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  • Uttarakhand conserves 2,228 plant species across ranges
  • Report highlights 120 threatened plants, 75 on IUCN list
  • Conservation counters 'Plant Blindness,' promoting ecological awareness

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Uttarakhand doubles conserved plant species, including threatened flora: Report

Uttarakhand Forest Department’s sixth annual biodiversity report reveals conservation of 2,228 plant species, including 120 threatened varieties, emphasizing efforts against plant extinction & raising awareness on the ecological importance of plants.

Updated: Sep 02, 2022 10:53
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Editorji News Desk

Uttarakhand doubles conserved plant species, including threatened flora: Report

In recognition of the International Day for Biological Diversity, the Research Wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department has released its sixth annual report, showcasing notable progress in biodiversity conservation across the region.

Since the report’s first publication in 2020, when 1,145 plant species were conserved, the number has now nearly doubled to 2,228 species preserved through both in-situ and ex-situ methods across seven distinct ranges.

Among these conserved plants, 120 species are categorized as threatened or endangered, with 75 listed on the IUCN Red List. Notable threatened species include the White Himalayan Lily (Lilium polyphyllum), Trayman (Gentiana kurroo), Atees (Aconitum heterophyllum), Seeta ashok (Saraca asoca), Dolu (Rheum webbianum), Patwa (Meizotropis pellita), Himalayan Golden Spike (Eremostachys superba), and Tree Fern (Cyathea spinulosa).

Chief Conservator of Forest (Research) Sanjiv Chaturvedi explained, “This exercise was initiated in 2020 to create awareness about conservation of plant species, which are facing serious existential threats from climate change as well as anthropogenic activities like mining and unplanned construction activities. However, conservation of plant species attracts less popular attention than that of faunal species like Tigers and Elephants because of the greater glamour quotient associated with these wildlife species. This is despite the fact that plants play a much important ecological role by way of carbon sequestration and also provide raw material for a number of important medicines.”

He added that the Uttarakhand Forest Department is unique in India for conducting this extensive conservation exercise and maintaining perhaps the most comprehensive inventory of plant species among all state forest departments.

Chaturvedi further noted, “The idea behind the release of this report was to counter the concept of ‘Plant Blindness’. The term coined in 1998 by Elisabeth Schussler and James Wandersee, a pair of US botanists and biology educators, indicates an appreciation of plants and a limited interest in plant conservation. Plant conservation matters for environmental health and human health, in the long run.”

The report details the diversity of conserved plants, which includes 528 tree species, 187 herbs, 175 shrubs, 46 bamboo species, 88 wild climbers, 12 cane species, 107 grasses, 192 ferns, 115 orchids, 88 palms, 31 cycads, 290 cacti and succulents, 50 aquatic plants, 29 insectivorous plants, 86 lichens, 118 bryophytes, 14 algae species, and 15 air plants. Among these, 60 species are endemic to Uttarakhand or the Indian Himalayan Region, meaning they are naturally found only within this specific geographic area.

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