Although extinction and the emergence of species is a natural part of evolution, we are currently seeing an accelerated extinction of species that occurs as a result of human activity. Plants are endangered for several reasons. The most important ones include:
- Changing environmental conditions and reducing the areas where these plants are able to grow and thrive.
- Plants of a decorative appearance, medicinal and useful plants, may also be endangered by excessive harvesting in the localities of their natural occurrence.
Endangered or vulnerable plant species are protected pursuant to applicable legislation, especially the National Council of the Slovak Republic Law Act No. 543/2002 Coll. on Nature and Landscape Protection, as amended. The regulation of commercial activities with wildlife plants is regulated by the international CITES conventions on the protection of species of wildlife animals and plants by regulating trade in them, transformed into the National Council of the Slovak Republic Law Act No. 15/2005 Coll. as amended.
There are plants protected by both of these law acts in the collections of this Botanic Garden. Pursuant to the National Council of the Slovak Republic Law Act No. 543/2002 Coll., mainly plants with original occurrence in Slovakia are protected. In our collections you will find e.g. Pulsatilla slavica Reuss, Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Tod., Trollius altissimus Crantz, Nymphaea alba L., etc. Pursuant to the National Council of the Slovak Republic Law Act No. 15/2005 Coll., specifically protected are plants endangered by commercial activities; in our collections they are mainly exotic plants, e.g. a whole extensive collection of cacti (Cactaceae).
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| Pulsatilla slavica | Matteuccia struthiopteris | Trollius altissimus |
