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Madhuca Diplostemon And Species Conservations

IAS Current Affairs

Why in News ?

Researchers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) in Kerala have rediscovered an endangered tree species Madhuca diplostemon 184 years after its first collection. Madhuca Diplostemon And Species Conservations.

Madhuca diplostemon

  • A tree from the species has been identified in front of Koonayil Ayiravilli Siva temple at Paravur in Kollam district.
  • Madhuca diplostemon a species of flowering plant from Sapotaceae family, has been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
  • This tree is the only known individual from the species.
  • The species was a highly local endemic with a few individuals in the past which were inadvertently removed for temple expansion in recent years.
  • Since the species is represented by a single mature individual in a single locality, it is assessed here as critically endangered, as per IUCN criteria.
  • This tree is about 4-metres tall, its bark fissured, and leaves spirally arranged and crowded towards the branch tips.

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

  • Founded in 1964, is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species.
  • IUCN is a membership Union composed of both government and civil society organisations.
  • It harnesses the experience, resources and reach of its more than 1,400 Member organisations and the input of more than 17,000 experts.
  • This diversity and vast expertise makes IUCN the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it.
  • IUCN aims to have the category of every species re-evaluated every five years if possible, or at least every ten years.

Various Categories Under IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  • Extinct (EX) – No known living individuals
  • Extinct in the wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range
  • Critically endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
  • Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild
  • Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild
  • Near threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future
  • Least concern (LC) – Lowest risk; does not qualify for a higher risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.
  • Data deficient (DD) – Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction
  • Not evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

What are he major causes of Threat for Species in India ?

  • Human intervention plays a major role in the destruction of the natural landscape leads to Habitat loss
    • Human activities like removal of trees that provide both food and shelter for innumerable number of species, mining and agriculture.
    • For the species mentioned in the news the threat for the species is expansion of various projects.
    • Habitat loss is due to deforestation for extended cultivation, construction of dams, mining operations and road laying.
  • Pollution by heavy metals, persistent biocides, organic wastes, removal of sand from riverbeds and agricultural run off have spoilt the river ecosystem.
  • Poaching of animals for their skin, fur, tusk, horns and meat for medicinal purposes are a major threat to birds, mammals, plants and reptiles.
  • Introduction of exotic species are a significant threat affecting plant species.
    • For Instance the silver oak and eucalyptus, they tend to completely overrun the land, preventing the growth of natural species.
  • Polices of the Government and ineffective implementation of laws have also affected the wildlife.

Conservation Efforts Taken by India for Threatened Species

  • Wildlife (Protection) Act in 1972 : All the states, excluding Jammu and Kashmir (it has its own Act) adopted  which prohibits any type of trade for endangered and rare species.
    • According to the latest tiger census (2015), there is an overall increase of 30% in tiger population. In 2010, there were 1700 tigers left in India according to tiger census which has gone up to 2226 tigers in 2015.
  • Financial assistance to the State Governments for the conservation and protection of the endangered species.
  • Establishment of a numbers of National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Parks, Biodiversity Hotspots etc have been established by the government.
    • Central Zoo Authority (CZA) was initiated for the supervision of the management of zoological parks in the country.
    • Four of 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots: The Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the North-East, and the Nicobar Islands, can be found in India.
  • India is part of five main International Conventions
    • Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)
    • Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT)
    • International Whaling Commission (IWC)
    • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – World Heritage Committee (UNESCO – WHC)
    • The Convention on Migratory Species (CHS).

Source :  Indian Express

Topic

GS II : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Current Affairs Compilation : 5 October 2020

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