Plant Inventory

Our lives depend on plants and without them, the ecosystem would cease to function. Our survival and survival of all species is tied to plants. The Research Wing of Uttarakhand Forest department strives to check the rate of plant diversity loss, while having a positive vision to have a sustainable future where plant species are able to thrive and be maintained (including preservation of their communities and habitats, plants’ gene pool and ecological associations), and, which in turn improves diversity of plant species and supports the livelihoods and well being of humankind.

Mission

Our mission is to discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life. Plant diversity, the world’s greatest renewable natural resource, is being lost at an alarming rate, and we must act with the greatest urgency to document and conserve it before it is too late. The Research Wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department has recognized and accepted its responsibility to stem the loss of biodiversity and cultural diversity, actively conserve rare and endangered plants, apply adaptive management approaches to natural area conservation, preserve regional diversity and be an effective leader, mentor, and practitioner of environmental protection at home and throughout the state

Goals

The core of our conservation programme, for the State of Uttarkhand, is five goals, expressed as a total of 15 targets. The five objectives and their 15 targets for 2021 are

• Objective I: Plant diversity is well understood, documented and recognized
• Target 1: An online flora of all known plants.
• Target 2: An assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species, as far as possible, to guide conservation action.
• Target 3: Information, research and associated outputs, and methods necessary to implement the Strategy developed and shared.
• Objective II: Plant diversity is urgently and effectively conserved
• Target 4: A reasonable portion of each ecological region or vegetation type secured through effective management and/or restoration.
• Target 5: An appropriate part of the most important areas for plant diversity of each ecological region, is protected with effective management in place for conserving plants and their genetic diversity.
• Target 6: An appropriate part of known threatened plant species conserved in situ.
• Target 7: A significant part of threatened plant species grow in ex situ collections, preferably near areas of origin, and a portion of it is available for recovery and restoration programmes.
• Target 8: Genetic diversity of wild relatives of crops and other socio economically valuable plant species is conserved, while associated indigenous and local knowledge is respected, preserved and maintained.
• Target 9: Effective management plans in place to prevent new biological invasions and to manage important areas for plant diversity that are invaded.
• Objective III: Plant diversity is used in a sustainable and equitable manner
• Target 10: No species of wild flora endangered by illegal trade.
• Target 11: All wild harvested plant based products are sourced sustainably.
• Target 12: Indigenous and local knowledge innovations and practices associated with plant resources maintained or increased, as appropriate, to support customary use, sustainable livelihoods, local food security and health care.
• Objective IV: Education and awareness about plant diversity, its role in sustainable livelihoods and importance to all life on earth is promoted
• Target 13: The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated into communication, education and public awareness programmes.
• Objective V:To develop the capacities and public engagement necessary to implement the strategy.
• Target 14: The number of trained people working with appropriate facilities sufficient according to needs of State, to achieve the targets of this Strategy.
• Target 15: Institutions, networks and partnerships for plant conservation established or strengthened at national, regional and international levels to achieve the targets of this Strategy.

Plant blindness

This term was coined in 1998 by Elisabeth Schussler and James Wandersee, a pair of US botanists and biology educators. They described it as "the inability to see or notice the plants in one's own environment".

Plant blindness, results in an under appreciation of plants – and in a limited interest in plant conservation. Plant conservation not only matters for environmental health but also, for human health, in the long run.

Plant research is critical to many scientific breakthroughs, from hardier food crops to more effective medicines. More than 28,000 plant species are used medicinally, including plant derived anti cancer drugs and blood thinners.

Experimenting on plants also offers an ethical advantage over some forms of animal testing: versatile techniques in areas like genome editing can be refined using plants, which are easy and inexpensive to breed and control. For instance, the genome sequencing of Arabidopsis, a flowering plant important in biology research, was a landmark not only in plant genetics, but in genome sequencing in general.

In human societies, there is also a constant reinforcement of the idea that animals are fundamentally more interesting and visible than plants. We name animals and assign them human characteristics. We often use animals as sport team mascots and we’re attuned to individual variation among animals: the personality of a dog, say, or the unique colour pattern of a butterfly.

Even within animal conservation, certain charismatic animals (particularly large mammals with forward facing eyes) receive the lion’s share of attention. Indeed, Williams’ research has shown that people are more supportive of conservation efforts for species with human like characteristics.

Increased urbanisation and time spent with devices means that Plant blindness is on the rise. As Schussler has explained, “humans can only recognise (visually) what they already know”.

The challenge is magnified for plants. For example, in 2011 plants made up 57% of the federal endangered species list in the US, but they received less than 4% of federal endangered species funding.

One key to reduce plant blindness is to increase the frequency and variety of ways we see plants. This should start early. It is important to get children involved with plants early, such as on nature walks.

Everyday interactions with plants is the best strategy.

Plants could also be emphasised more in art. Visuals and stories are important for getting students to connect with plants and to start asking questions about plants’ experiences, such as how plants get old.

In India, the human plant link is more about religion and medicine. Plants are deeply intertwined in so many aspects of Indian cultural life.

From mythological perspectives, trees, leaves and flowers would all be significant, but from medicinal perspectives in Ayurveda, many other parts of the plants have value – leaves, roots, flowers and seeds.

Bio-Diversity in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand being a part of Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is home to vast variety and unique range of floral and faunal diversity of India as the State is uniquely endowed with diverse assemblage of natural ecosystems. According to scientific studies, the diversity under 1503 genera and 2133 families of flowering plants, including 93 endemic species is harboured in various vegetation types, ranging from sub tropical forests in upper Gangetic plain and Shiwaliks zone in the south to arctic alpine vegetation of trans Himalayan cold desert in the north in Uttarkhand.

Click to see plant inventories of 2023      Click to see plant inventories of 2024