NBC Status Report 2021-11-Aug Compressed
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National Biodiversity Centre Status Report 2021 INSIDE Biodiversity Interpretation Centre Native Plant Propagation Facility New Species Discoveries & Rediscoveries Epididymal Semen Collection & Cryopreservation Invasive Alien Plant Species Access & Benefit Sharing Initiatives Bhutan Biodiversity Portal Research Abstracts Status Report 2021 National Biodiversity Centre (NBC) Ministry of Agriculture and Forests Royal Government of Bhutan Serbithang, Thimphu NBC STATUS REPORT 2021 | 1 Editors: Dr. Karma Dema Dorji, Program Director, NBC Asta Maya Tamang, Principal Biodiversity Officer, Plant Genetic Resources Program Rinchen Yangzom, Principal Biodiversity Officer, National Herbarium Mani P. Nirola, Dy. Chief Biodiversity Officer, Bioprospecting & ABS Program Chencho Dorji, Sr. Biodiversity Officer, Bioprospecting & ABS Program Tshering Dorji, Biodiversity Officer, Animal Genetic Resources Program Pem Zam, Biodiversity Officer, Royal Botanical Garden Serbithang Ugyen Phuntsho, Biodiversity Supervisor, Plant Genetic Resources Program Rinchen Dorji, Biodiversity Supervisor, Plant Genetic Resources Program Compiled & Edited by: Choki Gyeltshen, Dy. Chief Biodiversity Officer, Biodiversity Information Management Program Published by: National Biodiversity Centre (NBC) Ministry of Agriculture and Forests Royal Government of Bhutan Serbithang, Thimphu 11001, Bhutan P.O. Box: 875 +975-2-351417 +975-2-351219 [email protected] ww.nbc.gov.bt (NBC Website) www.biodiversity.bt (Bhutan Biodiversity Portal) @NBCBhutan July, 2021 © National Biodiversity Centre, Thimphu, 2021 Layout & Design: Choki Gyeltshen, NBC Front Cover Photo: Cypripedium guttatum, (L-R) Bhutan Biodiversity Portal, Pseudonapaeus occibhutanus (Snail), Rodhodendron pogonophyllum, Chiloschista himalaica, Biodiversity Interpretation Centre. Back Cover: Kyitsugang, Dangchu, Wangdue Phodrang. All photos by NBC, unless credited. Printed at Yoebar Prints ([email protected]) 2 | NBC STATUS REPORT 2021 MESSAGE FROM THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR In recognition of the importance of knowledge and awareness of the citizens at biodiversity to humankind and to its large. Towards this end, the Centre focused own goal of environmentally sustainable on two important means i.e., it established development and committed leadership the Biodiversity Interpretation Centre at in environmental conservation, Bhutan the Royal Botanical Garden, which is first of became party to and ratified the UN its kind in the country. It is aimed to create Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) more public awareness and educate on the in 1995 by the 73rd National Assembly importance of biodiversity conservation of Bhutan. Thus, in 1998 the National and its sustainable utilization. Further, Biodiversity Centre (NBC) was established the Centre also upgraded the Bhutan to coordinate the biodiversity conservation Biodiversity Portal from version 2 to efforts and the National Biodiversity version 3. Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Bhutan also signed the Nagoya Protocol on The Centre successfully micro-propagated Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) in 2011 to orchid species, established several Access enable meaningful ABS collaborations that and Benefit Sharing initiatives with the will benefit country and the people at large local communities, initiated epididymal through regulated access to biological semen collection and porcine semen resources of Bhutan. cryopreservation from indigenous pigs, among others. This year, we are pleased to share the Centre’s Status Report for the fiscal year, The status report comprises rational for July 2020 to June 2021. We are presenting biodiversity conservation, achievements, comprehensive conservation efforts Annual Performance Agreement, success carried out during this fiscal year to achieve stories, research abstracts and other the national and international targets on relevant information on biodiversity biodiversity conservation. With changing of Bhutan. We thank our conservation time, biodiversity is threatened in various partners and donors for assisting us to ways and the Centre sees how crucial it is effectively conserve country’s biodiversity. to strengthen its roles and responsibilities towards biodiversity conservation and We hope you will enjoy reading the report, its sustainable utilization. An important and we welcome your valuable comments. tool towards this effort is to enhance the Dr. Karma Dema Dorji Program Director/Specialist Head NBC STATUS REPORT 2021 | 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. BACKGROUND..................................................................................................7 1.1. Biodiversity of Bhutan....................................................................................7 1.2. History of NBC...............................................................................................10 1.3. Organizational Chart.....................................................................................13 1.4. National and International Obligations......................................................15 2. Animal Genetic Resources..............................................................................17 2.1. In-situ conservation of animal genetic resources......................................17 2.2. Ex-situ conservation of animal genetic resources at the National Animal Gene Bank...................................................................18 3. Plant Genetic Resources.................................................................................19 3.1. Ex-situ conservation of crop genetic resources at the National Crop Gene Bank.............................................................................19 3.2. On-farm conservation of crop genetic resources......................................21 4. Bioprospecting and Access & Benefit Sharing (ABS) Program.......................26 5. National Herbarium.......................................................................................31 6. Royal Botanical Garden Serbithang...............................................................36 7. Biodiversity Information Management Program...........................................42 7.1. Biodiversity Information & Content Management....................................42 7.2. National Invertebrate Repository................................................................45 8. Annual Performance Agreement (APA) 2020 – 2021......................................48 9. Budget Outlay for the Fiscal Year 2020 – 2021...............................................49 10. Biodiversity Overview Articles.....................................................................50 10.1. The development of the Bhutan Biodiversity Portal...............................51 10.2. Sharing of benefits by the Bio Bhutan Pvt. Limited to the Jom Dagam Ngomen Tshogpa, Dagala Thimphu under the Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) framework........................54 10.3. Alternate livelihood opportunity for farmers of Dzedokha village, Loggchina through Access and Benefit Sharing initiative......................56 10.4. Inventory and Documentation of Traditional Knowledge and Systems related to the Biodiversity Conservation and Climate Resilience..........58 4 | NBC STATUS REPORT 2021 10.5. Rhododendron pogonophyllum rediscovered in Bhutan after 84 years................................................................................................61 10.6. Orchid micropropagation at the Royal Botanical Garden, Serbithang....................................................................................................63 10.7. The Biodiversity Interpretation Centre: first of its kind in the country...............................................................................................66 10.8. Native plant propagation at the Royal Botanical Garden Serbithang....................................................................................................68 10.9. Journey of the invertebrate inventory in Bhutan...........................................................................................................70 10.10. Epididymal semen collection & porcine semen cryopreservation trial from indigenous pig.........................................................................74 11. Abstracts of published research articles from July 2020 – June 2021..........77 12. List of Publications......................................................................................84 13. References...................................................................................................88 14. Annexures....................................................................................................90 Annex. 1. List of species collections new to the National Herbarium............90 Annex. 2. List of fern species added to the National Herbarium....................93 Annex. 3. List of grass species added to the National Herbarium...................94 Annex. 4. Contributors to the Status Report.....................................................95 NBC STATUS REPORT 2021 | 5 Rheum nobile 6 | NBC STATUS REPORT 2021 1. BACKGROUND 1.1. Biodiversity of Bhutan iological diversity is vitally important and, therefore, bear distinctive features Bfor every sphere of human existence which need to be conserved, especially to and provides us with a vast range of build resilience in the face of climate change products and services ranging from food, for food security and improved livelihoods. water, timber, fiber, genetic resources, About 79% of the Bhutanese population