Conservation status of threatened endemic flora of Western Himalayas

Abstract

The present paper reports the findings of field surveys conducted over period in 31 localities of North-West Pakistan for assessing the diversity of phanerogams. No comprehensive floristic studies have been carried out in line with standard methods and internationally accepted criteria of IUCN for categorization of threat level. A total of 1965 specimens were collected comprising of 512 taxa belonging to 107 families and 340 genera. In total 240 47% of the species were assessed as threatened. Assessment carried out for 161 species showed that 29 18% of the species were Critically Endangered CE , 55 34% were Endangered EN , 51 32% were Vulnerable VU , and 26 16% were Near Threatened NT . The remaining 272 species fell in the Least Concern LC category. Six of the CE species had less than 10 species in their respective area of occupancy AOO . The major threats to plant biodiversity in the study area are: collection for medicinal use, over-grazing, use as fuel wood or timber, land clearing and erosion, faced by 113, 93, 73, 72 and 61 species respectively. The study concludes that the dangers to species survival are ‘clear and present’. The CE species require immediate attention keeping in view the human environment of high population growth rate, poverty, illiteracy and subsistence farming

Keywords

• conservation,endemic,plant diversity,threatened,Western Himalayas

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