ENVIS Centre on Floral Diversity (http://www.bsienvis.nic.in)
The Botanical Survey of India was established on 13th February, 1890 with the basic objective to explore the plant resources of the country and to identify the plant species with economic values. After the retirement of the then British Director in 1939, it remained quiescent till 1953. However, after independence, the Government of India, as a part of scientific development of the country, reorganised the department with objectives (i) to undertake intensive and extensive floristic surveys and collect accurate and detailed information on the occurrence, distribution, ecology and economic utility of plants in the country; (ii) to collect, identify and distribute materials which may be of use to educational and research institutions; (iii) to act as the custodian of authentic collections in well-planned herbaria and (iv) to document the plant resources in the form of Local, District, State and National Floras. For more visit to www.bsi.gov.in
Some Important Knowledge information/ product of ENVIS Centre:
CITES Plants
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of wild fauna and flora) is an international treaty aimed to regulate and monitor the international trade in selected species of plants and animals to ensure that it does not endanger the survival of populations in the wild.
International trade in wild animals and plants is worth billions of dollars. The trade varies from live animals and plants to an array of products derived from them. Levels of exploitation of some plant species are high and the trade in them, together with habitat loss, depleted them close to extinction.
As the trade in wild animals and plants takes place across the borders, the effort to regulate it requires international cooperation. CITES was conceived in the spirit of such cooperation. The representatives of 80 countries agreed to the Convention in Washington DC, U.S.A. on 3rd March 1973 and on 1st July 1975 CITES entered in force. Today there are 175 countries that are parties to CITES. CITES accords varying degrees of protection to ca 5,000 species of animals and 29,000 species of plants which are traded as live specimens or as dried or preserved material.
Three appendices are framed by the Convention which include the list of animals and plants subject to strict compliance of regulations of trade according to different degree of threats due to over exploitation from wild. Species are listed by the CITES Parties (countries) at one of three levels of protection (appendices), which have different requirements. These Parties regulate trade in specimens (live and dead) of Appendix- I, II and III species and their hybrids, parts, products and derivatives through a system of permits and certificates (CITES documents. more...
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