Cedrus of Himachal Pradesh

Cedrus of Himachal Pradesh

Arindam Ghosh

Himachal Pradesh: Location

India on world map

Himachal Pradesh in Indian map

Political map of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh

Name: The word “Himachal Pradesh” comes from the Sanskrit word

“Hima” which means “Snow”. And also the literal meaning of the

State’s name is in the lap of Himalayas.

Existence: Since 1950, Himachal Pradesh was a Union Territory. It

became a autonomous state in the year 1971, by virtue of the State of

Himachal Pradesh Act 1971.

Boundary: It is surrounded by Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana,

Uttarakhand and Tibet Autonomous Region.

Population: As per Census 2011, the population of Himachal Pradesh

is 6,856,509. Population wise, Himachal Pradesh holds 20th position.

Land Area: The land area of Himachal Pradesh is 55,673 sq. km.

Area wise, Himachal Pradesh holds 17th rank.

Language: Hindi and Punjabi are the official languages of Himachal

Pradesh. Pahadi language is also heard from the people of Himachal

Pradesh.

Literacy: Its Literacy Ratio is 83.78%

City: Its Capital City is Shimla. Shimla is also known as the Summer

Capital of the Country. Shimla is also the largest city of Himachal

Pradesh.

District: There are 12 districts in this state.

Himachal Pradesh

What is Biodiversity?

According to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), "Biological

diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources

including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and

the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity

within species, between species and of ecosystems.

Levels of Biodiversity

Ecological diversity: The diversity of ecological complex or biotic communities found in a given area

Species diversity: It refers to variety of species in a region

Genetic diversity: The diversity of basic units of hereditary information (genes) which are passed down the generations, found within a species

Flora and fauna of Himachal Pradesh

According to 2003 Forest Survey of India report, legally defined forest

areas constitute 66.52% of the area of Himachal Pradesh, although

area under tree cover is only 25.78%.

Vegetation in the state is dictated by elevation and precipitation.

Himachal is also said to be the fruit bowl of the country.

Himachal Pradesh has around 1200 bird and 359 animal species.

Flora and fauna of Himachal Pradesh

State Animal-Snow leopard

State Bird-Western Tragopan

State Flower-Pink Rhododendron

State Tree-Deodar

Protected areas of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh has two national parks and thirty-two wildlife

sanctuaries. A few of them are listed below:

Great Himalayan National Park

Pin Valley National Park

Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary

Chail Wildlife Sanctuary

Kalatop Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary

Manali Wildlife Sanctuary

Protected areas of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh has two national parks and thirty-two wildlife

sanctuaries. A few of them are listed below:

Maharana Pratap Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary

Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary

Daranghati Wildlife Sanctuary

Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary

Kais Wildlife Sanctuary

Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary

Kalatop Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary

Location: Chamba district

Area: 30.69 km²

Altitude- 1185 to 2768 m

Vegetation: Blue pine, deodar, oak

Mammals- bear, Himalayan Black Marten, leopard, deer,

Barking Goral, squirrel, serow, jackal, langur.

Birds- Blackbird

The Genus Cedrus

Cedrus (common name Cedar) is a genus of coniferous trees in the

plant family Pinaceae.

Native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the

Mediterranean region.

Occurs at altitudes of 1,500–3,200 m in the Himalayas and 1,000–

2,200 m in the Mediterranean.

Can grow up to 30–40 m (occasionally 60 m) tall.

Species in Cedrus

Cedrus deodara

Cedrus libani

Cedrus brevifolia

Cedrus atlantica

Cedrus libani

Scientific classification

Kingdom Plantae

Division Pinophyta

Class Pinopsida

Order Pinales

Family Pinaceae

Genus Cedrus

Species C. libani

Binomial name

Cedrus libani

Other names

Cedars of Lebanon

Lebanon Cedar

Cedrus libani: Geographic Range

Range Description: Occurs in the mountains adjacent to the northeastern

Mediterranean coast in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and western

Cypress

Lebanon cedar or Cedar of Lebanon grows in Lebanon,

Israel, northwest Jordan, western Syria, and south central

Turkey.

Turkish cedar or Taurus cedar grows in southwest Turkey.

Native Countries: Cyprus; Lebanon; Syrian Arab Republic; Turkey

Cedrus libani: Conservation status

A taxon is Vulnerable(VU) when it is not Critically

Endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of

extinction in the wild in the medium-term future

Cedrus atlantica


Kingdom Plantae

Division Pinophyta

Class Pinopsida

Order Pinales

Family Pinaceae

Genus Cedrus

Species C. atlantica

Binomial name

Cedrus atlantica

Other names

Atlas cedar

Cedrus atlantica: Geographic Range

Range Description: The Atlas Cedar forests are distributed in Morocco (Rif, Middle Atlas, and

northeastern High Atlas) and Algeria (Aurès, Belezma, Hodna, Djbel Babor,

Djurdjura, Blida and Ouarsenis). The Middle Atlas (northern Morocco)

contains about 80% of the Atlas Cedar forest surface area (ca. 100,000 ha). The

total area of occupancy in Algeria and Morocco is estimated to be between

1,300 and 1,500 km2 (Terrab et al. 2008, Linares et al. 2011).

Native Countries: Algeria; Morocco

Cedrus atlantica: Conservation status

A taxon is Endangered(EN) when it is not Critically

Endangered but is facing a very high risk of extinction in

the wild in the near future

Cedrus brevifolia


Kingdom Plantae

Division Pinophyta

Class Pinopsida

Order Pinales

Family Pinaceae

Genus Cedrus

Species C. brevifolia

Binomial name

Cedrus brevifolia

Other names

Cyprus cedar

Cedrus brevifolia: Geographic Range

Range Description: It is native to the Troödos Mountains of central Cyprus. It

grows in the Pafos State Forest.

Cedrus brevifolia: Conservation status

A taxon is Vulnerable(VU) when it is not Critically

Endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of

extinction in the wild in the medium-term future

Cedrus deodara


Kingdom Plantae

Division Pinophyta

Class Pinopsida

Order Pinales

Family Pinaceae

Genus Cedrus

Species C. deodara

Binomial name

Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) G.Don

Other names

Deodar cedar

Himalayan cedar

Deodar

Devdar

Devadar

Devadaru

Cedrus deodara: Geographic Range

Range Description: Recorded from East Afghanistan (Hindu Kush), North-West

Pakistan (Karakoram), China: extreme SouthWest Xizang

[Tibet], Kashmir to West Nepal.

Native Countries: Afghanistan; China (Tibet [or Xizang]); India (Himachal

Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh); Nepal; Pakistan

Cedrus deodara: Conservation status

A least concern (LC) species is one which has been

categorised by the International Union for

Conservation of Nature as evaluated but not qualified

for any other category. As such they do not qualify as

threatened, near threatened, or (prior to 2001)

conservation dependent.

Cedrus in Himachal Pradesh

The species of Cedrus found in Himachal Pradesh is Cedrus deodara

Cedrus deodara has been given the status of State Plant

Cedrus deodara: Etymology

The botanical name, which is also the English common name,

derives from the Sanskrit term devadāru, which means "wood of

the gods", a compound of deva "god" and dāru "wood, tree".

Cedrus deodara: Habitat and Ecology

Cedrus deodara is a high mountain tree, but it occurs in a wide range of habitats in the Himalaya.

It grows in a belt at elevations between 17,00 m and 3,000 m a.s.l. in the western part of its range

and between 1,300 m and 3,300 m in the eastern part, where the climate is less dry.

At higher elevations it forms a coniferous forest belt with, among other species, Abies pindrow, A.

spectabilis in Nepal, Pinus wallichiana, Picea smithiana, and Cupressus torulosa, but forms often

also pure stands.

At the highest limits of Cedrus, Juniperus squamata is the only accompanying conifer species.

At lower elevations first Quercus spp., then Aesculus indica, Betula sp., Corylus jaquemontii, Acer

spp., Prunus spp. and shrubs mark the transition towards a broad-leaved forest.

Systems: Terrestrial

Cedrus deodara: Physical description

Leaf: Evergreen needles, dark green but may have some silvery bloom

giving them a blue-green color; 1 to 2 inches long, sharp pointed;

occur singly on new growth and than later on spur shoots; remaining

on the tree for 3 to 6 years.


Flower: Species is monoecious; male cones 2 to 3 inches long on the

lower parts of crown; female cones erect, purplish, occur on upper

portions of crown.


Fruit: Upright cones, 3 to 4 inches long and 3 inches across;

deciduous scales; initially green and purplish, then later turning a

reddish brown when mature, usually resinous.


Twig: Slender, with numerous short spur shoots, branches droop with

age; buds are very small and round.


Bark: Initially smooth and gray-brown, later developing short furrows

with scaly ridge tops.


Form: Young trees have a broad pyramidal crown that becomes wider

with age; branch tips and leaders droop and have a fine texture. In

the landscape it can reach 80 feet tall but becomes much taller in its

native range.

Cedrus deodara: Uses

It is widely grown as an ornamental tree, often planted in parks and large gardens for its

drooping foliage.


It is used as construction material

Deodar is in great demand as building material because of its durability, rot-resistant character

and fine, close grain, which is capable of taking a high polish.

Its historical use to construct religious temples and in landscaping around temples is well

recorded.

Its rot-resistant character also makes it an ideal wood for constructing the well-known houseboats

of Srinagar, Kashmir.

In Pakistan and India, during the British colonial period, deodar wood was used extensively for

construction of barracks, public buildings, bridges, canals and railway cars.

Despite its durability, it is not a strong timber, and its brittle nature makes it unsuitable for

delicate work where strength is required, such as chair-making.


Herbal Ayurveda- The use of C. deodara in Ayurvedic medicines

is well recorded. The inner wood is aromatic and used to make

incense. Inner wood is distilled into essential oil. As insects avoid

this tree, the essential oil is used as insect repellent on the feet of

horses, cattle and camels. It also has anti-fungal properties and

has some potential for control of fungal deterioration of spices

during storage. The outer bark and stem are astringent. In

Himachal people suffering from asthma or other respiratory

problems are advised to sit under a Deodar tree early in the

morning.

Cedrus deodara: Threats

Intensive logging (legal and illegal) in some parts of its range (e.g.

Afghanistan) may pose a localized threat. Deforestation and

conversion of forests for agriculture may also pose local threats in

some parts of Pakistan and India.

Cedrus deodara: Conclusion

Cedrus deodara may now be categorised as Least Concerned but if intensive

logging continues the day will not be far when it will become extinct from the face

of the earth.

References

The IUCN Red List [http://www.iucnredlist.org]

VirginiaTech-Department of Forest Resources and Environment Conservation

[http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology]

Missouri Botanical Garden [http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org]

The Gymnosperm Database [http://www.conifers.org]

About.com [http://treesandshrubs.about.com]

Note: The background images in the slides belongs to the author. ag1805x