40 of 54 Asian Oak Species Lack Botanical Backups

The Story in Brief

A study of 54 threatened or data-deficient Asian oak species found that 40 have no living backup in botanical collections worldwide. The report, by The Morton Arboretum and regional partners, covers 14 regions across East and Southeast Asia. One species, last recorded in 1934, may already be extinct in the wild. Agriculture affects about two-thirds of the species, while logging, plantations, development, climate change and tiny populations add pressure. Two other species are known from just two and one living tree respectively. Conservation teams plan seed collection, propagation and field monitoring, beginning in Vietnam, alongside surveys in Laos.

The Indian Opinion

The lazy narrative is that planting trees in gardens can replace protecting forests. It cannot. The researchers themselves call wild protection the best option, while collections preserve genetic material for possible reintroduction. The opposite claim, that these are merely obscure plants with little public value, is also weak. Oaks support soil, forest structure, wildlife and communities. The immediate test is whether Vietnam’s planned collections produce viable plantings and whether surveys find surviving trees in Laos.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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