Rhododendron album
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Rhododendron album | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Ericaceae |
| Genus: | Rhododendron |
| Species: | R. album |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhododendron album | |
Rhododendron album is a species of plant in the family Ericaceae. It is endemic to Java in Indonesia. It is a vulnerable species threatened by habitat loss.[1]
Rhododendron album is white, but can also appear lilac, depending on the hybrid. The stamen is often a different color, such as orange or pink. The flower is four to six inches high, and blooms in the spring, staying green throughout autumn. (Bay Science Foundation, 2008)
In 1998, Rhododendron album was deemed vulnerable by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre, meaning that it faces a high risk of extinction in the mid-term future unless proper conservation methods are employed (Whitten et al. 1996).
Rhododendron album is native to Java (Indonesian Jawa), Indonesia. It is mostly found in the increasingly smaller high elevation forests throughout western and central Java.
Threats
Habitat loss
Rhododendron album is threatened by habitat loss. The habitat loss is due to agriculture, extraction of trees and other species of plants, as well as expansion of infrastructure throughout Java's forests. The degradation of Java's forests is more intense in lower elevations, but higher elevations where the plant grows are also affected. (Whitten et al. 1996).
Most of Java's forests have been cleared, and what is left is generally located in mountainous areas. The forests are legally protected, although locals continue to extract trees for timber and firewood, and many depend on the trees for their livelihood. Tree cutting in many places in Java has changed the forest to the point that large parts of former forest are now covered with shrubs, and forest degradation, especially as a result of tree cutting, is widespread throughout. (Smiet, 1992).
In order to save the species, more education and a stricter enforcement of the law against tree cutting is required. The Indonesian government must also reach an agreement with locals in Java, as the local's livelihoods often depend on the wood from the trees of these forests.