Cedrus of Himachal Pradesh

Deodar has been given the status of State plant in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh rightly due to its presence in abundance in the state. The tree belongs to the genus cedrus. This presentation tries to explore the different species of cedrus found worldwide, the regions they are found, uses, conservation status etc.

Note: The images used as background in each slide belongs to the author.

1. Cedrus of Himachal Pradesh Arindam Ghosh

2. Himachal Pradesh: Location India on world map Himachal Pradesh in Indian map Political map of Himachal Pradesh

3. 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 20 th  position.

4. Land Area:   The land area of Himachal Pradesh is 55,673 sq. km. Area wise, Himachal Pradesh holds 17 th  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

5. 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.

6. Levels of Biodiversity

7. 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.

8. Flora and fauna of Himachal Pradesh State Animal- Snow leopard State Bird- Western Tragopan State Flower- Pink Rhododendron State Tree-Deodar

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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 . C an grow up to 30–40 m (occasionally 60 m) tall.

13. Species in Cedrus Cedrus deodara C edrus libani C edrus brevifolia C edrus atlantica

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. Cedrus atlantica Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Division Pinophyta Class Pinopsida Order Pinales Family Pinaceae Genus Cedrus Species C. atlantica Binomial name Cedrus atlantica Other names Atlas cedar

18. 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

19. 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

20. Cedrus brevifolia Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Division Pinophyta Class Pinopsida Order Pinales Family Pinaceae Genus Cedrus Species C. brevifolia Binomial name Cedrus brevifolia Other names Cyprus cedar

21. Cedrus brevifolia : Geographic Range Range Description: It is native to the Troödos Mountains of central Cyprus. It grows in the Pafos State Forest.

22. 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

23. Cedrus deodara Scientific classification 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 D evadaru

24. 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

25. 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.

26. 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

27. 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".

28. 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

29. 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 .

30. Cedrus deodara : Physical description 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 .

31. Cedrus deodara : Physical description 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 .

32. Cedrus deodara : Physical description Twig : Slender, with numerous short spur shoots, branches droop with age; buds are very small and round.

33. Cedrus deodara : Physical description Bark : Initially smooth and gray -brown, later developing short furrows with scaly ridge tops.

34. Cedrus deodara : Physical description 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.

35. Cedrus deodara : U ses It is widely grown as an ornamental tree, often planted in parks and large gardens for its drooping foliage .

36. Cedrus deodara : U ses 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 .

37. Cedrus deodara : U ses 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.

38. 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.

39. 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.

40. 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