Sustainable Development  Networking  Programme  

                     The SDNP ENVIS Centre on Floral  Diversity in India has been set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India in the Botanical Survey of India, under the Indo-Canadian Environment Fund  (ICEF) covering  vast network of ENVIS with several thematic areas on environment and associated fields.  ENVIS  Centre, BSI has been assigned  responsibility to strengthen its network to attain sustainability.  ENVIS MOEF  has identified 20 thematic areas in which the ENVIS network partners have to be strengthened to meet the objective. Based on  the performance of the ENVIS Centres, the  ENVIS Centre,  BSI has been identified as one of the ENVIS  Centre  on the thematic area "Biodiversity" under SDNP-ENVIS of ICEF Programme. Main aim of the SDNP ENVIS, BSI is to develop a separate web page with a linkage to the ENVIS website.  The webpage should contain the following key items: Emerging issue, Database, Conventions and Treaties, News clippings, Link with Organizations, Govt. Departments and publications in the thematic area.

Sustainable use of common and wild plants of traditional medicine is the main theme of the work undertaken from SDNP-ENVIS, BSI.  It is intended that the respective data  with photographs can  be available in  CDs.

Phytogeographic distribution of  RET taxa

LIST OF SDNP ENVIS CENTRES

1. Plants possibly / presumed Extinct
2. What are the plants indicator for Pollution ?
3. What are the plants indicator for Mineral ?
4. Is there any plant indicator for Ground water ?
5. What are the plants indicator for Humus ?
6. What are the plants indicator for Soil type?
7. Number of plant species belonging to major group expected to occur in India / World ?
8. Number of wild species in different Crop Group ?
9. What are the eight centres of origin of Cultivated Plants ?
10. What are the twelve mega centres of Cultivated Plants?
11. What are the mega diversity countries of the world and what is the estimated supply of these Plants ?
12. What are the number of species of major group of plants and micro organisms described and estimated ?
13. Dominant plant families and their proportion to the global diversity ?
14. Indian hotspot and number of endemic species of higher plants?
15. What is the estimated endemic species from different group of plants in India?

1.  Plants possibly / presumed Extinct

             The table below showing list of  Indian plants possibly/presumed extinct :  Source Nayar and Sastry  (1987 , 1988 , 1990)

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    2.  What are the plants indicator for Pollution ?

Plants are more sensitive to pollution than humans and can serve as indicators and resistant species as accumulators which collect large amount of pollutants without being damaged.

  Many chemicals, fertilizers, pesticides and fossil fuels release toxic substances into the environment which are absorbed by the plants from air, water and soil. Atmospheric pollutants produced from automobiles, industrial fumes and strong radiations are dangerous to plants. Harmful substances that reach plants through air are CO₂ , SO₂, NO₂, hydrocarbons, dust and smoke. Plants growing in water are severely affected by toxic chemicals like cyanide, chlorine , hypochlorate, phenol, benzyl derivatives and heavy metal compounds present in sewage .

 The effects of different kinds of pollution can be determined by the nature of pollutants and the period of exposure. Under exposure to high concentration, plants suffer acute injuries with externally visible symptoms such as chlorosis, discolouration, necrosis and death of entire plant. Besides morphological changes, chemical, biochemical, such as enzymatic parameter, physiological and fine structural changes also occur in the affected plants.

        Mosses, lichens and some fungi are more sensitive to SO₂ for long time.

 Mercury concentration in Festuca rubera L. grass may be due to chloroalkali setup, and lead (Pb) in leaves is increased due to automobile exhaust.

     Polygonum L., Rheum L., Vicia Tourn., Phaseolus L. and Capsella Medic. are important pollution indicators.

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    3.   What are the plants indicator for Mineral ?

The plants which indicate the presence of characteristic minerals in the soil are called metallophytes, for example - Vellozia candida Mikan. grows in the presence of diamond in soil. Equisetum arvense L., Lonicera confusa DC, Papaver libonticum Boiss., and species of Thuja L.  indicate the presence of gold mineral in the soil. Eriogonum ovafolium Nutt. indicates the presence of silver mineral in soil. Species of Astragalus  L indicate presence of uranium. Lychnis alpina L. indicates copper minerals. Viola tricolor L. are indicates presence of zinc. Salsola spissa Bieb., Eurotia ceratoides (L.) C.A. Mey grow in boron rich soil. Dammara ovata C.Moore ex Gord., Dacrydium Soland ex Forst.f. are indicators for iron mineral. Ilex aquifolium L. grows in aluminium rich soil.

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     4.   Is there any plant indicator for Ground water ?

Certain plant communities indicate the depth of ground water e.g., Capparis aphylla Roth, Acacia senegal Willd., Anogeissus pendula Edgew, Salvadora persica L., Panicum turgidum Forsk., Tamarix L. and species of Zizyphus Tourn.  

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   5.  What are the plants indicator for Humus ?

Some plants act as humus indicator. Monotropa L., Neottia L. and mushrooms indicate the presence of humus in soil. Strobilanthes Blume and Impatiens L. indicate the presence of high humus or litter.

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   6.  What are the plants indicator for Soil type?

Many plants indicate the characteristics of soil. For example, Casuarina sumatrana Fungh., Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. grows in sandy soil. Imperata arundinacea Cyrilli  and Andropogon L. grow on clayey soil. Cotton prefers to grow in black soil. 

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    7.   Number of plant species belonging to major group expected to occur in India / World ?

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     8.  Number of wild species in different Crop Group ?

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   9.  What are the eight centres of origin of Cultivated Plants ?

1.   Chinese-Japanese Region

2.   Hindustan Region

2a.  Indo-Malayan Region

3.   Central Asian Region

4.   Near Eastern Region

5.   Mediterranean Region

6.  Abyssinian Region

7.   South Mexican and Central American Region

8.   South American Region (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia)

8a.  Chile

8b.  Brazil and Paraguay

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   10.  What are the twelve mega centres of Cultivated Plants?

1. Chinese - Japanese Region

2. IndoChinese - Indonesian Region

3. Australian Region

4. Hindustan Region

5. Central Asian Region

6. Near Eastern Region

7. Mediterranean Region

8. African Region

9. European - Siberian Region

10. South American Region

11. Central American and Mexican Region

12. North American Region.

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   11. What are the mega diversity countries of the world and what is the estimated supply of Flowering Plants ?

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   12.  What are the number of species of major group of plants and micro organisms described and estimated ?

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   13.  Dominant plant families and their proportion to the global diversity ?

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   14.  Indian hotspot and number of endemic species of higher plants?

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   15.    What is the estimated endemic species from different group of plants in India ?

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Author information goes here.
Copyright © 2006  [ENVIS.BSI]. All rights reserved.
Revised: 10/06/06.

                                                                            Medicinal Plants common in West Bengal

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