Morris Arboretum plant science director discusses biodiversity crisis in DP interview

The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with Morgan Gostel, the new John J. Willaman Director of Plant Science at the Morris Arboretum.

Gostel — who joined the arboretum in October 2025 — conducts research on plant evolution and biodiversity at the new Plant Science Lab. In an interview with the DP, Gostel described the position as his “dream opportunity.” 

Having worked with botanical gardens for his entire career, Gostel said he viewed the decision to join Morris as a “no-brainer.” 

Gostel also helps lead international research collaborations and will coordinate an upcoming expedition to Angola funded by the National Science Foundation. He outlined several goals for the arboretum, including “firing on all cylinders” to increase visibility of Morris’ contribution to plant diversity research.

He specifically emphasized the importance of plant science amid what he called “the sixth mass extinction.” According to Gostel, as much as 40% of all plant species are expected to go extinct by the end of the century — less than 75 years from now.

“There are approximately half a million species of plants on Earth and human life wouldn’t exist without plants,” Gostel said. “They’re really the heartbeat of the entire planet.”

Since earning his Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University, Gostel has served as the director of the Global Genome Initiative for Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution and as a research botanist at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed publications, with field experience spanning across five continents.

“Dr. Gostel brings deep scientific expertise and a proven commitment to advancing plant conservation and research capacity,” a spokesperson for the Morris Arboretum wrote to the DP.

Gostel said the current biodiversity crisis has motivated him to both “train the next generation of botanists” and share his enthusiasm for plant diversity.

“The most important thing I can offer to the world is to use my knowledge to help us address and overcome this crisis, to help the general public understand the importance of plants, the fascination of plants, and how cool plants are,” Gostel said.

In two weeks, Gostel will begin a three-week-long expedition to Angola focused on understanding the diversity of ironweeds, an understudied group of plants. The research — funded by the NSF in partnership with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew — will be conducted alongside local scientists and students based at the Herbarium of Lubango.

While Gostel has led previous expeditions in Madagascar, he described his upcoming journey as “especially exciting,” given how “difficult” species collection has been in the region since the Angolan Civil War. He added that the country has a uniquely biodiverse array of plant species, many of which “don’t grow anywhere else in the world.”

During the trip, Gostel’s team will host a workshop to train and share resources with local students interested in botany, conservation, and biodiversity research.

“We're going to be building collaborations that will last for my entire career,” Gostel said.

---