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Editorial
rimson blossoms of the rhododendron tree (Rhododendron arboreum) pops out of the oak and deodar-draped canvas of the western Himalayas as spring get ready to take over. But in Uttarakhand, where the species is the state tree and supports the local economy, there are reports of early flowering that have elicited concerns over the sensitivity and responses of plants to temperature and rainfall (snow) changes in the warming Himalayas. Adding to the growing discourse on climate sensitivity of species, their ability to keep pace with the changes, and oncoming conservation challenges, R. arboreum is likely to move towards higher elevations in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand to cope with climate change. Present throughout
the Indian Himalayan region, R. arboreum is a culturally and ecologically important tree occurring at an altitude of 1500-3300 m. R. M. Panda of IIT Kharagpur says the species can survive well between 120–170C and in 200 - 1800 mm of rainfall. He cautioned that the species will likely to adjust its distributional range by moving upward (in the western Himalayas) along the elevation gradient with future climate change and geographic isolation as complex terrains could endanger its sustenance. Tree rhododendrons are listed as endangered in southern India, as vulnerable in Sri Lanka and northeast India, and as threatened in the north-western part of its native range. In some regions, however, there is no particular concern about the conservation of tree rhododendrons. R. arboreum is the only species that occurs throughout the entire Himalayan mountain range, as well as in isolated temperate regions in south India and Sri Lanka. In Uttarakhand, buransh populations at higher elevations are said to be relatively stable and healthy, but at low and lower-middle altitudes, a range of human activities on the species is affecting the regeneration of R. arboreum populations. On average, 10-20% of households are involved in the harvest and trade of buransh flowers in four Uttarakhand districts. An average collection of 4 - 30 kg/ household/ season fetches a household Rs. 3000 – 8000/ season from preparations of juice/squash, said natural resource management expert DS Chauhan. This year peak flowering began in March coinciding with the COVID-19 lockdown scuttling the harvest of the red-pink rhododendron blossoms for processing. An Indian government report underscored the warming in the HKH region with a temperature rise of about 1.30C. It said that the future warming in the HKH region, “which is projected to be in the range of 2.6–4.60C” by the end of 2100, “will further exacerbate the snowfall and glacier decline leading to profound hydrological and agricultural impacts in the region.” The Uttarakhand Action Plan on Climate Change stated that the upward shift of the tree line and plants will have severe repercussions such as increasing burden of women who are responsible for fetching fodder and firewood, access edible parts of plants to augment their food security and gather non-timber forest products for a livelihood. DS Chauhan said value addition to products derived from the flowers and other parts and providing incentives to communities would also pave the way for sustainable extraction. To help visualise climate data for climate adaptation and planning, the World Resources Institute India has developed the Partnership for Resilience and Preparedness (PREP) platform, a map-based, open-data online platform that allows users to access and visualize climatic, physical, and socioeconomic data. This platform has been developed and piloted in Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand. PREP data aims at encouraging adaptation practitioners, data developers and innovators, private and public decision-makers, and resilience policy experts to use the platform to analyze vulnerability and build better plans for climate change adaptation. Comments are welcome at: editorialmtpl@gmail.com
Views expressed by individuals and contributors in the magazine are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Floriculture Today editorial board. Floriculture Today does not accept any responsibility of any direct, indirect or consequential damage caused to any party due to views expressed by any one or more persons in the trade. All disputes are to be referred to Delhi Jurisdiction only. .....Editor
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Floriculture Today August 2020
