Ecologically Fragile Lands
RED LISTED THREATENED TREE SPECIES IN KERALA:
A REVIEW
N. Sasidharan
Kerala Forest Research Institute Peechi Kerala
Abstract
Situated along the west coast of India and bordered by the Lakshadweep, the State of Kerala
enjoys a tropical Climate. It is estimated that about 27 per cent of the area of the State is under
forests. The tropical rain forests along the windward side of the Western Ghats are remarkable for
their species diversity and endemism. The Western Ghats, one of the megadiversity centres in the
world is also a biodiversity hotspot. The State of Kerala has an area of 38,864 km
2
, which is only
1.18 per cent of India, yet support about 25 per cent of the flora of the country. Among the 4,050
indigenous flowering plants recorded from Kerala, 812 are trees. There are 1387 Peninsular Indian
endemic species and 218 among them are restricted to Kerala. Among the 822 tree species, 327 are
Peninsular Indian endemics and 26 are so far known only from Kerala. According to the various
publications on threatened plants, 495 species recorded from Kerala belong to the Rare and
Threatened (RET) categories, including 151 tree species. The floristic studies carried out during
the last three decades resulted in relocating several RET species. However, the status of the
populations of these species has not yet been evaluated. Despite the recent floristic studies as
many as 23 tree species could not be relocated. As per the IUCN criteria on threatened species,
two species are Extinct in the wild (Ilex gardneriana and Syzygium gambleanum), 26 Critically
Endangered, 63 Endangered, 38 Vulnerable and 22 species are Low Risk/near Threatened.
INTRODUCTION
The Western Ghats, running parallel to the west coast of Peninsular India have a
series of hill ranges covering a distance of 1600 km from Thapti Valley in Gujarat to
Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu traversing through the states of Maharastra, Goa,
Karnataka and Kerala. Though the average height of the hill ranges is 1000 m, the
highest peaks south of Himalayas - the Anamudi (2695 m) and Dodabattai (2637m)-
are in the Western Ghats. The western side of the Western Ghats facing the Arabian
Sea receives maximum rainfall and the annual precipitation varies from 2000 mm to
7450 mm. The eastern side of the Western Ghats is in the rain shadow region,
therefore receives relatively less rainfall. The mean temperature is between 24°C and
20°C however, the temperature will be zero to subzero in the mountain peaks during
winter. The major soil types are laterite, red loam, medium black, alluvial, red
gravelly and hill soils.
Depending on the amount of rainfall, soil type and altitude, different vegetation
types are formed in the Western Ghats. The dominant vegetation types are west
coast tropical evergreen forests, west coast semievergreen forests, southern moist
mixed deciduous forests, southern dry mixed deciduous forests and scrub jungles
(Champion and Seth, 1968). At higher elevations the vegetation becomes southern
montane wet temperate forests (sholas) and southern montane wet grasslands
Government of Kerala
FORESTS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
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(grasslands). Certain edaphic types such as Myristica swamp forests, bamboo breaks,
reed breaks, etc. are restricted to some eco-physical regions.
The tropical rain forests, particularly the evergreen, semi-evergreen and shola
forests, due to the luxuriant growth of plants of all life forms have the richest
biodiversity. The Western Ghats, one of the megadiversity centres in the world is
also a biodiversity hotspot. The principal plant communities in the Western Ghats
are the Angiosperms. In the Western Ghats, the southern Western Ghats consisting
southern parts of Karnataka, Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu are the richest in
terms of diversity. Out of the 4000 species of flowering plants estimated, 3,900 occur
in the southern Western Ghats and 3,800 in Kerala (Nayar, 1997). The Western Ghat
is considered as one of the 18 centres in the world where mega diversity exists. The
distribution pattern of the major families in the Westem Ghats and Kerala is almost
the same. The State of Kerala with an area of 38,863 km
2
, is only 1.18 per cent of the
whole of India, yet it supports about 25 per cent of the flora of the country.
There are 4,465 taxa of flowering plants in Kerala belonging to 1,315 genera in 192
families of which, 33 families and 68 genera are represented by one species of each
(Sasidharan, personal observation). Among the 4,465 species recorded, 4050 are
indigenous and the rest exotics. There are 812 species of trees in Kerala. The families
dominated by tree species are Euphorbiaceae, with 67 species under 31 genera,
followed by Leguminosae (65 species/35 genera), Lauraceae (55 species /l 0 genera),
Rubiaceae (47 species/26 genera), Annonaceae (32 species/11 genera), Ebenaceae (25
species/one genus), Anacardiaceae (24 species/11 genera) and Clusiaceae (21
species/4 genera).
The endemic species in the flora of a geographical region are noteworthy. Among
the 812 tree species in Kerala, 327 are endemic to Peninsular India and 26 are
restricted to Kerala. Genera such as Poeciloneuron, Blepharistemma and Otonephelium
are endemic to the Western Ghats. Among the families with arborescent endemic
taxa, Lauraceae rank first with 44 endemics (out of the 55 species) followed by
Euphorbiaceae (25/67), Rubiaceae (22/47), Myrtaceae (21/41), Annonaceae (17/32),
Leguminosae (14/65), Anacardiaceae (13/24), Dipterocarpaceae (11/13), Ebenaceae
(10/25) and Clusiaceae (10/21).
The rare and threatened plants of southern India have been documented by Joseph
(1977), Henry et al. (1979), Jain and Sastry (1984), Ahmedullah and Nayar (1987) and
Nayar and Sastry (1987, 1988, 1990). Nayar (1997) listed 1,272 Western Ghats taxa
endemic to Kerala, 483 among them were placed under threatened categories. Based
on published literature, there are 497 species recorded from Kerala that belong to the
Red Listed categories, including 151 tree species (Table 1). As per the IUCN (1994)
criteria the Red Listed tree species are assigned to the following categories: Extinct (2
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Ecologically Fragile Lands
species), Low Risk/near threatened (22 species) Critically Endangered (26 species),
Vulnerable (38 species) and
Table 1. Red Listed threatened tree species recorded in some Protected Areas of
Kerala
Protected Area
Total number
of angiosperm
species
recorded
No. of tree sps.
No. of Red
Listed tree
species
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
965
238 (24.7)
6
Eravikulam National Park
326
69 (21.2)
11
Peechi- Vazhani Wildlife
Sanctuary
829 240
(28.9) 18
Silent Valley National Park
966
198 (20.5)
20
Parambikulam Wildlife
Sanctuarv
1432 359
(25.0) 36
Neyyar Wildlife Sanctuary
1080
298 (27.5)
53
Periyar Tiger Reserve
1978
434 (22.0)
59
Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary
951
327 (34.4)
65
Note: The figures in parentheses indicate the percentage of trees out of the total.
Table 2. Red List of threatened tree species recorded in Kerala
Family
Tree species
Red List
Category
Buchanania barberi Gamble
CR
Gluta travancorica Bedd.
LR/nt
Holigarna beddomei Hook. f.
VU
Holigarna grahamii (Wight) Kurz
LR/ nt
Nothopegia aureo-flllva Bedd. ex Hook. f.
CR
Nothopegia beddomei Gamble
var. wlfnaedica Ellis & Chandra.
CR
Nothopegia heyneana (Hook. f.) Gamble
LR/ nt
Semecarpus auriculata Bedd.
LR/nt
Semecarpus travancorica Bedd.
LR/nt
ANACARDIACEAE
Solenocarpus indicus Wight & Arn.
LR/nt
Goniothalamus rhynchantherus Dunn
EN
Goniothalamus. wynaadensis (Bedd.) Bedd.
LR/nt
Mitrephora grandiflora Bedd.
VU
Orophea uniflora Hook. f. & Thoms.
VU
Polyalthia rufescens Hook.f. & Thom.
CR
Polyalthia shendurunii Basha & Sasi.
EN
Sageraea grandiflora Dunn
EN
ANNONACEAE
Sageraea laurifolia (Graham) Blatter
LR/ nt
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APOCYNACEAE
Tabernaemontana heyneana Wall.
LR/nt
AQUIFOLIACEAE
Ilex gardneriana Wight
EX
ARALIACEAE
Schefflera bourdillonii Gamble
EN
BONNETIACEAE
Poeciloneuron pauciflorum Bedd.
CR
BORAGINACEAE
Cordia octandra DC.
CR
Cynometra beddomei Prain
EN
Cynometra travancorica Bedd.
EN
Dialium travancoricum Bourd.
CR
Humboldtia bourdillonii Prain.
EN
Humboldtia decurrens Bedd. Ex Oliver
LR/ nt
Humboldtia trijuga (Joseph & Chandras.)
Mohanan
CR
Humboldtia unijuga Bedd.
EN
Humboldtia vahliana Wight
LR/ nt
CAESALPINIACEAE
Kingiodendron pinnatum (Roxb. ex DC.)
Harms
EN
CAPPARACEAE
Capparis rheedei DC.
LR/nt
CELASTRACEAE
Ellonymus paniculatus Wight ex Lawson
EN
Atuna indica (Bedd.) Kosterm.
EN
CHRYSOBALANACEAE
Atuna travancorica (Bedd.) Kosterm.
EN
Garcinia imberti Bourd.
EN
Garcinia rubro-echinata Kosterm.
EN
Garcin ia travancorica Bedd.
VU
Garcinia wightii T. Anders.
VU
CLUSIACEAE
Mesua ferrea L. var. coromandeliana
(Wight) Singh
CR
Dipterocarpus bourdillonii Brandis
CR
Dipterocarpus indicus Bedd.
LR/nt
Hopea erosa (Bedd.) van Sloot.
CR
Hopea glabra Wight & Arn.
EN
Hopea jacobii Fischer
CR
Hopea parviflora Bedd.
LR/ nt
Hopea ponga (Dennst.) Mabber.
EN
Hopea racophloea Dyer
EN
Hopea utilis (Bedd.) Bole
EN
Vateria indica L.
VU
DIPTEROCARPACEAE
Vateria macrocarpa Gupta
CR
Diospyros barberi Ramas.
VU
EBENACEAE
Diospyros humilis Bourd.
CR
Elaeocarpus munronii (Wight) Mast.
LR/nt
Elaeocarpus recurvatus Corner
VU
ELAEOCARPACEAE
Elaeocarpus venustlls Bedd.
EN
Government of Kerala
FORESTS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
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ERICACEAE
Rhododendron arboreum J. E. Smith ssp.
nilagiricum (Zenk.) Tagg.
LR/ nt
Aporusa bourdillonii Stapf
EN
Cleistanthus malabaricus Muell.-Arg.
VU
Cleistanthus travancorensis Jablonszky
EN
Dimorphocalyx beddomei (Benth.) Airy
Shaw
EN
Drypetes confertiflora (Hook.f.) Pax &
Hoffm.
EN
Orypetes malabarica (Bedd.) Airy Shaw
EN
Orypetes wightii (Hook. f.) Pax & Hoffm.
VU
Glochidion bourdillonii Gamble
VU
Glochidion hohenackeri (Muell.-Arg.) Bedd.
var. johnstonei (Hook. f.) Chakrab.&
Gangop.
VU
EUPHORBIACEAE
Glochidion zeylanicum (Gaertn.) A. Juss.
var. tomentosum (Dalz.) Chakrab. &
Gangop.
EN
Casearia rubescens Dalz. var. gamblei Mukh. CR
Casearia wynadensis Bedd.
VU
Homalium jaillii Henry & Swaminathan
EN
Homalium travancoricum Bedd.
VU
Hydnocarpus macrocarpa (Bedd.) Warb.
VU
FLACOURTIACEAE
Xylosma latifolium Hook.f. & Thoms.
EN
Actinodaphne campanulata Hook.f.
var. campanulata
VU
Actinodaphne campanulata Hook.f.
var. obtusa Gamble
EN
Actinodaphne lawsonii Gamble
VU
Actinodaphne malabarica Balakr.
LR/nt
Actinodaphne salicina Meisner
EN
Beilschmiedia wightii (Nees)
Benth. ex Hook. f.
EN
Cinnamomum chemungianum
Mohanan & Henry
EN
Cinnamomum filipedicellatum Kosterm.
EN
Cinnamomum perrottetii Meisner
VU
Cinnamomum riparium Gamble
VU
Cinnamomum travancoricum Gamble
CR
Cryptocarya anamalayana Gamble
EN
Cryptocarya beddomei Gamble
VU
LAURACEAE
Litsra beddomei Hook. f.
EN
Government of Kerala
FORESTS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
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Ecologically Fragile Lands
Litsea travancorica Gamble
EN
Neolitsea fischeri Gamble
VU
MALVACEAE
Julostylis polyandra Ravi et Anil Kumar
EN
MELASTOMA T ACEAE
Memecylon sisparense Gamble
CR
Aglaia barberi Gamble
EN
Aglaia bourdillonii Gamble
VU
Aglaia lawii (Wight) Saldanha
LR/ nt
Aglaia malabarica Sasi.
CR
Aglaia simplicifolia (Bedd.) Harms
LR/nt
Dysoxylum beddomei Hiern
EN
Dysoxylum ficiforme (Wight) Gamble
VU
Albizia lathamii Hole
CR
MELIACEAEMIMOSACEAE
Inga cynometroides (Bedd.) Bedd. ex Baker CR
Myristica fatua Houtt.
var. magnifica (Bedd.) Sinclair
EN
MYRISTICACEAE
Myristica malabarica Lam.
VU
MYRSINACEAE
Rapanea thwaitesii Mez
LR/nt
Eugenia argentea Bedd.
CR
Eugenia calcadensis Bedd.
VU
Eugenia discifera Gamble
EN
Eugenia indica (Wight) Chithra
EN
Eugenia rottleriana Wight & Arn.
VU
Eugenia singampattiana Bedd.
CR
Metcoromyrtus wynaadensis (Bedd.)
Gamble
CR
Syzygium benthamianum (Wight ex
Duthie)
Gamble
VU
Syzygium bourdillonii (Gamble)
Rathkr. & Nair
EN
Syzygium chavaran (Bourd.) Gamble
EN
Syzygium courtallensis (Gamble) Alston
CR
Syzygium densiflorum Wall. ex Wight &
Arn.
VU
Syzygium gambleanum Rathakr. & Chitra.
EX
Syzygium myhendrae (Bedd. ex Brandis)
Gamble
EN
Syzygium occidentalis (Bourd.) Gandhi
VU
Syzygium palghatense Gamble
CR
Syzygium parmneswarnii
Mohanan & Henry
EN
MYRTACEAE
Syzygium rama-varmae (Bourd.) Chithra
VU
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Ecologically Fragile Lands
Syzygium stocksii (Duthie) Gamble
EN
Syzygium travancoricum Gamble
EN
Anacolosa densiflora Bedd.
EN
OLACACEAE
Chionanthus linocieroides (Wight)
Bennet & Raizada
EN
PITIOSPORACEAE
Pittosporum dasycaulon Miq.
LR/nt
RHIZOPHORACEAE
Blepharistemma serratum (Dennst.) Suresh
VU
Byrsophyllum tetrandrum (Bedd.)
Hook. f. ex Bedd.
EN
Canthium neilgherrense Wight
VU
Canthium pergracile Bourd.
EN
Ixora agasthyamayana
Sivadasan & Mohanan
EN
Ochreinauclea missionis (Wall. ex G. Don)
Ridsd.
VU
Octotropis travancorica Bedd.
LR/nt
Psychotria beddomei Deb & Gang.
EN
RUBIACEAE
Psydrax ficiformis (Hook.f.) Bridson
EN
RUTACEAE
Vepris bilocularis (Wight & Arn.) Engl.
EN
Isonandra stocksii Clarke
EN
Madhuca bourdillonii (Gamble) H.J. Lam
EN
Palaquium bourdillonii Brandis
VU
SAPOTACEAE
Palaquium ravii Sasi. & Vink
EN
Eriolaena lushingtonii Dunn
VU
STERCULIACEAE
Pterospermum reticulatum Wight & Arn.
VU
Symplocos anamallayana Bedd.
EN
Symplocos macrocarpa Wight ex Clarke ssp.
kanarana (Talbot) Nooteb.
VU
Symplocos macrocarpa Wight ex Clarke ssp.
macrocarpa
EN
Symplocos mncrophylla Wall ex A. DC. ssp.
rosea (Bedd.) Nooteb.
VU
Symplocos nairii Henry et al.
EN
Symplocos oligandra Bedd.
EN
SYMPLOCACEAE
Symplocos pendula Wight,
EN
TILIACEAE
Grewia pandaica Drumm. ex Dunn
CR
EX=Extinct; CR=Critically Endangered; EN=Endangered; LR/nt=Low Risk/near
threatened; VU=Vulnerable
(63 species). Among the families, Myrtaceae has 20 Red Listed tree species followed
by Lauraceae (16 species), Leguminosae and Dipterocarpaceae (11 species),
Euphorbiaceae and Anacardiaceae (10 species), Annonaceae and Rubiaceae (8
Government of Kerala
FORESTS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
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Ecologically Fragile Lands
species), Symplocaceae and Meliaceae (7 species), Flacourtiaceae (6 species),
C1usiaceae (5 species) and Sapotaceae (4 species). Recent floristic studies have
reported the rediscovery of many threatened taxa including a few that were
presumed to be extinct (Ramachandran, 1982; Mohanan, 1996; Mohanan et al., 1997,
1999 & 2000; Sasidharan, 1998). However, the effort to relocate species such as
Actinodaphne lawsonii, Atuna indica, Buchanania barberi, Cinnamomum perrottetii,
Casearia rubescens var. gamblei, Cleistanthus malabaricus, Diospyros barberi, Diospyros
sulcata, Drypetes travancorica, Eugenia argentea, Hopea jacobii, Hopea utilis, Humboldtia
laurifolia, Litsea mysorensis, Litsea nigrescens, Madhuca diplostemon, Memecylon
sisparense, Polyalthia rufescens, Psychotria beddomei, Rapanea thwaitesii, Syzygium
courtallensis, Syzygium gambleanum and Syzygium stocksii were not successful so far.
An analysis of the habitats of Red Listed species reveals that shola forests support 23
species, one species in the dry deciduous forests and the rest in the evergreen/semi-
evergreen forests. The only Red Listed tree species recorded from dry deciduous
forests is Albizia lathamii (Sajeev and Sasidharan, 1998).
The State of Kerala has a relatively higher percentage of protected areas. About 24
per cent of the forests have been declared as protected areas by establishing 12
Wildlife Sanctuaries and 2 National Parks. The flora of most of the protected areas
have been studied recently resulting in the discovery of several new as well as
threatened species (Manilal, 1988; Mohanan, 1995; Sasidharan, 1997, 1998,
1999,2002). The Red Listed tree species recorded in the Protected Areas are provided
in Table 2.
Though, several Red Listed trees were rediscovered recently, quite a few of them are
reported to be surviving by a few individua1s and their regeneration is extremely
low (Sasidharan, 1998b). This calls for
immediate measures to enhance their
population status either through assisted natural regeneration or through artificial
means for conservation of RET tree species. Detailed studies are needed to
understand the genetical variation in the disjunct small population of these tree
species. The Red Listed trees are also to be raised in ex situ centres like arboreta and
botanic gardens.
REFERENCES
AhmeduLlah, M. and Nayar, M.P. 1987. Endemic Plants of the Indian Region. Botanical
Survey of India, Calcutta.
Champion, H.G. and Seth, S.K. 1968. A Revised Survey of
the Forest Types of India.
Govt. of India Press, Delhi.
Henry, AN., Vivekanandan, K. & Nair, N.C. 1979. Rare and Threatened Flowering
Plants of South India. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 75: 684-697.
IUCN, 1994. IUCN Red List Categories. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.
Jain, S.K. and Sastry, A.R.K. 1984. The Indian Plant Red Data Book. Botanical Survey of
India, Calcutta.
Joseph, J. 1977. Floristic studies in India-with special reference to Southern Circle of
Botanical Survey of India. Bull. Bot. Surv. India 19: 109-111.
Manilal, K.S. 1988. Flora of Silent Valley: Tropical Rain Forests of India.
Calicut University, Calicut.
Government of Kerala
FORESTS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
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Ecologically Fragile Lands
Mohanan, N. 1995. Flora of Agasthymala. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Calicut,
Thenhipalam.
Mohanan, N. 1996. Rediscovery of Syzygium bourdillonii (Gamble) Rathakr. & N.C.
Nair (Myrtaceae), an endemic and little known species of Western Ghats. J. Econ.
Tax.
Bot. 20(3): 729-731.
Mohanan, N., Jayakumar, R. and Shaju, T. 2000 . On the Rediscovery of Nothopegia
aureo-fulva Bedd. ex Hook.f. (Anacardiaceae), A Rare and Narrow Endemic
Species of Western Ghats. J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 24(1): 78-80.
Mohanan, N., Shaju, T. and Kiranraj, M. S. 1999. Rediscovery of Poeciloneuron
paucifiorum Bedd.: An endemic and little known species of W. G., presumed to be
extinct. Ann.
For. 7(1): 87-89.
Mohanan, N., Shaju, T. and Rajkumar, G. 1997. Rediscovery of Garcinia imbertii
(Bourd.) (Clusiaceae): A little known endemic species of Western Ghats. lndian J.
Forestry 20(4): 383-385.
Nayar, M. P. 1997. Biodiversity challenges in Kerala and Science of conservation
Biology. In: P. Pushpangadan & K. S. S. Nair (eds.) Biodiversity of Tropical Forests:
the Kerala Scenario. STEC, Trivandrum, Kerala.
Nayar, M.P. and Sastry, A.R.K. 1987. Red Data Book 011 Indian Plants, Vol. I. Botanical
Survey of India, Calcutta.
Nayar, M.P. and Sastry, A.R.K. 1988. Red Data Book on Indian Plants, Vol. II. Botanical
Survey of India, Calcutta.
Nayar, M.P. and Sastry, A.R.K. 1990. Red Data Book on Indian Plants, Vol. III.
Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta.
Ramachandran, V.S., Nair, N.C. and Nair, V.J. 1982. Rediscovery of Meteoromyrtus
wynnadensis (Bedd.) Gamble more than a century after its earlier collection. J.
Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 79: 46-462.
Sajeev, K.K. and N. Sasidharan, 1998 (1999). Albizia lathamii Hole - a critically
endangered species from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. J. Econ. Tax. Bot. 22: 629-
630.
Sasidharan, N. 1997. Forest Trees of Kerala - A Checklist. KFRI Handbook No. 2. Kerala
Forest Research Institute.
Sasidharan, N. 1997. Studies on the Flora of Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary with
Emphasis on Endemics Species. KFRI Research Report No. 128. KFRI, Peechi.
Sasidharan, N. 1998a. Studies on the Flora of Periyar Tiger Reserve. KFRI Research
Report No. ISO, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi.
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FORESTS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
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Sasidharan, N. 1998b. Rediscovery of four threatened and possibly extinct endemic
tree Legumes from Kerala. Indian J. For. (Addl. Ser.) 10: 605-613.
Sasidharan, N. 1999. Study on the Flora of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. KFRI
Research Report No. 167. KFRI, Peechi.
Sasidharan, N. 2002. F/oristic Studies in Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary. KFRI
Research Report No. 246. KFRI, Peechi.
DISCUSSION
Dr. J.K. Shanua: How much of the forest area do you think, in Kerala has been
explored for the RET species?
N.S.: In Kerala there are 14 protected areas. Only 8 have been explored. Others are
being explored, but reports
are not available. Northern Kerala needs to be
thoroughly explored.
Dr. J.K. Shanna: Areawise, how much area has been explored?
N.S: Districtwise studies are being taken up by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI)
and 12 districts have been already completed. Wayanad and Ernakulam have not
been completed. Aralam is another important area where there is scope for further
explorations.
Dr. A. G. Pandurangan: What is the locality of Hopea jacobii? Does it occur in Silent
Valley?
N.S.: I have seen the specimens, but there are no indications on the locality. In BSI
there are specimens from Karnataka.
Dr. A.G. Pandurangan: I have collected Buchnania barberi from southern Kerala. Any
comment?
N.S.: It could be only B. angustifolia, the type locality of which is Nadayara, Kollam.
Dr A. G. Panduranagan: But we have verified the identity of the specimens of B.
baraberi from Mr. Santhosh Kumar.
Dr. M.P. N ayar: The concept of RET species on the basis of political boundaries
(District) should be changed. As they occur in the forest areas, they should be
studied on the natural geographical area basis. GIS data should be also generated. It
should not be a taxonomist's job alone. KFD should initiate programmes to conserve
them, otherwise they can become extinct. Trees require more attention.
N.S.: 1 agree with Or Nayar. As custodians, KFD should take the initiative.
Handbooks, CDs, and videos can also be brought out, so that untrained people can
also understand and identify the species.
Dr.V.M. Chandrashekara: We have established nearly 60 permanent plots for the
study of biodiversity, distributed throughout Kerala. And we have located the rare
tree, Actinodaphne lawsonii, in two of plots in the Nilambur area.
Government of Kerala
FORESTS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
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Ecologically Fragile Lands
Mr. V.K. Sinha: Do KFRI have programmes for population ecological and
reproductive biological studies other than just exploration and identification?
N.S.: Yes. Dr K. Balasubramaniam will review it during his presentation.
Dr. C. Kunhikannan: Some of the RET plants such Ellipnnthes neglectus have been
located in sacred groves.
N.S.: Sacred groves are really interesting and rich in plant diversity. They should be
protected.
Mr. Nagesh Prabhu: Are RET species assessed on the basis of IUCN criteria? Are the
ecologically valuable RET species economically also valuable? Are you going to
involve forest officials in conserving the RET species?
N.S.: Yes, the RET species are to be assessed based on the recently revised IUCN
(1994) criteria. Their website gives the details. Just as the RET species are ecologically
important, many of them are economically important too. In fact, some of them are
keystone species. Perhaps Dr M.P. Nayar can further highlight this aspect. We
would be very happy to involve the forest officials for conservation of the RET
species.
Dr.M.P. Nayar: The RET species are dependant on other species for their survival-
e.g. for pollinators. The relationship is actually mutual. Take the case-of Cullenia
exarillata - the lion tailed macaques are dependant on it for food. Conservation
biology is related to the web of life. Any break in the food chain or web will create
loss of species. Keystone species are important. So a holistic ecosystem study
approach is required. The recently revised IUCN criteria provide more guidelines
for defining the different RET categories.
Dr J.K. Sharma: RET species should be studied in close association with other
species as they have strong ecological niches. Dr Nair has indeed made some good
comments on this. Since a holistic approach is required, institutions should come
together to tackle the problems jointly.
Government of Kerala
FORESTS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
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