Impact of Population Structure, Growth Habit and Seedling Ecology on Regeneration of Embelia ribes Burm. f. —Approaches toward a Quasi in Situ Conservation Strategy

Abstract

Embeliaribes Burmf.,also known as Vidanga or Baibidanga, belonging to the family of Myrsinaceae, is an important butvulnerable medicinal woody climber. Recent survey and observations of E. ribes in different aspects likedistribution, population structure, growth habit, climate, natural regenerationand seedling ecology in Karnataka have been thoroughly discussed. This is thefirst report on artificial regeneration through seeds of diverse origins in ex-situ and in situ conditions and field planting of them in its natural environment. Fieldplanting of in vitro and nursery raised seedlings showed better fieldperformance in terms of survival and growth in its natural growing areas only.Current studies and observations have shown that this species has lowecological gradient and is a “habitat specialist”. E. ribes being athreatened species with small populations coupled with low ecological gradientand virtually no natural regeneration, a modified approach of quasi in situ conservation where in in-situ raising of seedlings of diverse origin with an aim to enrich the diversityof existing population was attempted with considerable success.