List of important species

IMPORTANT TERMS

ENDEMIC SPECIES

An endemic species is found only in a specific geographical location, and not found anywhere else. A species may be native to an area, but is not endemic to that areas, if it is found elsewhere too.
For e.g., the Lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), and the Nilgiri Langur are endemic to the western Ghats of India.

KEYSTONE SPECIES

A keystone species is an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether. Keystone species have low functional redundancy. This means that if the species were to disappear from the ecosystem, no other species would be able to fill its ecological niche. The ecosystem would be forced to radically change, allowing new and possibly invasive species to populate the habitat.
Any organism, from plants to fungi, may be a keystone species; they are not always the largest or most abundant species in an ecosystem. However, almost all examples of keystone species are animals that have a huge influence on food webs. The way these animals influence food webs varies from habitat to habitat.

• An example is the wild durian, a tree endemic to the western Ghats. Its fruits attract insects and birds come in to eat insects. Reptiles consume both insects and birds. The tree is also the habitat of monkeys, which eat the fruits, leaves and insects. Even tigers may come to eat the animals that are attracted by all the food in the tree ecosystem.
• If the wild durian tree is removed from the ecosystem, many of the species will be adversely affected and some may disappear.

INDICATOR SPECIES

An indicator species describes an organism that is very sensitive to environmental changes in its ecosystem. Indicator species are almost immediately affected by changes to the ecosystem and can give early warning that a habitat is suffering. Changes associated with external influences such as water pollution, air pollution, or climate change first appear in indicator species. For this reason, indicator species are sometimes known as "sentinel species."

• Lichen, which is sensitive to the presence of heavy metals or acids in rain. It's behaviour may indicate that acid rain is falling in the area. Lichens are mutualistic association of fungus and algae or cyanobacterium and occurs as a crusty patch or busy growths on trees, rocks and bare grounds
• Lichens are very sensitive to SO2 pollution and since industrial revolution a number of their population have become extinct. So, if air is badly polluted by SO2, no lichens may be present.
• Frogs and other amphibians are also indicator species

FLAGSHIP SPECIES

A flagship species acts as a symbol for an environmental habitat, movement, campaign, or issue. They can be mascots for entire ecosystems.
The identification of a flagship species relies heavily on the social, cultural, and economic value of a species. They are often "charismatic megafauna,"-large animals with popular appeal due to their appearance or cultural significance. Flagship species may or may not be keystone or indicator species.

• Flagship species can sometimes be symbols of general ideas about conservation, not representatives of specific ecosystems. However, specific issues are often associated with a specific animal. The movement to end seal hunting in the Arctic found its flagship species in the juvenile harp seal. Polar bears are the unchallenged flagship species associated with climate change.
• The giant panda is perhaps the most familiar flagship species. Pandas are the global symbol of endangered species and the value of captive breeding.
• Bengal Tiger

PRIORITY SPECIES

• It is a WWF term which is solely for the purpose of planning and simple communication
• For WWF, a priority specie may be either a flagship specie or a keystone specie and is chosen to represent an ecoregion or region.

WWF Priority species of India

• Asian Elephant (EN)
• Bengal Tiger (EN)
• One-horned Rhino (VU)
• Black necked Crane (VU)
• Ganges River Dolphin (EN)
• Snow leopard (VU)

WILD LIFE PROTECTION ACT 1972

• The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species. Before 1972, India only had five designated national parks. Among other reforms, the Act established schedules of protected plant and animal species; hunting or harvesting these species was largely outlawed.
• Key Provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act (poaching, smuggling and illegal trade of animals listed shedule 1 to shedule 4 are prohibited)
• Schedule I and II are the most potent sections of the act. This section covers animals which are in the category of endangered species. The sections in this schedule give absolute protection to certain species and these cannot be infringed on any account.(sh-1 lion tailed macaque,black buck,rhinoceros)
• Schedule III and IV. These also have roughly the same provisions of Section I and II, but cover animals that are not in danger of becoming extinct. The penalties under this section are also less than Schedule I and II.(nilgai,vultures etc)
• Schedule V 'Vermin' delineates animals that can be hunted like ducks and deer's. For this purpose the hunter has to apply for a license to the District Forest Officer who will allow a hunter to shoot during a specific season and restricted area. Any infringement can lead to cancellation of the hunting license.
• Schedule VI.Cultivation,collection,extraction,trade of plants and its derivatives listed in sheduled 6 are prohibited. E.g Red Vanda, blue vanda ,pitcher plant etc.

CITES

• CITES: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Fauna and Flora is an international agreement between governments entered into force in 1975, and became the only treaty to ensure that international trade in plants and animals does not threaten their survival in the wild.
• Protecting Species from unsustainable Trade
• Appendix 1: Includes species threatened with extinction and provides the greatest level of protection,including restrictions on commercial trade. Examples include gorillas,sea turtles,most lady slipper orchids and giant pandas.
• Appendix 2: Includes species that although currently not threatened with extinction, may become so without trade controls. It also includes species that resemble other listed species and need to be regulated in order to effectively control the trade in those other listed species.
• Appendix 3: Includes species for which a range country has asked other parties to help in controlling international trade. Example include map turtles, walruses and cape stag.

IUCN(The International Union for Conservation of Nature)

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species.

The IUCN Red List Categories:
The IUCN Red List Categories define the extinction risk of species assessed.
Nine categories extend from NE (Not Evaluated) to EX (Extinct).
Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU) species are considered to be threatened with extinction.

THE RED DATA BOOK In this book , information for endangered mammals and birds are more extensive than for other groups of animals and plants.

The Pink pages in this publication include the critically endangered species. Green Pages are used for those species that were formely endangered, but have now recovered to a point where they are no longer threatened.

IMPORTANT SPECIES

CHINKARA

• Scientific name: Gazella bennettii
• Common name: Chinkara; Indian gazelle
• IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern.
  WPA: Schedule 1
• Habitat: Chinkara live in arid plains and hills, deserts, dry scrub and light forests. They can go without water for long periods and can get sufficient fluids from plants and dew.
• Recently, Karnataka has declared the second Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary in the state in Bukkapatna (Tumakuru district). The first one was established in 2016 in the Yadahalli village in the Bagalkot district.

Slender Loris

• Scientific Name: Loris tardigradus.
• Features: The Slender Loris is a small, nocturnal primate. It prefers to inhabit thick, thorny bushes and bamboo clumps where it can evade predators and also find insects, which is the main diet.
• Seshachalam biosphere Reserve, it is home to a number of endemic species including the famous RedSanders and Slender Loris.
• Status: IUCN has listed them as Endangered, whereas they are listed under the Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972, according them the highest level of legal protection.
• Scorching heat leading to water sources and food depletion is forcing animals out of Seshachalam biosphere Reserve.(Andhra Pradesh)

Asiatic lions

• Scientific Name: Panthera leo persica
• IUCN: Endangered
• WPA: Scheduled 1
• CITES: Appendix 1
  
  HABITAT: Gir Forests of Gujarat.
  Gir Protected Area Network that includes Gir National Park, Gir Sanctuary, Pania Sanctuary, Mitiyala Sanctuary adjoining forest reserves, protected forests and unclassed forests.

Asiatic Lion Conservation Project (launched in Dec 2018)

WHY?

• Death of lions due to viral disease and infighting (2018)
• AIM: To protect and conserve the world's last ranging free population of Asiatic Lion and its associated ecosystem.

STEPS

• Habitat improvement, Scientific intervention, Disease control and Veterinary care.
• A GPS based tracking system will be established. It will track vehicles as well as animals.
• It is a Rs 98 crore project which will be implemented in 3 year (2019-2022).
• It will be funded from centrally sponsered scheme - Development of Wildlife Habitat (CSS-DWH) with the contributing ratio being 60:40 of central and state.

RELOCATION OF LIONS: There is demand for transfer of lion to a second home since 1990s .

Potential sites

• Kuno-Palpur sanctuary in MP .This was done to ensure a second home for the endangered species and to save it from extinction, due to catastrophe like extinction. (Supreme Court 2013).
• But the transfer hasn't happened yet.

Experts feel that Gujarat's refusal to move some of Gir's lions to MP even after the death of 24 lions has more to do with politics than the effectiveness of translocation.

• Recently,24 lions died within a month in Gujarat ( in Sep 2018).
• Reason: a viral disease caused by Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) for it.

Pangolin

• Nocturnal anteater.
• Indian and Chinese Pangolin are the two species found in South Asia.
• Chinese Pangolin is found in the North Eastern part of India and Indian Pangolin is found in the rest of India.
• The pangolin is the most trafficked mammal in the world.
• It is hunted mainly for meat in India but the demand for its scales in China has made it more vulnerable.
• Almost 90% of smuggling of pangolin and pangolin scales is through the northeastern India.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified Indian Pangolin as Endangered and Chinese Pangolins as Critically endangered.

ASIATIC CHEETAH

Oct 2018 itself, SC appointed panel rejected the years old plan.
Why?

• The report says that India simply doesn't have the required habitat and the prey density to support the Cheetah.
• It also says that the re-introduction will result into man-animal conflict of disastrous consequence.

Extinct in India(since 1951)

Why?
Hunting (excessive from Mughal Era to British Period).

CHEETAH REINTRODUCTION PROJECT

• conceived in 2009 (but not approved due to paucity of fund).
• In 2012, WII had prepared a Rs 260 crore Cheetah Reintroduction project
• Nauradehi Sanctuary in MP was found to be the most suitable area for the Cheetahs as its forests are not very dense to restrict the fast movement of the spotted cat. ( translocated to Nauradehi from Namibia in Africa )
• NTCA is the nodal agency for the project.

DHOLE/ ASIATIC WILE DOG OR INDIAN WILD DOG

Threat

• Habitat loss
• Loss of prey
• Competition with other species
• Persecution
• Possibly diseases transfer from other dogs (domestic and feral dogs).

• Habitat: They can be seen in protected areas of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Kerala.
• Protection Status
• IUCN: EN WPA: Schedule 2 (Part 1)
• Wildlife Institute of India satellite collared a Dhole in the Kanha National Park to study the habitat of the animal species (July 2018)
• Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Vishakhapatnam got India's first Wild Dog breeding centre (2014)
• They are so efficient as predators that there have been reports of them even attacking tigers.

SANGAI DEER/THAMIN OR BROWN ANTLERED DEER /ELD'S DEER

• State animal of Manipur.
• Dancing dear. (This is because while walking on the floating island it often balances itself and appear to be dancing.)
• Manipur Sangai Festival. It is a 10 day annual cultural festival organized by Manipur Tourism department every year from Nov 21 to 30.

It is an endemic and endangered subspecies of brow-antlered deer found only in Manipur, India.

• Keibul Lamjao National Park (KLNP), Manipur.
• Specific Habitat requirements: They inhabit the floating biomass in Loktak Lake Manipur.

Key threats : Hunted for their bow-shaped antlers.

• It's original habitat is the floating marshy grasslands of the Keibul Lamjao National Park, located in the southern part of the Loktak lake, which is the largest freshwater lake in eastern India.

NILGIRI TAHR

Threat: Habitat loss, Overgrazing & illegal hunting.
Climate Change Threatens the Nilgiri Tahr Population (July 2018)

• Ecological Engineering have predicted that Tahrs could lose approximately 60% of their habitat from the 2030s.

• Locally known as Nilgiri ibex.
• Habitat:Inhabit montane grasslands of western Ghats. It is endemic to the region.
  Sholas forest (stunted evergreen forests) are typically avoided by Tahr.
  Conservation Status
  IUCN: Endangered(EN)
  WPA :Schedule-1
  CITES: Appendix 1
  It is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.

Recent Developments : Nilgiri Tahr Population in Kerela estimated at 1420 by State Wildlife Department (June 2017). Out of 1420 total number -> 664 were found at Eravikulum National Park in Munnar. ENP is the home to largest population of Nilgiri Tahr.

RED PANDA

• It is a small arboreal mammal native to eastern Himalayas and south-western China.
• Physical features: It has reddish brown fur and a long shaggy tail.
• Diet: Omnivorous (mainly on bamboo)
• Habitat:Sikkim and Assam, Northern Arunachal Pradesh.
• Conservation Status
• IUCN: Endangered (EN)
  WPA : Shedule-1
  CITES: Appendix 1
• Recent Developments
  It was recently moved from Vulnerable to Endangered because of its decreasing population.

LION TAILED MACAQUE

• Endemic to the Western Ghats of South India.
• Today, they only live in mountain forests scattered across three Indian states: Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Threat : Habit Fragmentation: Due to spread of agriculture and tea, coffee, teak, and Cinchona, construction of water reservoirs and human settlements to support such activities.

• IUCN Status : Endangered (EN).
• Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife Protection Act.
• Conservation Efforts :Captive Breeding: Aringnar Anna Zoological Park, Chennai and in Mysore Zoo.

Hump-backed Mahseer

• Large freshwater fish also called the tiger of the water and found only in the Cauvery river basin including Kerala's Pambar, Kabini and Bhavani rivers.
• Recently it has been added to the IUCN Red List with Critically Endangered Status.