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About us

 

Address: Kairėnų g. 43, LT-10239 Vilnius, Lithuania

Phone: +37052193133

Information: +37052193139

E-mail: hbu@bs.vu.lt

Web page: http://www.botanikos-sodas.vu.lt

Director: Dr. Audrius Skridaila

Area: 198.85

Mission

- Accumulation and preservation of plant collections, research and gaining of knowledge of plant kingdom, participation in the implementation of study programs preparing high qualified professionals, conservation of biodiversity.
- Environmental, educational, cultural, recreational activities meeting needs of the general public,
- Dissemination of information for improving the image of the Garden, of the VU and of the country.

Vision

VU Botanical Garden is an important multifunctional Centre for a society that is inseparably integrated into the structure of Vilnius University, actively contributes to the University's strategic goals and objectives. At the same time, the Garden is one of the most open departments’ of the University, the representative botanical garden of Lithuania. The Garden develops various activities relevant to the general public, promoting environmental and sustainable development ideas, is an active, recognized partner both in the country and at the international level.
Strategic Objectives
1. Striving to achieve the VU Botanical Garden to become an authoritative institution recognized as in Lithuania as at the international level: managing in modern fashion large and high-quality collections of plants, carrying out scientific researches, gathering knowledge and implementing programs for biodiversity conservation and genetic resources of plants (both national and international).
2. To ensure that the activities of the Garden meet the expectations of the academic community of the University as well as the general public: to serve to the academic, environmental, educational, cultural, recreational, tourism goals; to enhance the popularity of the garden, and to promote the University.
3. To become a modern, multifunctional Centre with an appropriately developed infrastructure contributing to the overall strategic goals and objectives of the University and representing as well as Vilnius University, as Lithuania and its Capital for the World.

Living plant collections

Total No. of accessions – 13779; No. of taxa – 11 000 (on 4 January 2017). The VU BG contains a repository of representatives of 445 autochthonous (spontaneous) plant species of Lithuanian Flora, which makes the Garden attractive for extended plant studies in the areas of the fundamental and applied sciences.
There is for managing of plant collections used online database - "Index Plantarum" of Vilnius University Botanical Garden (http://botsodas.lt/indexplantarum ).

Main research areas:

Plant Biology, Molecular Research and Biotechnology (2016-2020) under the direction of VU researches: 14. Genomics and Biotechnology: Basic and Applied Research.
There are studied in the Garden genetic diversity of blueberry honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.), European yew (Taxus baccata L.) and mutants of barley. There caries out researches: of mycorrhizal relationships of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings - the diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungal community structures in root system of Scots pine in relation to plant cultivation in forestry; of biology of tulips and gladioli assessing resistance of plants to fungal diseases and viral infection; studies in plant photo physiology by using the LED lightning for plant growth improvement in greenhouses; of in vitro biotechnology for propagation of plants.
BG VU has been pursuing a long-term goal-focused at the implementation of DNA plant barcoding as a modern means for effective management of plant biodiversity. By the membership at CBOL and ECBOL, the scientific staff has been acquiring DNA coding techniques.

Collaboration implementing programmes, projects

VU Botanical Garden is performing the function of the Centre for Coordination of Research of Ornamental Plant Genetic Resources of Lithuania (in accordance with the orders of the Ministry of Environment and Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania: No. 450/1470 since 2002) and the function of Administrator of Central European database of orchard plants in genera Ribes L. and Rubus L. (www.ribes-rubus.gf.vu.lt) since 2004, according to the agreement with International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (Italy).

VU BG takes part in COST program, activity FP1305 “Linking belowground biodiversity and ecosystem function in European forests”.
http://www.cost.eu/COST_Actions/fps/Actions/FP1305?management
In 2007-2011 VU BG participated in the EC funded project RIBESCO - “Core Collection of Northern European Gene Pool of Ribes”.

Contractual Research

Implementation of the three endangered plant species conservation Program in the Smeltė botanical reserve (in Klaipėda harbour). Part of the Program - experimental restoration of habitats propagation and transfer of three protected plants species (Aster trifolium L., Glaux maritima L., Juncus gerardii Loisel) 2015-2016. The Botanical Garden collected material for propagation of protected plants (seeds, vegetative material, live plants) in the territory of Smeltė botanical reserve, grew new plants (under controlled conditions - in the laboratory and greenhouses) and planted them as well as the plants taken in natural habitat (Smeltė) back in to the prepared areas. More than 15 000 new plants were grown in the Botanical Garden and planted in protected territories (Kopgalis and Kliosiai).

Periodical annual publication - "Index seminum"
Other important publications:

In 2015

R. Vyšniauskienė, D. Naugžemys, J. Patamsytė, V. Rančelienė, T. Čėsnienė, D. Žvingila. ISSR and chloroplast DNA analyses indicate frequent hybridization of alien Medicago sativa subsp. sativa and native M. sativa subsp. falcate // Plant Systematics and Evolution, 2015, vol 301, p. 2241-2350.
R. Šiukšta, V. Vaitkūnienė, G. Kaselytė, V. Okockytė, J. Žukauskaitė, D. Žvingila, V. Rančelis. Inherited phenotype instability of inflorescence and floral organ development in homeotic barley double mutants and its specific modification by auxin inhibitors and 2,4-D // Annals of Botany, Vol. 115 (2015), p. 651-663.
G. Statkevičiūtė, A. Aleliūnas, V. Kemešytė, I. Pašakinskienė, T. Lubberstedt, G. Brazauskas. Association analysis of five candidate genes with plant height and dry matter yield in perennial ryegrass // Plant Breeding, Vol. 134, iss. 4 (2015), p. 454-460.
S. Dapkūnienė, G. Štukėnienė, G. Busevičiūtė. Characterization Descriptors of Bearded Irises // Acta Horticulture 1087, p. 267-272. ISSN 0567-7572, ISSN 2406-6168 (e format).

In 2016

S. Dapkūnienė, R. Maršelienė. Viendienių (Hemerocallis L.) veislių morfologinių dekoratyvių savybių apibūdinimo aprašas // Akademija, 2016, 39 p.
S. Gliožeris, S. Dapkūnienė. Dvispalvių kaladžių (Caladium bicolor (Aiton) Vent.) veislių morfologinių ir dekoratyviųjų savybių aprašas // Akademija, 2016, 35 p.
S. Dapkūnienė, S. Gliožeris. Gumbinių begonijų (Begonia tuberhybrida Voss) veislių morfologinių ir dekoratyviųjų savybių aprašas // Akademija, 2016, 23 p.
R. Juodkaitė, G. Štukėnienė. Criteria of Tulip Cultivars for Cultured Plants Gene Fund // Floriculture: history, theory, practice. Proceedings of the VII Int. Sc. Conf. May 24-26, Minsk, Belarus, p. 126-128.
G. Štukėnienė, J. Puociauskiene, G. Buseviciute, S. Gataveckiene, R. Turla, R. Juodkaite. Herbaceous Ornamental Perennial Plants of the Vilnius University Botanical Garden // Floriculture: history, theory, practice. Proceedings of the VII Int. Sc. Conf. May 24-26, Minsk, Belarus, p. 249-251.
S. Žilinskaitė, G. Jurkevičienė, A. Skridaila, D. Ryliškis, A. Meiduvienė, G. Štukėnienė, V. Vaitkūnienė, K. Balnytė, R. Šimėnaitė, R. Ryliškienė, S. Dapkūnienė, A. Pečiulytė, V. Pribušauskaitė, V. Raubienė, V. Versockas. Vilniaus universiteto Botanikos sodas Kairėnuose (1974-2014), VUL, 2016, 104 p.
Baltic Botanic Gardens in 2013-2014 (techn. Red. S. Žilinskaitė), Vilnius, 2015 (išleista 2016), 108 p.

Conferences:

In 2015

Scientific conference “Creative natural science education: diversity towards harmony”. Botanical Garden of Vilnius University, Lithuanian Centre of Non-formal Youth Education. 2015-10-08.
Scientific-practical conference “Lithuanian botanical gardens collections and their influence on Lithuanian farmsteads and suburban greenery”. Botanical Garden of Vilnius University, Lithuanian Florists Association. 2015-10-23.

In 2016

International scientific conference “Educational spaces and the process of education”. Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Lithuania, Botanical Garden of Vilnius University, Lithuanian Centre of Non-formal Youth Education, 2016-11-09.
Scientific-practical conference “Novelties and trends in greenery”. Botanical Garden of Vilnius University, Lithuanian Dendrologists Association, 2016-11-25.

Other activities

Visitors, service, entertainments Number of the Garden visitors per year 2016 grew up to 83500. During the year 2016 in the Garden were organized: 69 events for general public (including 29 cultural, 25 educational events, 9 lectures, 2 plant fairs, the International Day of Biodiversity and 10 exhibitions); 250 guided excursion and educational activities; over 5800 visitors got beneficiary of the specific garden services (for recreation, picnics, weddings, holidays, celebration of different organizations anniversaries, various events, riding etc.).