RED SANDERS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: Recently, the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change informed that India has been removed from the Review of Significant Trade (RST) for Red Sanders, under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

Red Sanders

• About: The Red Sanders is a tree of significant market value, primarily found in specific districts of Andhra Pradesh.
• Distribution: Usually growing in the rocky, degraded and fallow lands with Red Soil and a hot and dry climate. It is an Indian endemic tree species, with a restricted geographical range in the Eastern Ghats.
• Scientific name: Pterocarpus santalinus.
• CITES Status: Appendix II.
• IUCN Status: Endangered.

• Threats from Illegal Harvesting: The Red sanders face severe threats from illegal harvesting and smuggling, resulting in their depletion from natural forest ecosystems.
• Legal Export from Plantations: Despite the challenges, a substantial portion of legally exported red sanders wood is sourced from artificially propagated plantations, contributing to the legal market.
• Review of Significant Trade (RST): The Red sanders species has been under the scrutiny of the Review of Significant Trade process, with the assessment initiated around 2004 to address concerns related to its trade and conservation.