Ecological status, distribution, and conservation strategies of <Terminalia coronata> in the community forests of southern Haryana, India

Terminalia coronata is one of the economically and ecologically important native species of the arid and semi-arid region of south-west Haryana in India. However, the information on the distribution pattern and population structure of this species is very limited. Therefore, a study was aimed to inventorise, characterize, and map the distribution of T. coronata in the state of Haryana, India. Population inventory indicated that T. coronata is one of the fast-depleting species in the studied region. Consequently, further study was conducted to assess the threat and extinction risk of T. coronata in the southern and southwestern Haryana. Some efforts have also been made to design various conservation strategies, such as, development of standard protocols for nurseries, and formulation of government policies for ex situ & in situ conservation of T. coronata in Haryana. Results revealed that the distribution of T. coronata was limited to only seven districts of Haryana, including Nuh, Rewari, Mahendergarh, Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, and Rohtak. Only 475 individuals of the species were found at 47 sites. The natural regeneration of the species was almost absent. It was suggested that species extinction could be prevented by reducing overexploitation, heavy lopping, land use change, heavy biotic pressure, habitat fragmentation, and climate change. Immediate measures are needed to conserve and develop the species population through appropriate propagation techniques.