By Tia Chopra
Why is it that when we think of wildlife, our minds only think of magnificent tigers, elephants or kangaroos?
Wildlife, the multisided web of life on our planet, holds countless varieties of organisms, each playing a precise and significant role in maintaining ecological equilibrium.
While fauna often captures our attention, it is crucial to acknowledge that wildlife encompasses not only animals but also plants, trees and the other diverse and vital groups are known as flora. Flora is the basis for numerous ecosystems, offering them shelter and habitat. From age-old forests to flourishing grasslands, plants shape the backbone essential for upholding an enormous number of animal species. In fact, some of our planet's most biologically diverse regions are identified by their abundance of plant life. India itself harbors four biodiversity hotspots: the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region, and Sundaland.
These areas are teeming with flora that sustains an incredible variety of wildlife found here.
India prides itself on being home to an opulent and diverse flora; however, many of our blooming plant species face endangerment. Some of them being:
1. Kadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba), a beautiful tree with fragrant, orange-yellow flowers, the Kadamba is endangered due to habitat loss and logging.
2. Lady’s Slipper Orchid (Cypripedioideae spp.):
These striking orchidsare known for their unique slipper-shaped flowers , and are highly sought after by collectors. They are endangered due to habitat destruction and illegal collection.
3. Indian Sandalwood (Santalum album), Sandalwood is highly valued for its fragrant heartwood and oil, making it susceptible to overharvesting. It is also threatened by habitat loss.
4. Black Kurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), Famous for its mass flowering once in 12 years, this plant is endangered due to habitat destruction and changes in land use.
5. Blue Vanda Orchid (Vanda Coerulea), Found in northeastern India, this orchid is at risk due to habitat loss and illegal collection.
The relentless surge of human activities has triggered this silent but disastrous crisis that threatens the very foundation of our planet's biodiversity. Such activities disrupt pollination, seed dispersal and other vital processes that plants and trees rely on for reproduction.
Illegal logging in protected areas is exacerbating the loss of biodiversity. The woods of trees, such as rosewood, mahogany, sandalwood etc, are being prime targets because of their economic benefits which is creating additional pressure on such species.
Bees, butterflies, birds, and other pollinators rely on nectar and pollen from flowers, forming delicate relationships. For example, bumblebees are excellent pollinators for tomato plants. They buzz around tomato flowers, causing them to release pollen, which fertilizes the flowers and leads to the development of tomatoes. Declines in plant populations can disrupt such relationships, leading to declines in the number of pollinators and, consequently, reduced crop yields. Plants are also essential for the pollination of crops, which are crucial for global food security.
Hence, plant biodiversity conservation deserves as much of our attention as animal conservation, as these are interconnected and feed into each other’s survival. For instance, the elephant apple tree disperses its seeds with the help of elephants who feed on these apples and then disperse the seeds through defecation. It is high time that we acknowledge and correct the neglect of flora.
Meaningful conservation measures like sustainable land management practices and protection of native plant species are an absolute necessity to mitigate the damage and restore this biodiversity.
It is not just the biodiversity of plants and trees that is at stake, it is the diversity of life itself.
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