An MSSRF Project concept to Restore Sacred Groves and to Rescue RET-Trees
Some major studies show that approximately 600 tree species in India are threatened with fate of early extinction, and many of them are the native species of Malabar Coast and Mountains of Western Ghats. Several of these species are also attributed with unique socio-cultural, spiritual, and economic values, apart from their dominant attribute of contributors of ecosystem services. Contributions of trees for the ecosystem services are invaluable. It is calculated, a year biodiversity provides us services worth US$125 trillion! A mature tree sequesters 42 LBS of Co2 every year. Without tree roots, soil dry outs, leads to increased arability of land, and flooding.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) estimated that one million species are threatened with extinction! Extinction of species beyond the threshold leads to the collapse of ecosystems. We may completely lose the rainforests in 100 years of time from now! The massive loss of wild species forced environmentalists to think that the Planet is reeling under its 6th great extinction! When a species disappears from this earth, it is not only taking away its’ millions of years of genetic history but possibly the unexploited million-dollar value of its services too.
A Project to commemorate Prof. Swaminathan’s 96th Birthday
We are launching a project to commemorate Prof. Swaminathan’s 96th birthday on August 07th by choosing 100 Rare, Endemic & Threatened (RET) plant species for restoring the degraded forest sites in the Western Ghats. This project titled “Grow Our Dying (GOD) plants” starting at the beginning of the UN decade on Eco restoration is an answer to the global rallying cry for science-based Ecosystem restoration
Traditional belief systems protect many of the native tree species
25 species that are revered as sacred since Vedic period, but facing extinction threat now are selected for mass multiplication and planting .
Note:MSSRF has been approved by the Central Government for the purpose of clause (ii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the income –tax Act 1961/with rules 5C and 5D of the income tax rules 1962. Income tax exemption availability exists under the provision 12AA/80G/35 (1) (ii).