A retrospective analysis in the conservation of selected sites with <em>Salacia</em> species in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka

Abstract

The genus Salacia has high importance as it contains a medicinal value. Cultivation of Salacia species has become an attractive, profitable industry over the past few years mainly due to an increase in its demand and market value. Due to overexploitation, the majority of these bears threatened will become extinct in the future. Hence, the conservation plan for Salacia species was presented to conserve Salacia species. Data were collected from relevant respondents from the Ayurvedic Department, Ayurvedic industries, and Department of Agriculture and stakeholders of the value chain using focus group interviews and discussions from May to July in 2019. Five options for recovery of Salacia species in the selected site were decided. Manage Salacia species on forest patches (option 2), protect plants of Salacia species at selected sites to correspond to the full range of remaining genetic diversity (option 3), and maintain Salacia species in cultivation (option 5) were chosen as the best options for the recovery of Salacia species in the selected sites. To manage these species on forest patches, protect plants at sites chosen to correspond to the full range of remaining genetic diversity, and maintain these species in cultivation, plans including their outcomes were decided. These suggestions, if suitably implicated, will go a long way forward conserving this invaluable herbal wealth.