Tamil Nadu Records Lowest Rosewood Tree Density in South India: Study

Fast Summary:

• species & Habitat: Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia), native to Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris, Anamalai, and Parambikulam ranges, has only 17.2% of suitable habitats within protected areas according to the Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST).
• Ecological Importance: Known as the “ivory of the forests,” it is a premium timber resource and an ecological keystone species that supports biodiversity, improves soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, and acts as a carbon sink.
• Declining Populations: Field studies across 12 states reveal significant population declines with Tamil Nadu having just 2.85 trees per 0.1 hectare compared to Karnataka’s 6.19 and Kerala’s 5.38.
• Regulatory Concerns: The lapse of the Tamil Nadu Rosewood Trees (Conservation) Act in February 2025 may lead to increased exploitation; privately owned trees are especially at risk.
• Habitat Modelling Insights: High suitability areas identified within six districts in Tamil Nadu-Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur, Dindigul, Theni-are largely outside protected zones.
• Threats & Pressure: Climate models predict shrinking habitats due to global warming while international demand for rosewood fuels illegal timber harvests. Even though listed under Appendix II of CITES and classified ‘Vulnerable’ by IUCN as 2018, Indian domestic conservation efforts lag behind.

Indian opinion Analysis:

The findings highlight critical challenges in conserving India’s native biodiversity amidst regulatory lapses and global commercial pressures. the non-renewal of the Tamil Nadu Rosewood Conservation Act risks exposing remaining populations-key genetic reservoirs for future regeneration-to unchecked logging activities.

The limited inclusion of suitable habitat within protected zones underscores systemic gaps in conservation planning that must integrate scientific insights from field studies like those conducted by IWST. Legal instruments such as tagging systems or sustainable plantation certification can serve dual purposes by protecting wild stocks while promoting economic interests.

Given rosewood’s ecological significance as a carbon sink amid escalating climate concerns globally-and its economic value domestically-it becomes imperative for regional governments like Tamil Nadu’s to urgently reinstate legal protections and chart policies fostering co-existence between preservation goals and commerce-derived demands.Read more here.