U'khand Forest Dept conserves 73 rare, threatened, endangered plant species

The research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department on Saturday informed that it conserved 73 rare, threatened and endangered plant species as well as 54 plant species that are endemic to Uttarakhand and Indian Himalayan Region.

The research wing of the state forest department had released a comprehensive report on the various plant species conserved by it on the occasion of World Environment Day.

Uttarakhand is the only State which has started releasing such reports on an annual basis, the department said.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi, IFS and head of Research Wing said, "This comprehensive report is being released to counter the concept of 'plant blindness' and to create awareness about conservational issues and threats to plant biodiversity, on which our very survival depends."

The report consisting of 264 pages, has a detailed list of 1576 plant species conserved by the Research Wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department at its various centres across the state. It includes 415 tree species out of which 107 ficus species and 22 pine species; 130 shrub species including fifteen types of Tulasi, 87 orchid species, 213 cactus and succulent species, 87 grass species, 37 bamboo species, 96 fern species, 130 herb species and 4five aquatic species, apart from 87 lichen and 30 moss species.

The report contains an entire spectrum of plant kingdom ranging from tree and shrubs to moss and lichen species.

"Out of 1576 conserved species, around five hundred species have medicinal values. Some of the prominent species include Tejpa, Kalpavriksha, BhrahmaKamal, Sanjivini, BadriTulasi, Butterfly Orchid, Snow Orchid, Krishanvata, Rudraksha, LemonGrass, Kevada, ParasPeepal, Sindoori, Apees and Trayman," the report said.

"Around 53 species endemic to Uttarakhand and Himalayan region-means found only here in entire world. Plants becoming extinct at an alarming rate because of forest felling, illegal extraction, forest fire, grazing, construction," it said.