Specifics of Forming the Territories of Botanical Gardens as the Landscape Objects

Abstract

Introduction. Botanical gardens are the special research institutions fostering the conservation and introduction of various plant species. They have gone a long way in their development and play an important role in organisation of people’s recreation within the urban nature-based framework. The research revealed, that in the botanical gardens the research activities are combined with the considerable work on the architectural planning and landscape-spatial arrangement of territories, all contributing to the rational layout and functioning of the botanical gardens. The aim of the present research is to analyse and identify the main principles of forming the territories of botanical gardens in the south of Russia, find out their functional set-up and modern trends of development, which have not been studied before.Materials and Methods. The comparative analysis of the state of territories of botanical gardens per time and space, the integrated system analysis of the architectural planning and landscape evolution features of the territories of botanical gardens of the south of Russia and the principles of their design from perspective of the landscape architecture, were carried out. When conducting the evaluative research of the territory of the Botanical Garden of the Southern Federal University in Rostov-on-Don, the graph analytics methods were used, as well as the authors’ graphic materials on reconstruction of the SFU Botanical Garden structure.Results. The main historical stages in the timeline of botanical gardens’ formation in Russia were determined. The evolution of the architectural planning and landscape arrangement of the botanical and dendrological gardens in the southern region of Russia was analysed for the first time. The results of the study allowed making a conclusion about the insufficient consideration of the recreational role of the territories of botanical gardens and principles of their arrangement as the landscape objects during their design and creation. The main principles of forming the territories of botanical gardens in the southern region of Russia were formulated. By the example of the Botanical Garden of the Southern Federal University of Rostov-on-Don, the features of its territory formation, creation of the collection stock, arboretum, etc., were revealed. The disadvantages and advantages of zoning its territory, from perspective of forming it as a landscape object, were determined. Conceptual proposals for the transformation of its territories were given.Discussion and Conclusion. The authors have systemised the data per historical periods of the botanical gardens’ formation and evolution in Russia, which enables considering the revealed features during the reconstruction of such territories. For the first time the specifics of the southern region botanical and dendrological gardens’ formation, as the landscape objects intended for recreational purposes, have been studied. The formulated principles of functional zoning of the botanical gardens of the south of Russia will enhance their architectural-artistic and landscape image. Based on the materials of this study, the conceptual design solutions for the territory of the Southern Federal University Botanical Garden of Rostov-on-Don have been provided.