In News:

A recent study has highlighted the alarming decline of the rare Rhododendron wattii, a species endemic to Nagaland and Manipur, especially in the Dzukou Valley, Nagaland. The species is now on the brink of extinction due to severe threats to its survival, raising serious conservation concerns.

Botanical Profile

• Taxonomy and Discovery:
  • First collected by Sir George Watt during his 1882–85 survey in the Japfu Hill range, Nagaland.
  • Belongs to the Rhododendron genus, which has over 1,000 species worldwide.
  • India hosts 132 taxa, of which 129 are found in the northeastern region.
• Growth and Habitat:
  • Grows as a small tree or shrub in the temperate biome.
  • Attains a maximum height of 25 feet.
  • Endemic to Manipur and Nagaland, predominantly in the Dzukou Valley at ~2,600 metres altitude.
• Phenological Features:
  • Evergreen plant with year-round leaf renewal.
  • Flowering: Late February to April.
  • Fruiting:April to December.
  • Produces trusses of 18–25 pink flowers with dark flecks and purplish basal blotches.
  • Pollinated by the Fire-tailed Sunbird (Aethopygaignicauda) and bumble bees.

Conservation Concerns:

• Conservation Status:
  • Listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List due to:
    • Severe population fragmentation.
    • Area of occupancy less than 500 sq. km.
  • Botanists at the Botanical Survey of India consider it Critically Endangered in its natural habitat.
• Threats to Survival:
  • Poor seedling survivability despite abundant seed production.
  • Anthropogenic pressures such as:
    • Deforestation
    • Habitat destruction
    • Use of trees for firewood by local communities.
  • Wildfires: A major fire incident in 2020–21 severely impacted the Dzukou Valley.
  • The lone surviving Rhododendron wattii tree was recorded far from human trails during a recent field study.

Recent Study Highlights:

• Conducted by Imtilila Jing and S.K. Chaturvedi of Nagaland University.
• Published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa.
• Found only one living tree in the surveyed area of 27 sq. km of Dzukou Valley.
• The last previously reported tree in Nagaland (2012–13) was cut down.

Additional Botanical Development in the Region:

While the situation of Rhododendron wattii is grim, the region also witnessed a positive botanical development:

• Discovery of Phalaenopsis wilsonii, a new orchid species in Manipur’s Senapati district.
• Identified by researchers from the Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal.
• It is the ninth species of the Phalaenopsis genus recorded in Manipur.