Publisher : Biodiversity and Conservation - Springer
Place of publication :
Publication year : 2020
Thematic : Conservation
Language : English
Note
Assessing the impact of threats, identification, prioritization and predicting conservation
pockets are vital for the conservation and management of threatened species. This study
investigated the diversity and distribution through inventorization and analysis of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorized threatened plants and their
prioritization for conservation. A total of 456 threatened taxa belonging to 233 genera
coming under 87 families were recorded as threatened under various threat categories of
IUCN. Among lited taxa, 64 species were falls under higher risk of extinction categories
of IUCN viz. Critically endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable with 13, 28 and 23 species respectively. Maximum number of threatened plants was found (84 species) in family Fabaceae followed by Cyperaceae (65 species) and Poaceae (36 species). Richness of
threatened plants was found maximum in the Sikkim (203) followed by Himachal Pradesh
(190) and Jammu & Kashmir (189). Major causes of depletion of threatened taxa were
anthropogenic activities such as habitat loss, overgrazing, deforestation, over-exploitation
and unsustainable harvesting of medicinal plants. Therefore, conservation of all the inventorized 64 threatened plants is needful at its earliest. Thus the strategies for the conservation of threatened species must be directed towards those species facing highest risk of
extinction, biologically distinct and ecologically valuable for the ecosystem as well having socio-economic significance. Considering this, prioritization of the threatened species
was done following existing methodologies. Among the threatened taxa, Angelica glauca,
Coptis teeta, Lilium polyphyllum, Nardostachys jatamansi, Aconitum heterophyllum and
Gentiana kurroo etc. are ranked at apex, thus needs higher priority for conservation. The
study further indicate that six species such as Angelica glauca, Coptis teeta, Gymnocladus
assamicus, Illicium grifthii, Piper pedicellatum and Saussurea costus are endemic, having restricted distribution, however highly traded in the IHR. Thus, it is proposed that these
species must be taken under special apprehension for conservation planning. Besides this
for the conservation of higher risk of extinction species, grid mapping of targeted species
was done for identifying specific distribution areas for effective conservation.
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Keywords : Biogeography
Encoded by : Pauline Carmel Joy Eje
