The Sunday Mail
As urbanisation slowly encroaches on natural vegetation many species of plants are fast disappearing off the face of the planet.
The conservation of plant species may not seem to be an important thing at face value but we must realise that it has both economic and social impacts that will become evident as time passes.
Plants must be conserved as each plant has some intrinsic value. Some plants may contain the necessary ingredient to cure even the most dreaded diseases that mankind faces such as Aids or Ebola.
Threatened plants may mean different things to different people but we must realise that the greatest of all, it means a loss of sustainable resource extraction and a loss of natural habitats which translates to ecological disasters.
With loss of biodiversity comes the loss of livelihoods. Most communities in Africa still depend on forests for food and income.
Once an imbalance of species occurs there will be spiralling loss of more and more species which ultimately may mean desertification.
Zimbabwe has a great heritage of natural forests abundant with many valuable species of plants which must be preserved for future generations. These many plant species support the existence of many other animal and insect species from which we derive benefits such as food and medicine.
The loss of plant species ultimately means economic decline. Our very existence is hinged on plant species diversity, a fact we cannot ignore.
Many relics of nature are harvested and sold at road sides, but most of these plants sold do not survive in our gardens but die and yet again we buy more with little regard for the population decline in the wild.
Other threats to biodiversity include climate change, pollution and alien invasive species.
If these activities continue untamed many of our valuable plants will be extinct in a couple of years. The greatest threat to our flora is man.
The efforts of many botanists to record the numbers of plant species is commendable as this helps us to see the gradual loss of these plants.
Red data lists, as they are called, are publications that list the conservation status of plant species.
The plants are categorised according to whether they are critically endangered, endangered, vunerable or extinct.
They help convey the urgency for policy makers to take action, and taking stock of what we have and what we have lost is the first step.
This must, however, be followed by decisive action on measures to reduce or ultimately stop the continual decline of plant populations.
Hefty jail terms are conferred on rhino poachers but insignificant fines are charged on wood cutters, but plant loss posses the greatest challenge for mankind.
Animals cannot exist without vegetation, and the same applies for man.
Plant smugglers should get the same harsh penalties as animal poachers.
Amongst the many critically endangered species of plants are the magnificent Cycads (Encephalartos species) which have long been collected for their aesthetic beauty.
It is a sad reality that one of the species of cycads has become extinct, ie Encepharlartos chimanimaniensis.
Some of the most endangered plant species are medicinal plants which are harvested for their healing properties such as Warbugia salutaris, of which a few of these plants are known to still exist in the wild.
Our glorious flame lily (Gloriosa superba) is another plant which is critically endangered mainly because of collectors who dig up the plant during its flowering time depriving it the opportunity to reproduce.
Support for organisations that work to conserve our flora must be increased. Government must help establish community nurseries and gardens that grow the threatened plants in those areas.
The communities must be empowered to safeguard their heritage.
Botanic gardens must be the sanctuaries for near extinct plants, with environmental organisations empowered to seize and offer refuge for critically endangered plant species.
Particularly, vulnerable habitats must be protected and human settlements removed from those areas.
Measures for coping with species decline need to happen at social, economic and political levels.
The strategies need to be part of developmental goals of government and its partners.
What is important is our response to this challenge. How we decide to act will determine if future generations will thank us or scorn us for our negligence and irresponsibility.
For further details contact Andrew on [email protected]
