COMMENTARY

Bringing back from the brink: a new initiative to prevent the

extinction of critically endangered tree species in the wild

Ganesan Balachander, E. M. Muralidharan, G. Ravikanth, B. R. Ramesh, Uma Shankar and Kamal Bawa

We live in what many consider the Age of habitat loss and degradation. Given these and ultimately, ecosystem collapse. In
Anthropocene, where Homo sapiens has challenges, a combination of in-situ, rein- some cases, it can also lead to loss of cul-
become the dominant species on Earth. troduction and ex-situ conservation strate- tural values.
Human activities have significantly altered gies is necessary for effective tree species Rivers et al.4 predict severe consequen-
ecosystems, impacting biodiversity and conservation. ces for people, wildlife and the ecosystem
ecosystem processes. The scale and speed Several factors contribute to the decline of the planet if the widespread loss of trees
of these changes, largely driven by anthro- of tree species: continues. The extinction of a single tree
pogenic factors, are unprecedented. These species can significantly alter an ecosys-
include: Land and sea use change; Direct (i) Limited seed production: Few adult tem, causing a domino effect on its ability
exploitation of species for food, fuel, timber trees in the population may lead to restricted to function and catalysing the loss of many
and medicines; Pollution; The introduction seed production. Phenological patterns, other species. Despite the urgent need for
of invasive alien species. diseases and fruit predation can influence tree conservation, charismatic faunal spe-
Furthermore, owing to vastly developed seed availability and viability. cies such as elephants, tigers and lions of-
supply chain logistics, what was previously ten receive more attention, leaving the
for subsistence and local use has now be- (ii) Habitat fragmentation: Isolated habi- plight of endangered trees largely unno-
come a source for the global marketplace1. tats can prevent pollination or successful ticed.
Historically, mass extinction events were seed-set if pollinators cannot traverse the In addition to the threats faced by indi-
triggered by natural phenomena like aster- fragmented landscape. Small population vidual tree species, whole ecosystems and
oid impacts or volcanic eruptions. However, sizes can be a limiting factor for maintain- landscapes, including two of India’s four
for the first time in Earth’s history, human ing a robust and viable gene pool. biodiversity hotspots – the Western Ghats
actions are causing a mass extinction, and the Eastern Himalayas – are facing
where species are becoming extinct signifi- (iii) Climate change: Rising temperatures, frequent environmental crises and habitat
cantly faster (the sixth mass extinction) shifting rainfall patterns and extreme loss. Furthermore, there is a lack of aware-
than they have for millions of years before2. weather events alter ecosystems, making ness among politicians, decision-makers
survival challenging for many species. and the public regarding the magnitude of
Species that rely on specific climatic con- tree species decline.
The crisis of tree species extinction ditions or narrow geographical ranges are
especially vulnerable.
There are an estimated 374,000 species of Status of past conservation efforts
plants globally3, of which 308,312 are vas- (iv) Species invasions: The invasion of in India
cular plants, including 295,383 flowering species like Lantana camara in the BR
plants. Tree species number approximately Hills, for example, has negatively impacted Past conservation efforts for endangered
60,000, and roughly 30% of the species are the regeneration of native tree species tree species in India have faced several
facing extinction. The corresponding num- through competition or allelopathic effects. challenges:
ber of trees is about 17,500 species. This
figure is double that of threatened mam- (1) Conservation policies: Conservation
mals, birds, amphibians and reptiles com- Why tree conservation matters efforts in India have predominantly focused
bined. The comparable numbers for India on animals. Several protected areas were
are 16,000 species of plants and 2,600 tree Tree conservation is critical for sustaining established on an ad hoc basis without ad-
species, of which 469 are threatened with life on Earth, as trees constitute the main equate emphasis on forest ecosystems in
extinction. One such critically endangered structural and functional elements of the terms of representativeness, integrity and
species, Buchanania barberi, endemic to forest ecosystems. Thus, trees are funda- connectivity5. In the past, forest depart-
the southern Western Ghats, has only two mental to the survival of countless species, ments exploited numerous tree species, such
known surviving individuals at last count. including humans. Their value goes be- as Dipterocarpus spp. and Tectona gran-
Many others have numbers below what yond aesthetic and environmental benefits. dis, for timber to generate revenue; many
might be considered as minimum viable Trees store 50% of the world’s terrestrial species are now categorised as endangered.
population size. Such is the dire situation C and provide a buffer from extreme Beyond anthropogenic pressures, several
in a few cases. weather. Apart from structure, trees regu- tree species – particularly endemic ones
The causes of decline are the same as late the function of these ecosystems, sup- adapted to local bio-climatic conditions –
for overall biodiversity: misguided devel- port many other plants, animals and fungi, are increasingly threatened by the looming
opmental policies often result in habitat and provide people with a wide range of impacts of global climate change6.
loss, population expansion, extraction of socio-economic benefits. Loss of tree diver-
resources and spread of invasive species. In sity could lead to abrupt declines in biodi- (2) Insufficient ecological data: Effective
recent years, climate change is exacerbating versity, ecosystem function and services, species conservation efforts require

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comprehensive data on population struc- is still not in the mainstream when it (vi) Ex-situ conservation: Developing con-
ture and geographical distribution in rela- comes to protecting endangered species servation plans for arboreta, botanical gar-
tion to bioclimate and forest types. The and the restoration of habitats and ecosys- dens and home gardens.
classification of IUCN threat categories is tems.
generally based on such datasets. However, This technique can complement tradi- The proposed efforts aim to characterise
due to a lack of relevant information, many tional conservation methods such as seed diversity through molecular tools and
critically endangered tree species remain collection, but it has limitations, such as morphometric techniques, assess the dyna-
unranked by the IUCN. reduced genetic diversity (if the source of mics of the population, and estimate the
the mother culture is from a single or few number of clonal lines necessary for the
(3) Narrow focus and methodological individuals from a narrow gene pool) and population to be well represented. After the
shortcomings: In the past, forest trees were challenges in transitioning plants from micropropagation process, it is aimed to
managed primarily through silvicultural controlled environments to natural habi- conduct comparative studies on the
practices by the forest departments. Tree tats9. effects of the in vitro culture on the genetic
propagation was typically conducted in Local stewardship will be critical to en- integrity of the species being conserved.
nurseries without considering critical fac- suring the survival of the young plants in However, when a species reaches critically
tors such as genetic diversity, reproductive their early years in the wild. However, tis- low population levels with only a few sur-
strategies, anthropogenic disturbances and sue culture is an attractive option given the viving individuals, conducting comprehen-
ecological constraints. limited options available to propagate en- sive studies on its biology and ecology
dangered tree species. becomes challenging. The long-term sur-
(4) Fragmented and short-term conserva- vival of such species necessitates an inte-
tion efforts: Gene pool conservation, both grated approach combining both in-situ
ex situ and in situ, is essential for maintain- Criteria for selecting tree species and ex-situ conservation strategies. Tissue
ing species diversity and ensuring long- for propagation culture technology offers a valuable com-
term survival. However, many efforts in plementary tool for conserving genetic re-
this direction are fragmented, institution- The proponents of this initiative aim to sources, enabling the propagation and
specific or poorly documented. A notable select about 15 of the 469 tree species in recovery of these highly endangered species.
example is the Department of Biotechno- India that are classified/listed under some
logy’s initiative (2012)7, which claimed to threat category by IUCN for propagation.
have conserved 100 threatened plant spe- The proposed initiative will focus on the Uniqueness of the proposed
cies but lacked comprehensive documenta- following criteria: (i) Endemic and critically initiative: RESTORE
tion and follow-up. endangered taxa (fewer than 50 individuals
remaining); (ii) Biodiversity value, carbon The proposed RESTORE (recovery of en-
sequestration capacity and cultural signifi- dangered species through organised regional
A new approach: restoring cance. efforts) initiative offers a novel, multi-
endangered tree species disciplinary approach to conserving endan-
gered tree species. What is different and
We propose the following strategies for Proposed approaches for species unique about the approach being proposed?
conserving endangered tree species: Rein- recovery
troducing endangered tree species to • An initial proof of concept effort will
strengthen conservation status in natural The broad protocol for species recovery10 set the stage for a larger-scale restora-
habitats where they occur in depleted num- includes the following steps: tion effort in 2025.
bers is the key to preserving tree species. • The scope and space for multiple part-
This may involve collecting seeds, ger- (i) Population surveys: Mapping the habi- ners with different expertise to actively
minating them in nurseries and reintroduc- tat of the species and assessing its quality engage with this action-oriented initia-
ing the hardened plants into their natural for rewilding. tive to make a difference in the conser-
habitats. It also includes restoring degrad- vation impact. A range of disciplines
ed habitats and engaging local communi- (ii) Seed collection: Collecting seeds from and skill sets will be brought to bear,
ties in awareness and conservation efforts. diverse mother plants to ensure genetic di- ranging from deep taxonomic field
versity. knowledge to conduct field surveys;
indigenous knowledge of communi-
Tissue culture technology (iii) Micropropagation: Developing tissue ties, especially as stewards of sacred
culture protocols for species with limited groves; and social science dimensions
Another powerful tool that we will employ seed production. from cultural and religious practices
for propagating endangered tree species which can ameliorate and help in the
particularly for those with limited seed (iv) Recovery plans: Mapping new sites recovery of critically threatened spe-
production or fragmented populations with for reintroduction using species distribu- cies from known drivers of depletion.
very few individuals, involves the growth tion modelling tools. • A range of stakeholders from commu-
of plant cells, tissues and organs in a con- nities, forest departments, research in-
trolled environment8. This technology is (v) Community engagement: Involving stitutions as well as civil society. With
now well established and used extensively local communities in the conservation pro- a dearth of funding for taxonomic res-
in growing commercial plant species, but cess and stewardship. earch in the country, the proposed

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COMMENTARY
long-term conservation programme nal collaboration for a common cause. 9. Fay, M. F., In vitro Cell. Dev. Biol.-Plant,
will highlight the importance of this Beyond the proof-of-concept stage, 1992, 28, 1–4.
initiative to revive and strengthen sup- there is a high potential for seeking sup- 10. Ravikanth, G., Jagadish, M. R., Vasudeva,
port by linking experienced field bota- port from the corporate sector through R., Uma Shaanker, R. and Aravind, N. A.,
Curr. Sci., 2018, 114(3), 504-511.
nists with school and college students its Corporate Social Responsibility
as para taxonomists. The platform window, especially in the habitats and
hopes to attract interest and partnership landscapes where our conservation ini-
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. We thank Krishi
from the hospitality industry, particu- tiatives will be implemented. Bounty (KB) Biotech, for providing in-kind
larly the tourist resorts in the Western contributions with Tissue Culture lab facilities
Ghats region, because of the tropical 1. IPBES, Global assessment report on biodi- as well as primary and secondary hardening
forest ambience many of them seek to versity and ecosystem services of the In- facilities and Ashoka Trust for Research in
conserve or recreate. tergovernmental Science – Policy Platform Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) for fa-
• Employing multiple approaches as rel- on Biodiversity and Ecosystem services. cilitating an inclusive platform for conservation
evant to a given context such as seed IPBES Secretariat, Bonn, 2019, p. 1148; scientists, practitioners and the concerned citi-
collection from the critically endan- https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3831673. zen and community to make collective efforts
gered tree species, and germination 2. Ceballos, G., Ehrlich, P. R., Barnosky, A. for successful outcomes.
D., García, A., Pringle, R. M. and Palmer,
and planting in a plant hardening faci-
T. M., Sci. Adv., 2015, 1(5), e1400253.
lity before rewilding in its range of
3. Christenhusz, M. J. M. and Byng, J. W.,
occurrence; using molecular approaches Phytotaxa, 2016, 261(3), 201–217.
Ganesan Balachander* is at Krishi Bounty
to evaluate the genetic diversity of 4. Rivers, M., Newton, A. C., Oldfield, S., Biotech, Chikkaballapur 562 103, India;
available populations/individuals and and Global Tree Assessment Contributors, E. M. Muralidharan was in the Forest Ge-
using tissue culture technology (deve- Plants, People, Planet, 2023, 5(4), 466– netics and Biotechnology Division, Kerala
loping protocols where none exist for 482. Forest Research Institute, Peechi 680 653,
the species, for micropropagation, in- 5. Ramesh, B. R., Menon, S. and Bawa. K. India; G. Ravikanth is at Ashoka Trust for
cluding mini-clonal propagation). S., Ambio, 1997, 26, 529–536. Research in Ecology and the Environment
• Communication through social media 6. Bose, R., Munoz, F., Ramesh, B. R. and (ATREE), Bengaluru 560 064, India; B. R.
Pélissier, R., J. Biogeograp., 2016, 43(5), Ramesh was at the French Institute,
and the India Biodiversity Portal to
899–910.
publicise the efforts and encourage Puducherry 605 001, India; Uma Shankar
7. Barik, S. K., Tiwari, O. N., Adhikari, D.,
citizen participation in multiple ways, Singh, P. P., Tiwary, R. and Barua, S.,
is in the Department of Botany, North
including crowdfunding for the pro- Curr. Sci., 2018, 114(3), 470–503. Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793 002,
gramme. 8. Carlos, C.-C. A., González-Arnao, M. T. India; Kamal Bawa was at the University
• Private and public sector collaborative and Engelmann, F., Resources, 2013, 2(2), of Massachusetts, Boston 02125, USA.
participation, as well as multi-institutio- 73–95. *e-mail: [email protected]

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