An online petition has been launched calling on the government to reverse funding cuts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
The gardens in west London face a £5m shortfall in revenue in the coming financial year and it is feared around 125 jobs will be lost.
But union, Prospect, says the cutbacks will have a devastating impact on plant science in the UK as the gardens play a the crucial role in world conservation and the study of plants.
Prospect negotiator Julie Flanagan said: "Never before has Kew faced such a significant threat to its future.
"It now needs your help to ensure its globally important plant and fungal collections can continue to be used to support plant and fungal science and conservation around the world."
The job cuts come after a steep reduction in Kew's public funding from the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs first announced in 2010.
Kew’s most important global role is its plant science. It maintains the world’s premier plant and fungal collections including 30,000 living plants, one billion seeds and the DNA of 20 per cent of the world’s plant species. Without these collections and expertise, plant conservation stops.
Kew’s funding was reduced by £1.5m in 2010-11 and it expected to lose £0.5m year on year thereafter.
However, Kew has now been told to expect further cuts of up to £1.8m before the end of 2016. These cuts plus increasing costs and unpredictable self-generated revenue led to the deficit.
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