Скачать или смотреть Peter Crane: An evolutionary and cultural biography of ginkgo

Human activity is a major threat to plant diversity.

But we also have an astounding ability to bolster the survival of plant species. One of the best examples of this potential can be found in the ginkgo tree.

Today, ginkgo is grown all over the world and is used in everything from medical treatments to urban beautification.

At the end of the last Ice Age, the tree very nearly became extinct, but then a remarkable resurgence occurred.

People living in China recognised the nutritional value of ginkgo seeds and started cultivating the tree.

Ginkgo's popularity only spread from there, in part because of the tree's ability to thrive in urban environments.

Almost everywhere ginkgo grows today is the result of human effort, providing an excellent example of how conservation through cultivation really can protect threatened plants.

P. R. Crane (2018) An evolutionary and cultural biography of ginkgo. Plants, People, Planet 1:1. doi: 10.1002/ppp3.7

Plants, People, Planet is a new Open Access journal from the New Phytologist Trust. Find out more at http://plantspeopleplanet.org and read the first issue, live on 5 December!

Image: Xiaolong Wong, Unsplash