Cycas beddomei is an evergreen, palm-like plant with an erect main stem that can eventually be up to 200cm tall and 15cm in diameter; this is topped by a crown of around 20 - 30 large leaves each around 100 - 130cm long. Male plants often produce suckers from the base to form a clump, but females are always solitary. The population of Cycas beddomei is declining, partly due to local medicinal use and partly due to the frequency of grass fires that effectively block reproduction.
Cycads are the most ancient seed plants still living today, with fossils that date to the late Carboniferous period some 300-325 million years ago .now a days it is rare endangered species "Cycas beddomei" but all of the Critically Endangered and most of the Endangered species have less than a few hundred individuals left in the wild. The "cycas beddomei" is of 'Cycadacea' family which is endangered species as per IUCN. The reason for extinction is use of the plant for traditional medicine .
To conduct motivation meeting for the indigenous student volunteers and explain the project in detail. To approach the District Forest Officer, Tiruvannamalai for requesting protection for the planted species. To purchase saplings from the captive nurseries in the state of Andhra Pradhesh and transport the plants to the target location and to bio-fence. To plant the plants in the target location with the assistance of labourers and the student volunteers.
Preservation of the 'Cycas beddomei' in the non-captive environment. Preservation of the insect species associated with the plant. Helping the research on the medicinal property of the plant. Helping for the proliferation of the extinct plant. Provision of environment education for the indigenous student volunteers.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
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