Summary of - Taxonomic estimates of climbing plants in India: How many species are out there?

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Article

Abstract

Study Background: Climbers are one of the most ignored plant groups in mainstream ecological research. The difficulty in recognizing climbers, combined with a lack of data, were cited as the primary constraints limiting climber studies in the tropical world. The study, titled "Taxonomic estimates of climbing plants in India: How many species are out there?" was the first attempt to assess the diversity of Indian climbing flora using an integrated approach.

Research Goals and Hypotheses: The study sought to determine the taxonomic diversity of Indian climbers by integrating taxonomical and ecological records. The study further aimed to categorize Indian climbers according to their climbing strategies. The study also sought to assess the conservation status of Indian climbers.

Methodological Approach: Based on a thorough literature review of more than 100 research materials (Floras, research articles, reviews, monographs, and technical reports) spanning more than 120 years, were reviewed to present a most comprehensive list of climber species in India. Duplicates and synonyms were deleted from over 25,000 data points to create a precise checklist of Indian climbers. The IUCN database was used to evaluate the conservation status of climber species. All of the species names were provided using the APG IV classification.

Results and Discoveries: The study revealed the presence of 2624 climber species in India within 104 seed plant families, making up roughly 12% of all reported plant species in India and ~25% of all globally known spermatophyte plant families. Among the 2624 climber species, 20% are endemic to India, especially the Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas were home to most endemic climbers, emphasizing their ecological significance. The study also revealed the complexity of matching optimal climbing mechanisms to climber species. The study emphasized the importance of integrating taxonomic and ecological information to obtain precise estimates of climbers, which would otherwise result in underrepresentation.

Publication Date: 15/07/2022

Recommended Citation: Pandi, V., Naveen Babu, K., Anbarashan, M., Sudhakar Reddy, C., Borgohain, J., Shynyan, K., … Parthasarathy, N. (2022). Taxonomic estimates of climbing plants in India: how many species are out there? Écoscience, 29(4), 325–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/11956860.2022.2094631

Publication Date

2022

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