Uttarakhand Forest Department conserves 2,447 plant species

Pithoragarh, May 22 (PTI) Uttarakhand Forest Department has conserved a total of 2,447 plant species through in-situ and ex-situ methods across all seven ranges of the state, officials said on Wednesday.

In-situ is the method of conserving the species, especially the wild and endangered species in their natural habitats and environment and ex-situ is the method in which a plant species is conserved outside its natural habitat.

The information was mentioned in the 5th annual report of the research wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department, which was released on the occasion of the International Day for Biological Diversity.

“Our preservation programme is the biggest in Uttarakhand and one of the biggest in India and the world,” head of the research wing and Chief Conservator of Forests Sanjeev Chaturvedi said.

The programme began in 2020 and covers all groups of plant species in Uttarakhand, he said.

The preserved species include 493 trees, 184 herbs, 168 shrubs, 46 bamboo species, 12 cane and 86 wild species, 107 types of grass, 191 ferns, 114 orchids, 88 palms, 20 cycads, 285 cacti and succulents, 50 acquific 28 insectivorous, 85 lichens, 107 bryobhyls 14 algae and 15 air plants, Chaturvedi said.

Of these species under preservation, 59 are endemic to the Uttarakhand region, he said.

According to the report, the forest research wing initially took up the task of preserving 1,145 plant species when the wing was started in 2020.

“The number of preserved plants has doubled over the past four years,” Chaturvedi said.

“Of these plant species under preservation, 109 are listed under threat category, 12 endangered and 16 vulnerable category in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list,” he said.