Researchers from Nagaland University have recorded a new plant species, Hoya nagaensis, in the high-altitude forests of Nagaland, reinforcing the Northeast as a biodiversity hotspot and underlining the conservation value of community-managed forests.

• Hoya nagaensis is a previously undocumented species, discovered during botanical surveys in remote forest areas of Nagaland.

About Hoya nagaensis 

• The species belongs to the Hoya genus, well known for its ornamental and ecological value.
• Distinctive leaf morphology and floral structures, clearly different from known Hoya species.
• Endemic so far to a single site — the Kavünhou Community Reserved Forest in Phek district.
• Due to its restricted distribution and threats from shifting cultivation and forest disturbance, it has been provisionally classified as Critically Endangered.

Exam Hook – 

Q. Consider the following statements:

1. The Eastern Himalaya region is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot.
2. Community-managed forests play a significant role in biodiversity conservation in Nagaland.
3. All newly discovered plant species are immediately placed under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: 1 and 2 only

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