Uttarakhand Unveils State's First Cycad Garden to Safeguard 'Living Fossils'

The Uttarakhand Forest Department has inaugurated the state's first Cycad Garden in Haldwani, showcasing thirty-one cycad species in a pioneering conservation effort. This botanical haven, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), spans over 0.75 hectares and emphasizes the preservation and study of these ancient plants, with an impressive collection of seventeen species identified as threatened.

Notably, India's diversity is represented with nine indigenous cycad species. Among these remarkable plants are Cycas andamanica, Cycas beddomei, Cycas zeylanica, Cycas pectinata, and Cycas circinalis. In a statement, Chief Conservator of Forests (Research), Sanjiv Chaturvedi, noted the significance of cycads as the most endangered plant group on earth, having thrived since the Mesozoic era.

Cycads, often dubbed 'living fossils', hold substantial ecological, cultural, and aesthetic value. Despite their slow growth and low reproductive rates, they have endured through millennia and are vital for ecosystem stability, partly due to their unique nitrogen-fixing capability with cyanobacteria. The garden's creation underscores the urgency of cycad conservation and offers a platform for advancing research and generating public awareness about their ecological importance.

(With inputs from agencies.)