The mist-covered mountains and forests of the Garhwal range in Uttarakhand are home to a wide range of migratory birds and endemic species. For the forest officials here, every dawn is a harbinger of a new hope—to spot a bird that may not exist anymore, the Himalayan Quail, which was last sighted in 1876.
The unseen bird is not the only one that has possibly gone extinct. In its Red List, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) names 1,039 species in various categories as ‘threatened’ in India.
The Himalayan Quail finds a mention in the list, which has species in eight categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, molluscs, other invertebrates, and plants. In its 2015 report, IUCN states that in the mammals category, 96 mammals species, 82 bird species and 53 species of reptiles are endangered. The figures for amphibians and fishes are 75 and 214 respectively. Seven molluscs, 128 other invertebrates, and 384 plants in the country are endangered.
IUCN focuses on valuing and conserving nature and guides the Red List process that provides information on threats to species, their ecological requirements and habitats. Based on this list, conservation action can be taken to reduce or prevent extinctions at national and global levels. In the IUCN list, species are listed as critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable and are collectively described as threatened.
Claims of sighting the Himalayan Quail by some local conservationists and forest guards in Uttarakhand a few years ago led the state forest department to announce a cash reward of `1 lakh to anyone who provides conclusive proof of it. Even months since the announcement, no concrete evidence has been found that the bird still exists. Forest officials say that small populations may still survive in some areas in the lower or middle Himalayan range between Nainital and Mussoorie. “The search is still on. Though nothing concrete has emerged so far, we are optimistic that someone will find the bird,” Paramjit Singh, chief conservator of forests, Kumaon, Uttarakhand, told The Sunday Standard. “We have repeatedly received reports of locals spotting the Quail. There are beliefs that it still exists in the state.”
The Himalayan Quail is not alone in its possible extinction, or just going unnoticed even by the people on a quest to sight them. “Our methods of assessing the species are not always holistic and that causes the problem. Species like Giant Clam (a shellfish) are supposed to be found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshwadeep, but conservationists haven’t tracked the species for some time,” says Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) director Dr Deepak Apte.
Conservationists have observed that grasslands, wetlands, forests and other habitats are being destroyed at an alarming rate, primarily due to unsustainable developmental activities. This in turn is leading to destruction of habitats of birds and mammals.
According to a study by the Zoological Survey of India in 2013, there are just 250 dugongs left in Indian seas, while there are 85,000 off the coast of Australia. In the Gulf of Mannar, the dugong population ranges between 77 and 158. In the Andamans, there could be 41 to 81 dugongs, and in the Gulf of Kutch, the number could be 10 to 15. “There is no official record. We take long-term indicators to understand the present nature of a species, which is not correct,” says Apte.
The Red Knot—usually found in coastal areas, mudflats and sandy beaches—is facing several threats like destruction of coastal ecosystems, land reclamation, pollution, over-exploitation of its main prey shellfish, and illegal hunting. Similarly, the Great Knot is threatened by degradation and loss of its wetland habitat. Another wetland bird, Curlew Sandpiper, is under threat due to factors like reservoir and marshland alteration by commercial salt works, habitat degradation because of diminishing rainfall and hunting, particularly along the south-east coast of India near Point Calimere.
Rajah Jayapal, principal scientist at the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Coimbatore, says the figures could be a bit more. “There are quite a few species which are endemic to India. There should be separate ways to measure that,” he says, adding that it is necessary to develop a national data bank of species on the lines of Nepal and Sri Lanka. “It helps one get exact figures and the scenario of species.”
Conservationists who conduct surveys claim that with rampant urbanisation and expansion of metropolitan cities, birds are constantly depleting in numbers, which is leading to increasing number of endangered species.
As of June 2015, 18,000 species in the eight categories have been referred to as threatened globally, while the figures have crossed the thousand mark in India. Fifty-two species have been added to the list of plants, with 44 species of medicinal plants being under threat of extinction, mainly due to over-collection and habitat loss. Aconitum chasmanthum, a highly toxic plant endemic to the Himalayan region of India, is listed as critically endangered due to unsustainable collection of tubers and roots, habitat loss from avalanches and construction of high-altitude roads. The roots and tubers, which contain alkaloids, are used in Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicine, and are collected in huge quantities from the Himalayas. “Despite raising an alarm and acting as watchdogs, we receive reports of over-collection. People in rural areas don’t realise the importance of the green habitat,” says Swapna Prabhu, plant ecologist with BNHS.
Tropical Asian slipper orchids are also facing extinction, primarily due to over-collection for horticultural purposes and habitat loss. All international commercial trade in these species is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which India is party. “Most of the species are found in the foothills of the Himalayas and are used for medicinal purposes. With excess collection and habitat loss, the species will be extinct some day,” says Prabhu.
Five species of wild nutmeg found near the Western Ghats—Myristica Malabarica, Myristica Beddomei, Gymnacranthera Farquhariana, Knema Attenuata and Myristica Fatua—are also threatened. Cultivation of wild nutmeg, which is of high medicinal and economic value, is limited because of its habitat-sensitive nature. It mainly grows in evergreen ecosystem, myristica swamps and montane habitats. Nutmegs are widely used as spices. “Some of the species are vulnerable and are vehemently used for their natural and medicinal value. The conservation process has to be tightened,” Prabhu says.
Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has identified five species of wild nutmegs in the Western Ghats for preservation, which are currently in the Red List. The KFRI team developed 11,000 saplings through vegetative propagation and planted them in natural habitats.
Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the Red List Unit, IUCN Global Species Programme, says, “It is hard to comment on the trends, because the numbers of threatened species in India have been growing each year largely because we have been looking at new taxonomic groups. We know that there have also been some significant deteriorations, the declines in the Indian vulture species being a classic example.”
The Indian vulture species were threatened due to the use of diclofenac, a veterinary drug. After it was revealed in 2003, the government banned the drug for veterinary use. “That was a rather unusual case. Generally, the Red List results indicate that India is performing better in conserving their share of global vertebrate diversity,” says Hilton-Taylor.
To earmark specific areas, 450 spots have been identified as Important Bird Areas (IBA). But this is not a part of the IUCN Red List assessment criteria. There are two clear-cut ways of arranging the assessment—population prediction criteria of the species and distribution of the species in the particular areas. “We conduct quantitative research, based on clear-cut international guidelines,” says P O Nameer, conservationist and South Asian coordinator, in situ, Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission of IUCN.
IBA sites are protected on priority basis and are usually part of national parks and wildlife reserves. “It is ensured that the breeding process is not hampered,” says Nameer, who is also associate professor (wildlife) and heads the Centre for Wildlife Studies at the College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University.
While this is a national process, some NGOs and bird-watching groups are also working hard to ensure that conservation is carried out properly. There are various bird-watching groups which deal with protection of various species. “The main initiative is taken by the Forest Department, but local groups are also taking initiatives to make the ecological system a success,” says Jayapal.
Earlier, surveys were conducted once in three to four years, but now with BNHS and the other groups coming forward, they are done every year. Even though IUCN supports scientific research in conservation processes, it does not necessarily keep an eye on conservation processes for all species. “Surveys are carried out by individual wings as and when they want,” admits Apte.
“We can only keep a count on the species we know about. In each category, there could be more species existing, but we calculate primarily on the basis of perception,” says Nameer.
To support conservation, the Maharashtra government has decided to rope in celebrities to raise funds for tiger conservation.
Overall, proper assessments of species have started from 2009-10, so it is not possible to draw a comparative study on whether the number or percentage of threatened species has gone up. Till 2015, a cumulative total of 4,852 species have been assessed in India under all categories, compared to the global figure of 77,000, but environmentalists say there are chances of loopholes.
By the time the mist clears, it may be too late for species that are perched precariously on the thin line between existence and extinction.
The IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List is a compendium of information on threats, ecological requirements and habitats of species, and on conservation actions that can be taken to reduce or prevent extinctions. It is based on an objective system for assessing the risk of extinction of a species based on past, present, and projected threats.
Species assessments are conducted following a standardised process using the rigorous IUCN Red List categories and criteria, ensuring the highest standards of scientific documentation, information management, expert review and justification. There are eight IUCN Red List categories based on criteria linked to population trend, size and structure, and geographic range. Species listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable are collectively described as threatened.
HOW IT WORKS
IUCN works internationally and involves governments on various works. It also depends on the IUCN Red List Index (RLI). It reveals trends in the overall extinction risk of species and provides an indicator that is used by governments to track their progress in achieving targets that reduce biodiversity loss.
RLI has been adopted by the United Nations as one of the indicators for the 2015 Millennium Development Goal 7 on environmental sustainability. A decreasing RLI value means the expected rate of extinctions is increasing. An increasing RLI value means that there is a decrease in expected future rate of species extinctions.
18000 Total number of threatened species globally
STATUS OF INDIA’S LIVING BEINGS
IUCN has assessed 6,462 species in India up to 2015. Here are their categories.
Great Indian Bustard: Once touted as the top contenders for the national bird of India, it is now nearing extinction. The IUCN Red List features the bird as critically endangered. Conservationists blame it on the lack of monitoring and rampant poaching.
Myristica Malabarica, Myristica Beddomei, Gymnacranthera Farquhariana, Knema Attenuata and Myristica Fatua: All of them are species of wild nutmeg and are endemic to India. They are found in areas near the Western Ghats. These species are facing the major threat of habitat loss.
Pangolin: One of the major reasons behind the critically endangered state of pangolins is vehement poaching. Even though conservationists are working hard to stop its killing, things have not improved.
Himalayan Quail: Critically endangered, the bird was last sighted in 1876, but conservationists claim to have seen a few of them in the recent past. Even the Uttarakhand forest department believes that the Quail is still alive and announced a cash reward of `1 lakh to anyone who provides conclusive proof that it still exists in the forests of the state.
Dugong: According to a study by the Zoological Survey of India, there are just 250 dugongs left in Indian seas. Conservations in Australia have seen their population go up to 85,000, but things are different in India. In the Gulf of Mannar, the dugong population ranged between 77 and 158. In Andamans, there could be 41 to 81 dugongs, and in the Gulf of Kutch, the number could be 10 to 15.
White-Rumped Vulture: In the mid-90s, there was a decline in the White-rumped vulture population. In 2003, conservationists blamed the drop on the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac, after which the government banned the drug.
Aconitum chasmanthum: It is a highly toxic plant endemic to the Himalayan region of India, and is listed as critically endangered due to unsustainable collection of its tubers and roots, as well as habitat loss from avalanches and the construction of high-altitude roads. Its roots and tubers, which contain alkaloids, are used in ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines and hence are collected in huge quantities.
Giant clams: In India, Giant Clams are found in Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands. Over-exploitation of these clams has led to their extinction from several parts of the world.
Great Knot: Once a rare migratory winter visitor, which is now found regularly along the southeast coast of India, is threatened by trapping.