history of cultivation and use. This information is relevant to crop breeders and conservationist, because it indicates areas where the highest diversity of genetic material for that crop may be located for plant breeding purposes, and also indicates regions where many important new crops used only by native people may be found.

The floristic regions of the world and centers of crop diversity are genetic maps of great importance, that become the theoretical basis for the conservation of the earth's plant species and crop genetic resources.

Botanical gardens should arrange plants in a way to demonstrate the fundamental principles of ecology and the dependence of man on plants. The 35 floristic regions of the world, and 12 world centers of diversity for our food and economic crops, offers the basis for two highly educational planting arrangements in a botanical garden, and a blueprint for the design of a world class Garden of the World and true Model Biosphere of The Earth.

"In [mountainous] tropical regions, to ascend from the low lands to the perpetual snows you cross, in an abbreviated form, a series of biological conditions equivalent to a trip from the equator, at sea level, to one of the poles 1." As climate varies by altitude a world class botanical garden, modeled on the floristic regions of the world and 12 world centers of diversity for our food and economic crops, may be designed and incorporated into a mountain valley in Ecuador, for the collection of tropic, subtropic, and temperate climate specimens from around the world. As you ascend from the valley floor you move from tropical gardens to subtropical gardens. At around 6000 feet (1830 m) you enter temperate flora, and at about 10,000 feet (3050 m) you reach cool-temperate flora.

THE WORLD PEACE GARDEN: A SYMBOL OF UNITY AND DIVERSITY

In Ecuador's diverse climate, cultures from every country, and from every floristic region of the world, can come together in an international spirit of cooperation and ethnic pride, to build a Garden of the World, and a symbol of unity and diversity.

Scientists, students, conservation organizations, religious organizations, and citizens world wide can build Peace Gardens, representing their religious traditions, together with their contribution to the cultural and biological heritage of humanity: their flora and fauna, ethnic food crops, medicinal plants, ornamentals, craft plants, and industrial crops; their agriculture, architecture, and garden styles; their arts and crafts; and their environmentally sound science and technology.

In each garden, representing different areas of the world, restaurants, ethnic food markets, craft shops, cultural shows, and environmental exhibits may be established for tourist, reflecting the distinctive nature of these diverse regions of our planet.

WHY THE WORLD PEACE GARDEN IS NECESSARY

The World Peace Garden should be a place where people can learn the importance of our biological heritage and crop genetic resources to the survival and development of human society and culture. The World Peace Garden can educate people about the many environmental concerns confronting humanity as well as demonstrate solutions to these problems.

Ten percent of the world's flora is listed as endangered. At least 25,000 species are presently in need of protection. More than 60,000 species, one-fourth of the world's total, risk extinction in our lifetime. In the tropics a third of all species will possibly be extinct by the end of this century. Scientists have analyzed in detail only 5,000 plant species. Species of unknown value must be saved from extinction. Conservation in gene banks, nature preserves and botanical gardens is the only chance of survival for many of these species.

"The age of truly wild animals is nearly over. Unprecedented numbers of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians are becoming extinct. Nearly 900 species and subspecies of animals are severely threatened; hundreds more require the protection of humans if they are to survive."

"Plants are our prime life support system, having fed the world and cured its ills since time began. Loss in biological diversity due to shrinking of plant gene pools is one of the most pressing threats to human welfare."

Plant breeders have generated billions of dollars by breeding genes from nature into modern crop plants that produce prodigious increases in yields. In the U.S. alone germplasm is credited for $1 billion annually in increased crop productivity. The germplasm used by plant breeders is responsible for half, in some cases considerably more, of the impressive increases in crop yields. For millions of people these increased yields have meant the difference between survival and starvation.

Farmers world-wide have replaced native varieties with the new high yielding cultivars. Wild relatives of our crops are being lost to environmental degradation in their natural habitats. These primitive land races and wild relatives that are being lost contain the genes that make the plant breeders efforts so successful.

Agriculture sustains human society and culture. Agriculture must meet the needs of a growing population. To keep agriculture healthy and dynamic, farmers everywhere need plenty of options. A broad based germplasm inventory is necessary to increase yields and adapt crops to pest, disease, future climate changes, and many other adverse environmental conditions.

Without agricultural development there can be no peace, no freedom, and no human development. The conservation of living resources is the basis for sustainable development. Our biological heritage and crop genetic resources are undoubtedly the most valuable natural resources available to us for building peace and prosperity for humanity.