Conservation status of threatened endemic flora of Western Himalayas

Year 2016, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 91 - 99, 15.12.2016

Sultan- Ud-dın Mukhtar Alam Habib Ahmad Haider Alı Hidayat Ullah

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

References

• Ahmad, M., Khan, M.A., Manzoor, S., Zafar, M., Sultana, S. (2006). Checklist of medicinal flora of Tehsil Isakhel, District Mianwali, Pakistan. Journal of Ethnobotanical Leaflets, 10(1), 41-48.
• Akeroyd, J. (2002). A rational look at extinction. Plant Talk Hilton-Taylor, C. 2000. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK 28, 35-37.
• Alam. J., Ali, S.I. (2009). Conservation Status of Astragalus gilgitensis Ali (Fabaceae): A Critically Endangered Species in the Gilgit District, Pakistan. Phyton, 48(2), 211‒223.
• Ali, S.I., Qaiser, M. (1986). A Phyto-geographic Analysis of the Phanerogams of Pakistan and Kashmir, Proceeding of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 89B, 89-101.
• Ali, S.I., Qaiser, M. (1992-2012). Flora of Pakistan. Nos. 194-208. Department of Botany, University of Karachi.
• Ali, S.I. (2008). Significance of Flora with special reference to Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 40, 967-971.
• Anonymous. (1998). Population census report district Shangla, Population Census Organization Statistics Division, Islamabad. Census publication No. 10-19.
• Anonymous. (2001). IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (Version 3.1) IUCN Species Survival Commission, IUCN Gland: Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. [http:www.redlist.org/info/categories_criteria2001.htm. accessed 13 April, 2011].
• Anonymous. (2004). Decision No. VII/30. Strategic Plan. Future Evaluation of Progress. 7th meeting-Conference of Parties to the Convention on Bio-Diversity (CBD), Kualalumpur.
• Anonymous. (2008). IUCN Red List of Threatened species. www.iucnredlist.org cited on March 02, 2008.
• Anonymous. (2009a). Biodiversity is life- Educational Manual Published by World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) © 2009. WAZA. Executive Office Lindenrain 3, 3012 Bern, Switzerland, 16-16.
• Anonymous. (2009b). Economic Survey 2007-08. Ministry of Finance, Government of Pakistan Islamabad Pakistan, 267-284.
• Champion, H.G., Seth, S.K., Khattak, G.M. (1965). Forest types of Pakistan, Peshawar: Pakistan Forest Institute p. 238.
• Chaudhri, M.N., Qureshi, R.A. (1991). Pakistan’s Endangered Flora –II. Pakistan Systematics, 5, 1-84.
• Ghazanfar, S., Osborne, J. (2010). Conservation through restoration: study of a degraded gravel plain in South Eastern Arabia. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 42, 193-204.
• Hamayun, M., Khan, S.A., Sohn, E.Y., Lee, I.J. (2006). Conservation assessment of Hindu Kush Mountainous region of Pakistan. A case study of Utror and Gabral valley, district Swat, Pakistan. Asian Journal of Plant Sciences, 5(4), 725-732.
• Hamayun, M. (2005). Studies on Ethno botany, Conservation and Plant Diversity of Utror and Garbal Valleys District Swat, Pakistan. Ph.D. thesis Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
• Hamayun, M. (2007). Traditional uses of some medicinal plants of Swat valley, Swat. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 6(4), 636-641.
• Haq, F.U., Ahmad, H., Alam, M., Ahmad, I., Rahatullah. (2010). Species diversity of vascular plants of Nandiar valley, Western Himalaya, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 42, 213-229.
• Hilton-Taylor, C. (2000). IUCN Red List of threatened species. IUCN, Gland: Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.
• Ibrar, M. (2003). Conservation of Indigenous Medicinal Plants and their Traditional Knowledge found in Moist Temperate Himalayas Pakistan. PhD thesis Department of Biological Sciences Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad.
• Kaharman, A., Onder, M., Ceyhan, E. (2011). Biodiversity and Biosecurity in Turkey. International Conference on Biology, Environment and Chemistry IPCBEE 2011, 24 IACSIT© Press, Singapore.
• Khan, M.Y. (2001). Revised Resource Management Plan for Alpurai Forest Division. Government of NWFP, Forest Department.
• Khan, Q. (2008). Conservation Issues Assessment of Medicinal plants of lilownai, District Shangla. M.Sc thesis submitted to Botany Department Hazara University Mansehra.
• Khattak, S.K.M. (1984). Revised working plan for the lower Indus Kohistan Forests of Alpuri Forest Division Pakistan p. 14-19.
• McCann, K.S. (2000). The diversity-stability debate. Nature, 405(6783), 228-233.
• Myers, N., Mittermeier, R.A., Mittermeier, C.G., da Foneca, G.A.B., Kent, J. (2000). Biodiversity Hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 403(6772), 853-858
• Naeem, S., Chair, F.S., Chapin III, Costanza, R., Ehrlich, P.R., Golley, F.B., Hooper, D.U., Lawton, J.H., O’Neill, R.V., Mooney, H.A., Sala, O.E., Symstad, A.J., Tilman, D. (1999). Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Maintaining Natural Life Support Processes. Issues in Ecology v. 4, p 12. Ecological Society of America, 1707 H Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC, 20006.
• Nasir, E., Ali, S.I (Eds.). (1970-1979). Flora of West Pakistan. No. 1-131. Islamabad, Karachi.
• Nasir, E., Ali, S.I (Eds.). (1970-1995). Flora of Pakistan. Islamabad and Karachi: National Herbarium/ NARC and Department of Botany, University of Karachi.
• Nasir, E., Ali, S.I (Eds.). (1980-1989). Flora of Pakistan. No. 132-190. Islamabad: Karachi.
• Nasir, E., Ali, S.I (1972). Flora of Pakistan. PARC: Islamabad, Pakistan.
• Nasir, Y.J. (1991). Threatened plants of Pakistan. In Plant Life of South Asia. (Eds.) SI Ali and A. Ghaffar. Shamim Press Karachi p. 229-234.
• Rechinger, K.H. (1957-2001). Flora Iranica. Naturhist. Museum, Graz.
• Sala, O.E., Chapin III, F.S., Armesto, J.J., Berlow, R., Bloomfield, J., Dirzo, R., Huber-Sanwald, E., Huenneke, L.F., Jackson, R.B., Kinzig, A., Leemans, R., Lodge, D., Mooney, H.A., Oesterheld, M., Poff, N.L., Sykes, M.T., Walker, B.H., Walker, M., Wall, D.H. (2000). Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100. Science, 287(5459), 1770-1774.
• Schippmann, U., Leaman, D.J., Cunningham, A.B. (2002). Impact of cultivation and gathering of medicinal plants on biodiversity: Global trends and Issues. Publ. FAO. Biodiversity and the Ecosystem Approach in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. 9th Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rome, 12-13 October 2002.
• Shah, M., Farrukh, H. (2012). Conservation assessment of plant resources of Chakesar valley, District Shangla, KPK, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 44, 179-186.
• Shaheen, H., Qureshi, R.A., Shinwari, Z.K. (2011). Structural diversity, vegetation dynamics and anthropogenic impact on lesser Himalayan subtropical forests of Bagh District, Kashmir. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 43(4), 1861-1866.
• Sher, H.A., Ali, A., Ahmad, De Boer, H.J. (2014). Economic benefits of high value medicinal plants to Pakistani communities: an analysis of current practice and potential. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 10(1), 71-71.
• Sher, H., Hussain, F. (2009). Ethnobotanical evaluation of some plant resources in Northern Pakistan. African Journal of Biotechnology, 8(17), 4066-4076.
• Stewart, R.R. (1972). An annotated catalogue of Vascular plants of West-Pakistan and Kashmir. Karachi: Fakhri Printing Press, p. 1029.
• Stork, N.E. (2010). Re-assessing current extinction rates. Biodiversity and Consrvation, 19(2), 357-371.
• Sudhersan, C., Abo, El-Nil, M., Hussain, J. (2003). Tissue culture technology for the conservation and propagation of certain native plants. Journal of Arid Environments, 54(1), 133-147.
• Ture, C., Bocuk, H. (2010). Distribution patterns of threatened endemic plants in Turkey: A quantitative approach for conservation. Journal for Nature Conservation, 18(4), 296–303.
• Uysal, I., Mine, T., Bahar, K., Onur, E. (2016). Morphological, anatomical and ecological properties and conservation strategies on the endemic Crocus gargaricus herb ssp. gargaricus and Muscari bourgaei Baker growing in Kazdağ (Turkey). Biological Diversity and Conservation, 9(2), 70-83.