15 Jan 2022 Red sanders
Red sanders- Today Current Affairs
- Recently the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has once again classified Red Sanders (or Red Sandalwood) as ‘Endangered’ in its Red List.
- In the year 2018, it was classified as ‘Near Threatened’.
Introduction:
- This species ‘Pterocarpus santalinus’ is an Indian endemic tree species of the family, which has a limited geographical range in the Eastern Ghats.
- This species is endemic to specific forest areas of Andhra Pradesh.
- Red sanders generally grow in rocky and fallow soil with red soil and hot and dry climate.
Danger: The Hindu Analysis
- Illegal logging, along with smuggling, forest fire, cattle grazing and other anthropogenic threats.
- Red sanders, known for their rich colour and medicinal properties, are used throughout Asia, especially in China and Japan, to make cosmetics and medicinal products, as well as furniture, wooden crafts and musical instruments.
Conservation status: The Hindu Analysis
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
- CITES: Appendix II
- Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972: Schedule II
Sandalwood spike disease: The Hindu Analysis
- It is an infectious disease caused by phytoplasma.
- Phytoplasmas are bacterial parasites of plant tissue—transmitted by insect vectors and involved in plant-to-plant transmission.
- So far there is no cure for its infection.
- At present there is no option but to cut and remove the infected tree to prevent the spread of this disease.
- This disease was first observed in the year 1899 in Kodagu, Karnataka.
- Between 1903 and 1916, more than a million sandalwood trees were removed in the Kodagu and Mysore regions.
No Comments