Nagpur: Forest Survey of India (FSI), in its recent floral survey at Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), discovered a new flower species Polygonum Chaturbhujanum. The researchers found the one of its kind species on Gol Pahadi Island within Pench.
During the survey, 863 plant species belonging to 554 genera and 117 families were recorded. Out of the total number of species reported, 32 plant species are of rare distribution, 6 species are strictly endemic to the Indian subcontinent, and 46 species are indigenous to India. Among these species, 294 are herbs, 157 are natural trees, 131 are climbers, 131 belong to grasses, 52 are species of shrubs and remaining are avenue trees and epiphytic plants.
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Wed 18 Dec. 2024
During this survey, most of the biodiversity found is of grass species, and it is interesting that Pench does not have extensive grasslands and most of the grasses are under canopy. “This study will help us improve our understanding of their unique roles in the ecosystem. With this information, we can monitor population and track how species respond to disturbances in their environments,” Dr Prabhunath Shukla, Deputy Director, PTR, told a local newspaper. Such surveys help in maintaining ecosystem equilibrium by creating successful management policies, Dr Shukla added.
When asked about the new species found in PTR, Dr Shukla said, “It is a new species for us. It has been submitted for further research, and soon an article will be published in a scientific journal with details and photographs of the new species.” Aeginetia Indica, Boerhavia Crispa, Habenaria Gibsonii var Foetida, Iphigenia Pallida, Petalidium Barlerioides, and Gibson’s Barleria are the other six species found in the forest which are only found in India, and are rare in the world, Dr Shukla said.
According to Flora of Nagpur District (Ugemuge 1986), there are 1,136 plant species in the district which fall under 669 genera and 142 families. The floral diversity of Pench represents around 5.8% of the floral diversity of the entire country, which consists of 45,000 plant species, representing about 7%of the world’s flora, including over 15,000 flowering plants. The survey was carried out through the technical support of FSI. Dr K Chandramohan, Dr D Ravivarma, and their team had been working on this survey for more than a year. After the survey, Dr K Chandramohan and Dr D Ravivarma authored a book titled ‘Flowering Plants of Pench Tiger Reserve Maharashtra’ which was edited by Dr Prabhu Nath Shukla and Chaturbhuja Behera. The book was released by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently in presence of Zilla Parishad President Mukta Kokadde, Krupal Tumane, and District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar.
The book provides popular names, family, key characters, global distribution, and medicinal importance of each species. The book is designed for nature lovers, who are interested in forest as well as foresters to help them in identifying plant species by comparing photographs.
