Pak. J. Bot., 47(SI): 43-49, 2015. ASTRAGALUS CLARKEANUS ALI: A THREATENED AND NARROW ENDEMIC SPECIES IN GILGIT-BALTISTAN, PAKISTAN JAN ALAM1* AND S. I. ALI2 1Department of Botany, Hazara University, Mansehra-21300, Pakistan 2Centre for Plant Conservation, University of Karachi, Karachi-75210 Corresponding author’s e-mail:
[email protected] Abstract Astragalus clarkeanus Ali, a narrow endemic species, belongs to the family Fabaceae-Papilionoideae. It is exclusively endemic to two localities of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Based on ten field surveys, made from 2004 to 2007, the population size (i.e. maximum 54 individual plants) and geographic range (i.e., 10 km2) of this species should be regarded as Critically Endangered (CR) according to IUCN Red list Categories and Criteria. The main threat factors to the taxon are extremely small population size, limited geographic range, habitat degradation due to extensive grazing and soil erosion. Remedial measures are also suggested. Key Words: Conservation Status; Gilgit-Baltistan; Endemic; Pakistan; Critically Endangered introduction remaining taxa are Data Deficient. Moreover, these taxa hardly make 0.8% of the total known flowering The species extinction crisis is considered to be the plant species of Pakistan. The main reasons for their most serious threat to mankind for their survival. endangerment are small population size, fragmented Therefore, protection of biological diversity is the populations, narrow distribution area, habitat loss, moral and evolutionary responsibility of mankind in deforestation, grazing, fuel wood-collections, invasive order to smoothly running of various ecological species and collection for medicinal purposes as well. systems on the earth. In the earlier paper (Alam & Ali, 2010), a check Pakistan occupies an area of 804,152 sq.