Proposing a Nigerian botanical garden design with selected plant species for sustainability, development and ecosystem services

Abstract

Botanical gardens must find a compromise between the need for peace and seclusion, and satisfy the demand for ecosystem service and  visitor services including restaurants, information centre and sales areas that convey with them pollution, noise and hyperactivity. The  study proposed a prototype design for the establishment of Nigerian Botanical Garden with some selected ornamental plants species  that can enhance provision of ecosystem services and sustainable heritage garden development. It was based on the concept of  ecological landscape and computeraided architectural design, which was used as determinants in the formulation of floor, site layout  plans and animation production. The study revealed that: Botanical Garden prototype designed ranged from site layout plan, building  (9825mm by 19870mm), elevation and perspective drawing using plant species Erythrina indica, Roystenea regia, Phoenix dactylifera and  Eucepalartos barteri as less varieties and more repetition species and Acacia moniliforms, Mussaenda erythrophylla, Codiaeum  variegatum, and Plumera rubra as more varieties and less repetition species. The study proposed that, plant species families of  Apocynaceae, Arecaceae, Zamiaceae, and Euphorbiacea out of 8 families would be good candidates for ecosystem services such as:  aesthetic, pollutant removal and air quality improvement, while the families of Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, Rubiaceae and Araucariaceae would be  good candidate for shading, human health and well-being, climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation and heritage garden  sustainability.