FAQ :: Envis

This section will provide answers to commonly asked questions related to medicinal plants of conservation concern. We initially provide some questions and answers. You are free to send Your Questions to us, which will be answered by experts.

To start with, click one of the question below:

1.	What is conservation?
2.	What is cultivation?
3.	Can cultivation help in conservation?
4.	How conservation is different from sustainable use?

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1.	What is conservation?
A.	Conservation is the preservation and careful management of the natural resources for long term survival. Conservation of species is best ensured by protecting its natural habitat, where the species continues to grow reproduce and evolve along with its associated plants, animals and microorganisms.

2.	What is cultivation?
A.	The term 'cultivation' generally implies selection of a particular variety of a species and large-scale multiplication of that particular variety to meet the requirements of consumption. The intention behind cultivation is consumption. Though some highly productive or high quality individuals may be chosen for providing large-scale propagation material, the progeny used in cultivation is expected to have narrow genetic variation. It is likely to be more susceptible to pests and diseases than natural populations.

3.	Can cultivation help conservation?
A.	Cultivation cannot substitute conservation of natural habitats. The propagation material such as seeds, cuttings, tissue culture saplings etc. need to be obtained afresh every year from outside the cultivation area, such as from forests or nurseries or laboratory. Cultivated plants lack the quality, vigour, and resistance to draught, flood, diseases etc. observed in its natural population evolved under such pressures alongwith other plants, animals and microbes. Further, cultivation employs not the entire germplasm but strains for their higher quality or productivity or resistance etc. Despite a foresaid limitations of non-perpetuation and a narrow weak genetic base, cultivation can help conservation by reducing the harvest pressure on natural populations.

4.	How conservation is different from sustainable use?
A.	Conservation indicates maintenance of natural process of reproduction and evolution without human intervention while sustainable use implies tolerable human harvests, ensuring that these natural processes are intact. Conservation and sustainable use are very compatible but not substitutes for each other. Sustainable use can ensure conservation of target species but not its associated species and cannot guard against other threats viz. encroachment and degradation due to fire, grazing, pollution etc. which conservation presents.

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