Also called the 'corpse flower', it is native to western Sumatra, Indonesia
In the heart of Geelong Botanic Gardens, a rare and extraordinary event has captured the attention of thousands: blooming of corpse flower or Amorphophallus titanum. This flower looks like a giant bloom and smells like a decomposing body and people come from different parts to see this beauty of nature.
The Titan Arum
The corpse flower or titan arum is a plant that originally grows in the lowland tropical rainforests of Sumatra Island-Indonesia. It is large and is recognised by its foul smell it uses to lure pollinators including flies and carrion beetles. The plant’s spadix, which can be up to three meters high, has an unpleasant odour that can spread several meters away. This smell may be described to be as that of a dead animal’s carcass, that is actually a survival mechanism to attract insects that would normally feed on carrion.
A Once-in-a-Decade Event
Another interesting feature about this plant is that it blooms very rarely or instead, blooms with great rarity. It can take up to thirty years for the plant to grow its first inflorescence and these blooms only after five to ten years. Even just the bloom, they found out that this only continues for twenty-four to forty-eight hours at most making it a wonderful rarity. The Geelong Botanic Gardens obtained this particular specimen from the Adelaide State Herbarium with the specimen flowering in February 2021 and horticulturists have been waiting to track the flowering.
The Science behind the Stench
The smell of a corpse flower is due to a mixture of emitted chemicals such as chemical found in cooked onions, rotting fish, mothballs, and even garlic. The plant produces heat, increases its temperature to about 32 degree C, so it resembles a rotting corpse to attract even more pollinators. It is such a clever adaptation technique that it would ensure the reproductive ability of the plant in its natural environment.
Conservation
The titan arum is described as endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Its natural habitat is Sumatra, which is under heavy pressure from habitat degradation and loss, most of the forests in Sumatra are reduce to timber, paper or oil palm production. Conservation efforts are crucial to protect this unique species, and botanical gardens around the world, including Geelong, play a vital role in its preservation.
Geelong Botanic Gardens: A Sanctuary of Natural Beauty
The Geelong Botanic Gardens is a beautiful horticultural facility located right at the center of Geelong, Victoria. These gardens have grown in Australia since 1851 and the gardens are famous for their plant collections, historic importance and education gardens. They are spectacular and remain one of the most appreciated places where people too, offering them the possibility to relax and value more the Earth’s creations.
A Historical Overview
Geelong Botanic Garden were established during a time when botanic gardens were being developed throughout the country specifically for the purpose of identifying suitable climatic conditions for growing plants for agriculture and ornamentations. Some of the gardens have undergone transformations through growing practice both in horticulture and landscape architecture.
Plant Collections and Features
The Geelong Botanic Gardens have an almost encyclopaedic collection of plants that serves to illustrate the different taxonomic groups. Some key features include:
- The 21st Century Garden: This modern concept of a garden is the hope of what modern gardening can be when we take time to cultivate a new way of planting. It comprises native plants for the region, water conserving plants and plants that are acclimatized to the Australian climates; It employs the latest technology in landscaping.
- Heritage Trees: Many heritage trees can be found in the gardens which are as old as the 19th century. These are beautiful trees, which offer shelter and history; an important aspect to most communities. Some of the examples involve Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwillii) and Moreton Bay Fig (Ficus macrophylla).
- Perennial Border: One of the favoured features of the visitors, the perennials along the border is planted to bloom at different times in a year. This place is well manicured in order to be attractive and filled with colour all year round.
- Conservatory: The conservatory houses a collection of tropical and subtropical plants, offering a lush, green retreat even in the colder months. It includes orchids, ferns, and other exotic species that thrive in controlled environments.
- Rose Garden: the presence of the rose garden makes is more beautiful and adorable for the visitors. It contains both contemporary and traditional roses, and is a delight to the touch as well as the eyes.
Education and community engagement
Geelong Botanic Gardens serve as decorative features in the specified sites they are also education and leisure activities hubs. Gardens have organized several programs and displays intended at educating and entertaining the public on nature. These include:
- Guided Tours: It is staffed with well-informed tour guides who offer historical facts about the garden, and details about plants that are grown here, and the work that goes into the conservation of the gardens.
- Workshops and Lectures: The gardens offer courses and presentations of issues related to the gardens, for example; horticultural practices, plant reproduction and protection of species.
- School Programs: The programs developed specifically for school children groups will enhance fascination with nature and awareness of biological systems among younger generation of learners.
Conservation and sustainability
One of the significant objectives of Geelong Botanic Gardens is Plant conservation and Sustainable practices. They are involved in seed banking and botanical studies and conservation involving endangered species and genetic base. The latter is actually identified as being the ‘new’ twenty first Century Garden specifically for sustainable landscaping and water wise gardening.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
The IUCN Red List of threatened species is among the most popular and valuable resources regarding the conservation status of plants and animals worldwide. The Red List was first launched in 1964 and has since then been used by scientists, policymakers and conservationists from all parts of the world to provide quantitative estimates of the extinction risk of species. This vast source proves to be very influential in directing the efforts of the conservation and informing people on the current condition of the biological diversity.
The IUCN Red List splits species into categories of risk based on how close they are to extinction and this is based on factors like population size, distribution, known trends in decline, and vulnerability to human induced change. The categories are as follows:
The role of Red List in conservation
The IUCN Red List serves several key functions in the realm of conservation:
- Assessment and Monitoring: This provides specific knowledge of the status and trend of species so that Red List helps scientist to update changes of biodiversity. This assists in determination of species most threatened hence requiring increased protection.
- Policy and Legislation: The list is used by national and international policy makers in formulation of laws aimed at conservation of the species and their habitats. For example, it is employed by governments to meet their commitments in regard to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
- Resource Allocation: Funding agencies and conservation non-governmental organizations consider the Red List for directing resources, where scarce conservation dollars can target the species and areas most at risk.
- Public Awareness and Education: The Red List also makes people informed regarding the matters of Biodiversity and the things that challenge it. It assist in bringing awareness and support for proper support for species threatened existence and participate in advocating for proper conservation measures to improve the environment.
Challenges concerning biodiversity brought into focus by the Red list
The IUCN Red List captures many threats that play a part in making species endangered globally. Significant threats:
- Habitat Loss and Degradation: Habitat fragmentation resulting from such activities as conversion of land for human settlement, agriculture, logging, and construction of roads and rail are the major drivers of species loss.
- Climate Change: The effects of environmental fluctuations such as high temperatures, shifted rainfall pattern and storms represent grave threats to many species especially those that depend of a certain ecological status.
- Overexploitation: This is due to over hunting, fishing and over exploitation of plants and animals for food, medicine and trade.
- Pollution: Pollutants including pesticides, industrial effluents, plastics, and oil and grease cause the adverse impact on wildlife and ecosystems.
- Invasive Species: The transport and release of non-native forms can upset the balance within ecosystems, cause native species to quickly lose their niche and decline or be wiped out by diseases and parasites.
The results provided by the IUCN Red List indicate that the problems of species protection are critical and acute at the same time, but at the same time, it demonstrates successful cases when joint efforts have contributed to species’ rehabilitation. For instance, the case with Arabian oryx and the improvement in the well-being of the Iberian lynx are one of the clearest examples of positive effects of implemented conservation measures. However, many problems persist and the major difficulties to be still faced. Now, global societies need powerful and efficient conservation methods, more funds, and international cooperation.