Perfor. of Summer forage legumes in Pothowar Pak. J. Agri. Sci., Vol. 50(2), 249-254; 2013 ISSN (Print) 0552-9034, ISSN (Online) 2076-0906 http://www.pakjas.com.pk Acacia nilotica SUBSP. HEMISPHERICA: AT THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION Haider Abbas1,*, Muhammad Qaiser2, Jan Alam3 and Sher Wali Khan4 1Department of Agriculture, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan; 2Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Karachi-75300, Pakistan; 3Department of Botany Hazara University, Mansehra-21300, Pakistan; 4Department of Biological Sciences, Karakoram International University, Gilgit-Baltistan-15100, Pakistan *Corresponding author’s e.mail:
[email protected] Extremely narrow distributed endemic species are more susceptible to the process of extinction. This is due to their narrow ecological amplitude and habitat specificity as compared to the widely distributed endemic taxa. Acacia nilotica Willd. Ex Delile subsp. Hemispherica Ali & Faruqi (Mimosaceae-Fabaceae, an endemic taxon with extremely confined distribution in Southern Pakistan. Based on four years extensive field studies regarding nature of habitat, population size, distribution range and anthropogenic activities, the conservation status of Acacia nilotica subsp. hemispherica have been classified as Critically Endangered (CR) according to IUCN red list categories and criteria 2001. Conservation strategies have also been suggested for avoiding extinction. Keywords: Conservation status, endemic, critically endangered, red list categories & criteria, Acacia nilotica subsp. hemispherica, neglected germplasm INTRODUCTION due to its population explosion, unplanned urbanization, deforestation and over-exploitation of natural resources Our globe is losing plant species at an alarming rate and this (Anonymous, 2000; Ahmad et al., 2005). Unfortunately, rate of extinction is considered to be a threat to mankind very little critical field work has been done on threatened next only to thermo-nuclear war (Sulaiman et al., 1991).