THREAT STATUS OF THREE IMPORTANT MEDICINAL HIMALAYAN PLANT SPECIES AND CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

A lack of precise information about the threat status of species hampers their effective conservation. The Target 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity calls for evaluation of threat status at global, national and regional levels to identify plant species of urgent conservation concern. Here we have empirically as-sessed the threat status of three valuable medicinal plant species (Trillium govanianum, Rheum tibeticum, and Arnebia euchroma) through extensive field studies and herbarium consultations in Kashmir Himalaya and cold desert region of Trans-Himalayan Ladakh. In accordance with the IUCN Red List categories and criteria, each of the three target species turned out to be Near Threatened (NT). According to the Nature-Serve Conservation Status Assessment, each of these species faces the overall threat impact of «High» to «Very high». We found that the anthropogenic threats emanating from unplanned economic development, road construction and other infrastructure related projects contribute to a fast decline in natural populations of these three species. Keeping in view the value of these species, on the one hand, and growing threats to their survival in the wild, on the other one, we call for urgent conservation strategies in the vulnerable Himalayan habitats for regional socio-economic development.