Celebrating the Flora of Japan

Japan’s landscapes are as diverse as they are beautiful – from Hokkaido’s alpine meadows to the subtropical forests of Okinawa. This variety of habitats supports an extraordinary range of plants, with a quarter found nowhere else on Earth.

In this talk, Ben Jones, Arboretum Curator at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum, shared stories and discoveries from over a decade of botanical fieldwork in Japan. Working with Japanese universities and botanic gardens, he has explored remote mountains and ancient forests to study rare and endangered plants.

The lecture introduced remarkable species such as Betula chichibuensis and Picea koyamae – some of the world’s trees found only in one small part of Honshu – and revealed how seeds, knowledge and expertise are being shared between Japan and the UK to help safeguard these plants for the future.

Blending science, conservation and cultural heritage, this presentation celebrated Japan’s unique plant life and highlights why protecting it matters for both nature and people, at home and around the world.

 

The recording video of this talk can be viewed here:

About the contributor