Many botanical gardens, arboreta, and botanical institutions around the world (hereafter collectively referred to as gardens) have embraced plant conservation as part of their missions. Conservation actions can take many forms from strictly educational efforts, to seed banking activities, natural area management and restoration, and related applied conservation research. A distinction between basic and applied science is commonly made, with applied science often regarded as somehow less rigorous or challenging relative to basic or pure science. We view this as a false dichotomy. The only important difference is between good and bad science, andlboth basic and applied science can fall into either category. The main difference between them is the source of the questions asked. Applied research gets its inspiration in, and aims to solve, real-world problems. Basic science is not so constrained, and unlike applied science, affords the option of asking another question if the first proves too difficult. Outside of basic taxonomic science, much of the research done at gardens is intended to improve the practice of conservation.
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