45 Indian Tree species face extinction
The western ghats, the northeast forests and the Andamans might still look pristine but of late there is enough scope to believe that conservation efforts is not not taking the right direction. The loss of habitat due to deforestation and human inhabitation is on the rise if one heeds a recent report by the The World Conservation Union comprising of 83 member countries.
Shocking though is the fact that 45 valuable tree species across India is almost at the brink of extinction. And to boot, 247 tree species have touched the endangered zone.
Reasons abound, theories proliferate but the crux of the issue lies at man’s insatiable greed to overreach his frontiers of existence at the cost of these national green treasures. Flora devastation. Fauna destruction. Betrayal of nature. Whatever, habitat decline has no excuses whatsoever.
Take the following facts that need to brook real answers.
- The Ilex khasiana tree, native to Meghalaya is in its last thores, only 4 left in the high altitude Shillong Peak.
- The Actinodaphne lanata tree, native of the Niligiri Hills cannot be spotted easily. Simply because there is just one left in the Shola forest.
- The Andaman Syzygium manii, a semi-evergreen forest is almost non existent.
- There are no records for many species feared extinct since 2000.
The Botanical Survey of India has to have answers ready. But like all governmental organizations, all they do is refute the evidence and cook up statistics to pat themselves on the back. Remember Sariska and the furore. Seems like the flora in India will meet the same fate as the fauna.
The only way out is for organizations and individuals to speak up in one voice and be heard. The rot has to stop now.
February 14th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
My God is the ‘Tree’. The wise one who listens and speaks prose better than any known man or woman. One day it gave me some advice.
Listen my friends…..for I am but an ant.
A humble suggestion that I also abide by is that when we see a little green orphaned sapling, plant, any flora dying to live yet has been a victim of cruel human neglect…..’SAVE IT PLEASE’!
Shower it with love, as if it were a newborn……see how much love it will clothe you with…more selfless than any human being is capable of.A tiny voice only the lover can hear. Listen to it.
Nurture it, feed it, adore it….soon you will see how this pale and sad orphan has given you its life….a bloom-its soul.
So SAVE ALL THESE ORPHANED ONES:
They are our teachers.
Peace,
Soul-Fire