Overview
Overview
About the Tsukuba Botanical Garden
In the Tsukuba District, there are the Tsukuba Botanical Garden (open to the public) and the Specimen Repository (not open to the public). The Tsukuba Botanical Garden collects and preserves a wide variety of living plants, and promotes research on the conservation of plant biodiversity, with a particular focus on endangered species
Based on the plants that are collected and preserved, diverse vegetation environments from Japan and around the world are recreated, allowing for experiential learning of the diversity of plant morphology and ecology through the exhibited plants.
The Tsukuba Botanical Garden spans approximately 140,000 square meters, condensing natural landscapes and plant diversity. It features outdoor plantings of species from central Japan and other regions, as well as facilities showcasing representative plants from tropical, arid, and tropical rainforest areas around the world, thoughtfully designed to provide a place of relaxation and refreshment for visitors. In particular, the Garden features an extensive collection of plants from Japan and other parts of Asia, providing an environment well suited for advanced learning and research in all areas of botany.
The Specimen Repository stores over 1.5 million specimens and is used by researchers from both Japan and abroad. Specimens are stored according to their taxonomic groups. The Vascular Plant Specimen Repository stores approximately 900,000 pressed specimens of seed plants and ferns, while the Bryophyte Specimen Repository contains around 200,000 specimens. There are about 35,000 specimens of macroalgae. Many microalgae are preserved in liquid suspension containing mixed species, and the collection includes about 4,700 specimens gathered from around the world The collection comprises approximately 210,000 specimens of fungi, 150,000 specimens of lichens, and 57,000 specimens of slime molds. To ensure proper management and promote further utilization of these plant specimens, efforts are being made to develop a database.
Department of Botany
The Department of Botany conducts research to elucidate the diversity, phylogeny, and evolution of all organisms other than animals, including plants, algae, and fungi, through molecular phylogenetics, morphology, and genetic analysis.
Among these, the Division of Plant Diversity and Conservation is primarily involved in the operation of the Tsukuba Botanical Garden.
- Division of Land Plants – [seed plants, ferns, and bryophytes]
- Division of Fungi and Algae – [algae, fungi, lichens, and slime molds]
- Division of Plant Diversity and Conservation
In addition, the Department conducts comprehensive research projects in collaboration with other research divisions, as well as focused research on specific themes.
For more details on the research conducted by the Department of Botany, please see the Research page.