Plant geography and sociology departments
Both in the field and in the greenhouses, these departments are the largest in terms of area. They contain plants from certain vegetation zones (e.g. tropical rainforest, south-east European-west Asian steppe) and plants from native vegetation units (e.g. oak-hornbeam forest, "Main-Franconian dry grassland").
The representation of exotic vegetation complexes in the field was not only limited to those with a southern European and south-eastern European-west Asian range for cultural (climatic) reasons. These more formation-related open-air sections (e.g. downy oak forest) are to be seen in close connection with the corresponding native biocoenoses and represent instructive additions.
