Threatened is a very popular term used by people, often unscientifically. Originally it is used in context of IUCN Redlisting. In redlisting we talk about the threat to a species and based on the intensity of threat a species is provided a Redlist category. Very often people say RET species, Rare Endangered and Threatened. A species can be rare naturally but not Endangered or Threatened, and a species an be Endangered or Threatened but may not be rare. Prunus cerasoides is classified as Least Concerned in IUCN Redlist at global level. The major threat to this species globally is logging and wood harvesting as per IUCN and also an unknown disease which kills the plant. Plant is also supposed to be used in horticulture and medicine and is a very popular garden plant. But then there are many regional issues. It may happen that at the local level the numbers are going down in Uttarakhand as mentioned by D.K.Joshi in your link. All depends on when scientists are doing the threat assessment what literature they had in their hand to extract information out of it. Secondly the status may change, may go up or go down depending upon the situation. A plant could be abundant in Chopta but still highly threatened at other places. This species is planted, may be thats why it looks common, but may be they dont produce new plants (no new recruitment), who knows. I will tell you one example in Hong Kong. We have an orchid Bulbophyllum bicolor in Hong Kong at around 12 locations. Plants look healthy and some populations are huge. You will say they dont look threatened. But they are. Why? because they never set fruits. We have not seen a single fruit in last 10 years atleast at any of the population. In Laos they say there are 6 elephants left, but in India we have around 30,000 individuals, but they are Endangered and you very well know why. Will tell you another unrelated story. One person from oxford did a study on a species of Cycas from south India. This was a recently described species, Cycas swamyi which was earlier believed to be Cycas circinalis. Cycas circinalis is Endangered on the IUCN list. But no one assessed Cycas swamyi so the student went inside the protected area in india and harvested the plants for his study. Paper came to me for review. I rejected it on two basis: 1. It was illegal to harvest a plant from inside a protected area and author can go to jail. 2. It was illegal to harvest a plant which I will say is Critically Endangered (highest threat category as per IUCN). Journal replied to me that the species is not assessed so how can I say it has higher threat. I replied that the species was described from a single sub-population of a species which is Endangered (a lower threat category), then by logic it becomes Critically Endangered.
Reference: Rhodes, L., Pollard, R.P. & Maxted, N. 2016. *Cerasus cerasoides*. *The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species* 2016: e.T50026860A50670270. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T50026860A50670270.en. Downloaded on 29 November 2019. On Fri, 29 Nov 2019 at 08:20, ushadi <[email protected]> wrote: > Pankaj > i had said this tree PADAM was *Prunus cerasoides* Don. 1825 > and that it was listed as threatened in this link: > and found a hindi essay that says its a threatened tree > > https://www.jagran.com/uttarakhand/almora-padam-tree-is-brink-of-extinction-14999407.html > > to which Shoba mentioned that she "Although they have mentioned that it's > a threatened species,fortunately I could see number of these trees in > Chopta-Mandal region." > > i take it we need a short explanation of what is threatened and > that finding even a small stand of the same tree does not negate the > threatened perception or listing > > thats where i thought you can help us out > > > Regards > Ushadi > > > On Fri, Nov 29, 2019 at 3:51 AM Pankaj Kumar <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Thank you mam. >> What is the question here? >> >> On Thu, 28 Nov 2019 at 20:20, ushadi <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> SHobha >>> threatened status is a tricky thing >>> Threatened status is not removed when one sees a few trees in the same >>> are >>> >>> Pankaj who deals in Orchids and many of them are threatened >>> he can perhaps explain it better in lingo i can understand >>> so copying this to him too >>> Regards >>> Ushadi >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Nov 28, 2019 at 4:53 PM Shobha Halwe-Chavda <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Ushadi ji,I had seen similar tree-flowers of Peach Fruit Tree in Bhutan >>>> last year.I think they too belong to the same Genus - Prunus. >>>> Regards >>>> >>>> On Tuesday, 26 November 2019 14:16:26 UTC+5:30, Shobha Halwe-Chavda >>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Dear Friends, >>>>> Flower for id pl.Local people call this 'पदम’ tree. >>>>> Location - Chopta ( Uttarakhand) >>>>> Date - November 2019 >>>>> Regards, >>>>> Shobha Chavda >>>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "efloraofindia" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> To view this discussion on the web, visit >>>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/47e54c75-0219-47b8-8ac8-856c196676a4%40googlegroups.com >>>> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/47e54c75-0219-47b8-8ac8-856c196676a4%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >>>> . >>>> >>> >> >> -- >> ****************************************************** >> **************************************************************** >> *Pankaj Kumar*, Ph.D. >> *IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group Asia* >> >> *Office*: >> >> Orchid Conservation Section >> >> Flora Conservation Department >> >> Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) Corporation >> Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong S.A.R., China >> >> *email*: [email protected]; [email protected] >> *Phone*: +852 2483 7128 (office - 8:30am to 5:00pm); +852 9436 6251 >> (mobile); *Fax*: +852 2483 7194 >> >> -- ****************************************************** **************************************************************** *Pankaj Kumar*, Ph.D. *IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group Asia* *Office*: Orchid Conservation Section Flora Conservation Department Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) Corporation Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong S.A.R., China *email*: [email protected]; [email protected] *Phone*: +852 2483 7128 (office - 8:30am to 5:00pm); +852 9436 6251 (mobile); *Fax*: +852 2483 7194 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/indiantreepix/CABpo8%3D01eH6qz7WKTdqnBwaKy6-Du2BLTBcvnMxHmNE2h107%3DQ%40mail.gmail.com.
