Earth Sciences 2015; 4(3-1): 1-10 Published online March 2, 2015 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/earth) doi: 10.11648/j.earth.s.2015040301.11 ISSN: 2328-5974 (Print); ISSN: 2328-5982 (Online) Conservation efforts of an important medicinal plant (Taxus baccata Linn.) in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh (India) Gibji Nimasow 1, * , Oyi Dai Nimasow 2 , Jawan Singh Rawat 3 , Leki Norbu 4 1 Department of Geography, Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India 2 Department of Botany, Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, India 3 Department of Geography, Government Degree College, Chaukhutia, Uttarakhand, India 4 Department of Geography, Government College, Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh, India Email address: gibji26@yahoo.co.in (G. Nimasow), oyidai07@yahoo.com (O. D. Nimasow), jsr_06@rediffmail.com (J. S. Rawat), leki76@rediffmail.com (L. Norbu) To cite this article: Gibji Nimasow, Oyi Dai Nimasow, Jawan Singh Rawat, Leki Norbu. Conservation Efforts of an Important Medicinal Plant (Taxus baccata Linn.) in West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh (India). Earth Sciences. Special Issue: Conservation of Taxus Baccata Linn (Yew). Vol. 4, No. 3-1, 2015, pp. 1-10. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.s.2015040301.11 Abstract: Taxus is a small to medium sized tree, with red ‘berries’ (seed covered by arils), valuable for taxol or paclitaxel extraction used in the preparation of anti-cancer drugs (breast cancer and ovarian cancer), kaposi’s sarcoma (an AIDS related cancer) and over 20 such other indications. It is an evergreen tree found in the temperate forests with an altitude ranging between 1500 m to 3000 m. The worldwide demand of the taxol is 800–1000 kg annually. Around 2 to 3 million kg of biomass is harvested annually where as the sustainable rate of harvesting is estimated to be 0.6 million kg per year. Although, the endophytes isolated from the Taxus when cultured in the medium are found to grow taxol, but the rate is very low. The maximum occurrence and high exploitation of Taxus has been reported from West Kameng district of Arunahal Pradesh, until the prohibition on its export through listing under Negative Lists of Exports by Government of India in 1996. Random linear transacts in the deep forests recorded a total of 145 Taxus plants. Out of which, 105 are dead trees and only 38 are live plants. Among the 38 live plants 20 are seedlings, 14 are saplings and 4 are full grown trees – one each near Sanglem and New Bomdila and another two between Ramda and Palizi. Therefore, conservation efforts like workshops, seminars, talks, distribution of pamphlets, pasting of posters and mass plantation has been organized by involving the villagers. The study attempts to explore the current status of Taxus in the aftermath of large scale trade occurred during 1990s and generate community awareness for conservation and regeneration of the important medicinal plant. Keywords: Conservation, Taxus, Cancer, Taxol, Workshops 1. Introduction Taxus baccata Linn. is valuable for taxol or paclitaxel extraction [1] used in the preparation of anti-cancer drugs, in addition to other medical uses in Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine [2]. The ideal altitudinal zone where the tree occurs is between 2000 to 2500 m [3]. Taxus can be propagated through branch cuttings and this feature is so particularly relevant to its cultivation efforts [4]. Dabur India Ltd., a large manufacturer of plant-based medicines is propagating the species through cuttings and then distributing the seedlings to farmers to grow under contract [1]. Taxus occurs in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur [5]. It is also reported from the Himalayan countries of Nepal and Bhutan [6]. Taxol, a highly derivatised diterpenoid, has shown promises as an anti-tumor agent in breast and ovarian cancer. Taxol was first isolated from the bark of Taxus brevifolia [7], but in India and other parts of the world pharmaceutical companies have succeeded in isolating it from the leaves [8]. Although all 11 species of Taxus make taxol, the natural stands of these trees are often small and remote [9]. Moreover, only 0.01 to 0.03% of the dry phloem weight is taxol, yet as much as 2 g of purified taxol is