Science at Museo delle Scienze - Museo Tridentino di Scienze ...

The main results and projects 2010-2011
The Eastern Arc Mountains in Trento.
Developing and designing the new tropical glasshouse of Muse.
Section of Botany
The new eastern Arc tropical green
house is the top living attraction of Muse
that will recreate the forests of the eastern
Arc, a biodiversity hotspot located in
Tanzania and investigated by the section
of Tropical Biodiversity. A vibrant and engaging
display will capture the visitor in an
imaginative journey through the luxuriant
and colourful rainforest, listening unusual
sounds of birds and tree frogs, discovering
elegant butterflies, mimetic chameleons
and trying new tastes. The itinerary will
start from the Kilombero valley with tropical
crops, underutilized landraces, home
vegetable gardens and local villages; the
explorer will then climb uphill towards the
pristine mountain rainforest or “msitu” in
swahili. Trees, shrubs, vines and flowering
herbs will be presented together with
their ethnobotanical use. The display area
will be thought-provoking, engaging the
visitor on sustainability issues, illustrating
international cooperation projects for forest
conservation and poverty alleviation,
stimulating the visitors to take active parts
in supporting them.
The section of Botany has developed,
in collaboration with the Royal Botanic
Garden edinburgh, a two year specialised
training programme in tropical botany and
horticulture with the aim to support the
new glasshouse staff in management of
seed of Cephalosphaera usambarensis, a tall
tree found only on few Tanzanian mountains and
in Kenya with good quality timber belonging to
the nutmeg family (Myristicaceae).
tropical plants collection with conservation
value. since January 2011 the museum
staff moved to scotland and, through collaboration
agreements between botanical
gardens, practiced in world renewed tropical
glasshouses located at eden Project
(cornwall, uK) and Royal Botanic Garden
Kew (london, uK).
during summer 2011 the section of
Botany, in collaboration with the section of
Tropical Biodiversity, undertook an expedition
in Tanzania to further develop the international
relations and agreements between
the Museum and local institutions such as
the university of dar er salaam (udsM) and
the Tanzanian Tree seed Agency (TTsA).
several surveys have been carried out in the
eastern Arc forests with the herbarium and
research staff of udsM to develop together
a strategy for seed collection in the framework
of a Material Transfert Agreement
(MTA). The treatment and shipment of the
collected material to the Trentino seed Bank
and the eastern Arc tropical glasshouse will
be carried out following the international
agreements of access and benefit sharing
(ABsA) through TTsA.
The complex living biome under glass,
the plant nursery and the quarantine facilities
in Trento will start to engage the visitors
of the new Museum of science from
July 2013.
Fruit of Telfairia pedata (mkweme
in swahili), climbing
vine originated in Tropical
east Africa cultivated both
for its edible flesh and for its
seeds which are rich of oil.
The oil is used for making
soap and cadles and as a
medicine for stomach troubles
and rheumatism.
A local guide showing
how to collect safe drinkable
water from the fleshy
petiole of Ensete ventricosum
in the forest.
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