Abstract
Identification of rare and endangered plant species is the first requirement for any conservation programme. The IUCN guideline is the only available method to identify the rare and endangered species and it requires vast data on the wild population of the target species. None of the biological characters, which are playing main role in the survival and distribution of several species, is used in IUCN guideline. In the meantime there are several difficulties in following IUCN guideline, particularly the non availability of complete field data. Moreover, the same guideline can not be used for all the groups of species in equal importance. The vascular cryptogams, pteridophytes, are also an important component of any mountainous flora and they have also to be conserved in nature. As they are the primitive vascular plants on the earth, they are getting depleted in the flora due to various reasons and it is the right time to identify the rare and endangered pteridophytes to conserve them. By considering various difficulties of IUCN method for the identification rare and endangered pteridophytes, a very simple method has been adopted by using just four criteria and this method can be applied to Pteridophytes from any region of the world.
Recommended Citation
Benniamin, A.; Irudayaraj, V.; and Manickam, V. S.
(2008)
"How to Identify Rare and Endangered Ferns and Fern Allies,"
Ethnobotanical Leaflets: Vol. 2008:
Iss.
1, Article 13.
Available at:
https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/ebl/vol2008/iss1/13