The findings highlight the ecological importance and therapeutic potential of these species while emphasizing the critical threats posed by habitat degradation, unsustainable harvesting, and climate change.
Abstract
Medicinal plants constitute an essential component of global biodiversity and have long served as a primary source of traditional and modern therapeutic agents. Forest ecosystems harbor a significant proportion of medicinal plant diversity, providing habitats for numerous species with recognized pharmacological value. However, increasing anthropogenic pressures, including habitat destruction, overexploitation, land-use change, forest fragmentation, and climate change, have contributed to the decline of many medicinal plant populations worldwide. Consequently, a growing number of medicinal forest species are now classified as endangered, threatened, vulnerable, or protected under national and international conservation frameworks. This review synthesizes current scientific knowledge on endangered and protected medicinal plants found in forest ecosystems. A mixed-methods approach combining bibliometric assessment and qualitative literature analysis was employed to evaluate publication trends, geographical distribution, research hotspots, ecological characteristics, genetic resources, pharmacological properties, and conservation strategies related to threatened medicinal forest species. The review identified 77 medicinal plant species of conservation concern distributed across diverse forest regions worldwide, with the highest research activity originating from Asia, particularly India and China. The findings highlight the ecological importance and therapeutic potential of these species while emphasizing the critical threats posed by habitat degradation, unsustainable harvesting, and climate change. Advances in habitat suitability modeling, molecular genetics, ex situ propagation, and conservation planning have improved opportunities for species protection; however, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding population dynamics, long-term conservation effectiveness, and sustainable utilization. Strengthening integrated conservation approaches that combine habitat protection, sustainable management, scientific research, and traditional ecological knowledge is essential for safeguarding endangered medicinal forest plants and ensuring their continued contribution to biodiversity conservation, healthcare, and future drug discovery.
The study highlights the need for inclusive governance, equitable benefit-sharing, and integration of indigenous knowledge with scientific innovation to ensure long-term sustainability of medicinal plant resources.
Oluyemisi Omotayo Omonije, Oloju Oluwagboyega Kayode, Oluwaseun Adenike Adefila et al.· Biological and Environmental...· 0 citations
Sapen Forest harbors high plant diversity, yet information on its medicinal plant resources and their conservation status has remained limited. This study aims to document medicinal plant diversity and evaluate its conservation status in Sapen Forest, East Java, Indonesia. Field surveys were conducted in 2021 within a 5-ha area using 36 systematically established sampling plots. Medicinal plant species were inventoried, vegetation structure was analyzed using the Importance Value Index (IVI), and conservation status was evaluated according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Species were identified to the species level, and their traditional medicinal uses were compiled from published literature. A total of 68 medicinal plant species belonging to 38 families were recorded. Ageratina riparia exhibited the highest IVI (23.20), followed by Alternanthera sessilis (20.82) and Synedrella nodiflora (14.68). The Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H') was 3.05, indicating high medicinal plant diversity. Most species were classified as Not Evaluated (NE), while five species were categorized as Least Concern (LC) and one cultivated species, Brugmansia suaveolens, as Extinct in the Wild (EW). These findings demonstrate that Sapen Forest is an important reservoir of medicinal plant diversity and provides baseline information to support biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management of medicinal plant resources.
Roisatul Ainiyah, E. Nugroho, Reza Ardiansyah et al.· Edubiotik : Jurnal Pendidika...· 0 citations
Forests help maintain the diversity of life and regulate the environment in other ways. Due to continuous deforestation and habitat loss around the world, plantation-based forest restoration has gradually been employed to increase forest coverage and restore damaged environments. At present, it is unknown whether plantation forests can restore biodiversity and provide ecological services to the same extent. Assess the ecological functions of plantation-based forest restoration by evaluating their contributions to biodiversity recovery, ecosystem services and carbon sequestration in this paper. Other reasons for the failure of the restoration effort include single-crop forests, broken habitats, poor soil conditions and human activities. In addition, the above strategies for restoration include expanding the diversity of native species, building mixed-species forests, fostering natural regeneration, and conducting long-term biodiversity monitoring. Research has shown that while plantation forests can increase the proportion of vegetation and raise carbon sinks at an earlier stage, their low species diversity compared with natural forests is also a problem. Based on the results of the restoration work, native species can be used to increase structural diversity and carry out continuous management. In short, in the future, the plans for biodiversity protection and forest restoration should be combined to create resilient and stable forest ecosystems.
Yutong Du· Theoretical and Natural Scie...· 0 citations
Globalisation and expanding trade have increased opportunities for the introduction and establishment of invasive alien insects in India. The country’s diverse agro-climatic zones, varied habitats and extensive agricultural and forest resources create conditions in which introduced insects may establish, spread, and affect native biodiversity, ecosystem functions and human livelihoods. This review aims to synthesise available information on invasive alien insects in India, with emphasis on their invasiveness, ecological impacts, risk assessment, prevention, and management. A focused literature search was conducted using major academic databases. On the basis of the study objectives, a set of keywords and search terms was developed, including synonyms and related concepts, to broaden the scope of the search. This study highlights traits that facilitate invasion, including broad host range, high reproductive capacity, environmental tolerance, dispersal ability, insecticide resistance and interactions with host plants or native species. The review also summarises ecological consequences at genetic, population, community and ecosystem levels, including herbivory, predation, parasitism, competition, pathogen transmission, habitat disturbance and indirect effects on ecosystem processes. Risk analysis is discussed in relation to invasion pathways, climate matching, host availability, biogeographical similarity and quarantine capacity. Preventive approaches include pest risk analysis, inspection of imported goods, surveillance, early detection, and strict phytosanitary regulation. Management options include monitoring, biological control, selective chemical control, habitat management, resistant cultivars, mechanical measures, and integrated pest management. The review emphasises that coordinated surveillance, taxonomic expertise, regulatory enforcement, and eco-friendly management are required to reduce the impacts of invasive alien insects.
Grass species play a critical role in maintaining ecosystem stability, biodiversity conservation and supporting wildlife in forest ecosystems. The present study documents the diversity of grass species recorded from the Keonjhar Forest Division of Odisha and evaluates their ecological significance. A comprehensive assessment of grass flora revealed numerous species belonging to different genera, each contributing uniquely to ecosystem functioning through soil stabilization, habitat formation, fodder provision and ecological restoration. Several species, such as Chrysopogon zizanioides, Heteropogon contortus and Saccharum spontaneum, play an important role in erosion control and soil conservation, while others provide essential fodder resources for herbivores and wildlife, including Asian elephants, barking deer and various bird species. Certain grasses also support aquatic ecosystems and act as pioneer species in disturbed habitats. However, invasive species like Cenchrus pedicellatus may threaten native vegetation and require management. The findings highlight the ecological importance of grass diversity in maintaining forest ecosystem functions and emphasize the need for conservation and sustainable management of grasslands in Keonjhar Forest Division.
Sanjeet Kumar, D. H. Dhamdhere, A. Mishra· Indian Forester· 0 citations
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