Garden wildlife and conservation

Chapter 21. Gardens are a significant habitat for wildlife in the modern landscape and provide valuable ecosystem services. They are also the source of most invasive alien plants. Native plants are not necessarily better for wildlife. Most invasive alien plants were originally introduced for ornament. The value of planting native species for garden wildlife is uncertain, and is still an area of active research. Conservation of genetic and physical resources can be effective only when the underlying ecological and historical processes are taken into account. Conservation of cultivars for gardens forms a part of the wider activity of conserving genetic resources for the future. Genetic diversity is vital for combating disease and adapting to new climates and soils. Conservation of wild plants and cultivars in gardens is most effective when underpinned by sound scientific principles.