Planning Strategies for Specialized Gardens Based on Climatic Characteristics: A Case Study of Taiyuan Botanical Garden in China

Against the backdrop of global climate change and urban sustainable development, botanical gardens, as key components of urban ecosystems, must incorporate regional climatic characteristics into their planning and construction. Taking Taiyuan Botanical Garden in Shanxi Province, China, as a case study, this research conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses based on climatic data, plant resource statistics, and field investigations. The results show that Taiyuan is characterized by a warm temperate continental monsoon climate, with an annual average temperature of approximately 10 °C, annual precipitation of about 400 mm, and more than 60% of rainfall concentrated in summer. The botanical garden covers approximately 182 ha and conserves 4501 species of vascular plants belonging to 1034 genera and 203 families. The existing 28 specialized gardens exhibit climate-adaptability deficiencies: species overlap rate in medicinal plant species between the two herb gardens reaches 35%; nearly 60% of specialized gardens enter dormancy in winter; and effective windbreak zones are lacking. Based on these findings, this study proposes optimization strategies from three aspects: climate-adaptive plant classification, functional integration, and habitat simulation, supported by technical and managerial safeguards. The study provides theoretical and practical references for climate-adaptive planning of specialized gardens in botanical gardens located in similar climatic regions and contributes to the conservation of urban plant diversity.