<i>Ex situ</i> Conservation of Threatened Endemic Tree Species in Biodiversity Hotspot: A Case Study from Western Ghats, India

The selection and prioritization of threatened species for ex situ management continues to be a serious challenge as the conservation infrastructure is exiguous. 232 threatened endemic trees occur in India. 52 threatened trees of Western Ghats, particularly those of southern Western Ghats were selected for ex situ conservation in the National Orchidarium and Experimental Garden (NOEG) by collecting seeds, seedlings and stem cuttings. 61.5% survived and established themselves in NOEG, while the rest, languid. Many of these threatened species have never been grown before, so trials were carried out to generate a successful method for propagation.