Research
Research activities of the CCS are local, regional, and international, with six core projects and more than 30 affiliated projects.
Core Projects
Core projects are central to the mission of the CSS, they and are led by CCS staff, and they address either specific issues of conservation concern or broad ongoing research activities.
New York City EcoFlora
The New York City metropolitan area, while densely populated and highly urbanized, is also home to a significant diversity of plants, animals, fungi, and habitats, which are under increasing threat by development and a changing climate. Data about this biodiversity are scattered across natural history collections, publications, and institutions.
Flora of Central Park
The New York Botanical Garden is collaborating with the Central Park Conservancy and the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to document the wild flora of Central Park.
NYBG Invasive Species of New York City Working Group
Confronting one of the more serious conservation challenges in New York City, this group focuses on emerging invasive plant species. The group meets monthly, addresses selected topics, and issues published reports. The goal is to raise awareness among the public and regulatory agencies that are concerned with detection and eradication of invasive species.
Strategy for Conserving Ash Trees in the Northeast: Collection, Analysis, and Outreach
NYBG scientists, working as part of a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional team, are investigating the genetic diversity of ash trees as part of an effort to protect North American ash trees from the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). The project’s goal is to elucidate the relationships of ash species and study patterns of susceptibility to EAB.
Conservation Assessments of Plants of the Americas
The lack of a comprehensive list of the world’s threatened plant species is one of the greatest impediments to strategically protecting the world’s flora, and fewer than five percent of the world’s plant species have had their global conservation status assessed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Forum for Conservation Action
The Forum for Conservation Action provides a mechanism for NYBG scientists and collaborators to share information, cross-fertilize thinking, assess opportunities, optimize responses, and catalyze action. The Forum holds workshops and produces written reports for conservation practitioners and policymakers.
Research Projects
Affiliated Research Projects of the Center for Conservation Strategy are NYBG research projects that have conservation of plants or fungi as integral components and that support one or more of goals and targets of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation.
