endangered plants in in india?

Question

With some info about them

Answer 1

There are a lot of them. Here is a site with some info about endangered species of Kerala and another site about the Western Ghats

Answer 2

Threats to Indian biodiversity

India has a total of 89,451 animal species accounting for 7.31% of the faunal species in the world (MoEF 1997) and the flora accounts for 10.78% of the global total. The endemism of Indian biodiversity is high - about 33% of the country's recorded flora are endemic to the country and are concentrated mainly in the North-East, Western Ghats, North-West Himalayas and the Andaman and Nicobar islands. However, this rich biodiversity of India is under severe threat owing to habitat destruction, degradation, fragmentation and over-exploitation of resources.

According to the Red List of Threatened Animals (IUCN. 2000), 44 plant species are critically endangered, 113 endangered and 87 vulnerable. Amongst animals, 18 are critically endangered, 54 endangered and 143 are vulnerable. Ten species are Lower Risk conservation dependent, while 99 are Lower Risk near threatened. India ranks second in terms of the number of threatened mammals, while India is sixth in terms of countries with the most threatened birds (IUCN. 2000).


Table: Threatened Animals of India by Status Category
Ex
EW
CR
EN
VU
LR/cd
LR/nt
DD

0
0
18
54
143
10
99
31







Legend
Ex-extinct; EW-Extinct in the Wild; CR- Critically Endangered; VU-Vulnerable; LR/cd-Lower Risk conservation dependent; LR/nT- Lower Risk near threatened; DD-Data Deficient

Source:
IUCN. 2000


Table: Threatened Plants of India by Status Category
Ex
EW
CR
EN
VU
LR/cd
LR/nt
DD

7
2
44
113
87
1
72
14







Legend
Ex-extinct; EW-Extinct in the Wild; CR- Critically Endangered; VU-Vulnerable; LR/cd-Lower Risk conservation dependent; LR/nT- Lower Risk near threatened; DD-Data Deficient

Source:
IUCN. 2000


Threatened Species of India by taxonomic group
Taxonomic group
Number of threatened species

Mammals
86

Birds
70

Reptiles
25

Amphibians
3

Fish
3

Molluscs
2

Other Invertebrates
21

Plants
244

Total
459



















Source
IUCN. 2000

The major proximate causes of species extinction are habitat loss and degradation affecting 89 percent of all threatened birds, 83 percent of mammals and 91 percent of all threatened plants assessed globally (IUCN. 2000). The main causes of habitat loss are agricultural activities, extraction (including mining, fishing, logging and harvesting) and development (human settlements, industry and associated infrastructure). Habitat loss and fragmentation leads to the formation of isolated, small, scattered populations. These small populations are increasingly vulnerable to inbreeding depression, high infant mortality and susceptible to environmental stochasticity, and consequently, in the end, possible extinction. Changes in forest composition and quality, and the resultant habitat type lead to declines in primary food species for wildlife.

Exploitation such as hunting, collecting, fisheries and trade are a major threat to birds (37%), mammals (34%), plants (8% of those assessed), reptiles and marine fishes. In India, poaching is another insidious threat that has emerged in recent years as one of the primary reasons for the decline in numbers of species, such as the tiger. Poaching pressures, however, are unevenly distributed since certain selected species are more heavily targeted than others are. Alien invasive species are a significant threat affecting 350 (30% of all threatened) birds and 361 (15% of all threatened) plant species. Islands are particularly susceptible to invasions of alien species.

The underlying causes of biodiversity loss, however, are poverty, macroeconomic policies, international trade factors, policy failures, poor environmental law/weak enforcement, unsustainable development projects and lack of local control over resources (Wood et al. 2000). Population pressures and concomitant increases in the collection of fuelwood and fodder, and grazing in forests by local communities too take their toll on the forests, and consequently its biodiversity.

Answer 3

all of them