Conservation of Indian Pandanaceae: Current Status and Need

Abstract

Conservation is meant to protect and to make sustainable the use of available genetic resources. The genetic resources play an important role in environmental protection, sustainable management, and conservation of biodiversity. Conservation of genetic resources not only prevents extinction of a species but also reduction of gene pool and loss of genes and genotypes (Nghia 2001). Deforestation and shifting cultivation are the main causes of forest fragmentation, which can lead to a decline of natural populations and a loss of genetic diversity (Nghia 2001). During the past five decades, extensive human activities such as livestock grazing, wood fuel cutting, urbanization, and temporary arid land cultivation have put a great pressure on vegetation and led to vegetation deterioration (Heady 1963; Batanouny 1991). Conservation of plant diversity assumes greater importance when the world is facing an unprecedented loss of biological diversity. A number of approaches for setting priorities have been developed and used by various agencies worldwide; however, the IUCN red listing is probably the most widely used and accepted approach for prioritizing species at the global level (http://www.hcvnetwork.org). As per an estimate, about 60,000 out of 287,655 species of plants known in the world are facing the threat of extinction. As per the revised 1994 IUCN Red List Categories; among the 11,824 species that were evaluated for their threat status, 8,321 species are now on the IUCN Red List 2004 (Baillie et al. 2004).