Deodar has been given the status of State plant in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh rightly due to its presence in abundance in the state. The tree belongs to the genus cedrus. This presentation tries to explore the different species of cedrus found worldwide, the regions they are found, uses, conservation status etc. Note: The images used as background in each slide belongs to the author.

1. Cedrus of Himachal Pradesh
Arindam Ghosh

2. Himachal Pradesh: Location
India on world map
Himachal Pradesh in Indian map
Political map of Himachal Pradesh

3. Himachal Pradesh
 Name: The word “Himachal Pradesh” comes from the Sanskrit word
“Hima” which means “Snow”. And also the literal meaning of the
State’s name is in the lap of Himalayas.
 Existence: Since 1950, Himachal Pradesh was a Union Territory. It
became a autonomous state in the year 1971, by virtue of the State of
Himachal Pradesh Act 1971.
 Boundary: It is surrounded by Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana,
Uttarakhand and Tibet Autonomous Region.
 Population: As per Census 2011, the population of Himachal Pradesh
is 6,856,509. Population wise, Himachal Pradesh holds 20th position.

4.  Land Area: The land area of Himachal Pradesh is 55,673 sq. km.
Area wise, Himachal Pradesh holds 17th rank.
 Language: Hindi and Punjabi are the official languages of Himachal
Pradesh. Pahadi language is also heard from the people of Himachal
Pradesh.
 Literacy: Its Literacy Ratio is 83.78%
 City: Its Capital City is Shimla. Shimla is also known as the Summer
Capital of the Country. Shimla is also the largest city of Himachal
Pradesh.
 District: There are 12 districts in this state.
Himachal Pradesh

5. What is Biodiversity?
According to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), "Biological
diversity" means the variability among living organisms from all sources
including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and
the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity
within species, between species and of ecosystems.

6. Levels of Biodiversity
Ecological diversity: The diversity of ecological
complex or biotic communities found in a given
area
Species diversity: It refers to variety of species
in a region
Genetic diversity: The diversity of basic units of
hereditary information (genes) which are passed
down the generations, found within a species

7. Flora and fauna of Himachal Pradesh
 According to 2003 Forest Survey of India report, legally defined forest
areas constitute 66.52% of the area of Himachal Pradesh, although
area under tree cover is only 25.78%.
 Vegetation in the state is dictated by elevation and precipitation.
 Himachal is also said to be the fruit bowl of the country.
 Himachal Pradesh has around 1200 bird and 359 animal species.

8. Flora and fauna of Himachal Pradesh
 State Animal-Snow leopard
 State Bird-Western Tragopan
 State Flower-Pink Rhododendron
 State Tree-Deodar

9. Protected areas of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh has two national parks and thirty-two wildlife
sanctuaries. A few of them are listed below:
 Great Himalayan National Park
 Pin Valley National Park
 Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary
 Chail Wildlife Sanctuary
 Kalatop Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary
 Manali Wildlife Sanctuary

10. Protected areas of Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh has two national parks and thirty-two wildlife
sanctuaries. A few of them are listed below:
 Maharana Pratap Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary
 Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary
 Daranghati Wildlife Sanctuary
 Shikari Devi Wildlife Sanctuary
 Kais Wildlife Sanctuary
 Shimla Water Catchment Wildlife Sanctuary

11. Kalatop Khajjiar Wildlife Sanctuary
 Location: Chamba district
 Area: 30.69 km²
 Altitude- 1185 to 2768 m
 Vegetation: Blue pine, deodar, oak
 Mammals- bear, Himalayan Black Marten, leopard, deer,
Barking Goral, squirrel, serow, jackal, langur.
 Birds- Blackbird

12. The Genus Cedrus
 Cedrus (common name Cedar) is a genus of coniferous trees in the
plant family Pinaceae.
 Native to the mountains of the western Himalayas and the
Mediterranean region.
 Occurs at altitudes of 1,500–3,200 m in the Himalayas and 1,000–
2,200 m in the Mediterranean.
 Can grow up to 30–40 m (occasionally 60 m) tall.

13. Species in Cedrus
 Cedrus deodara
 Cedrus libani
 Cedrus brevifolia
 Cedrus atlantica

14. Cedrus libani
Scientific classification
Kingdom Plantae
Division Pinophyta
Class Pinopsida
Order Pinales
Family Pinaceae
Genus Cedrus
Species C. libani
Binomial name
Cedrus libani
Other names
Cedars of Lebanon
Lebanon Cedar

15. Cedrus libani: Geographic Range
Range Description: Occurs in the mountains adjacent to the northeastern
Mediterranean coast in Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and western
Cypress
Lebanon cedar or Cedar of Lebanon grows in Lebanon,
Israel, northwest Jordan, western Syria, and south central
Turkey.
Turkish cedar or Taurus cedar grows in southwest Turkey.
Native Countries: Cyprus; Lebanon; Syrian Arab Republic; Turkey

16. Cedrus libani: Conservation status
A taxon is Vulnerable(VU) when it is not Critically
Endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of
extinction in the wild in the medium-term future

17. Cedrus atlantica
Scientific classification
Kingdom Plantae
Division Pinophyta
Class Pinopsida
Order Pinales
Family Pinaceae
Genus Cedrus
Species C. atlantica
Binomial name
Cedrus atlantica
Other names
Atlas cedar

18. Cedrus atlantica: Geographic Range
Range Description: The Atlas Cedar forests are distributed in Morocco (Rif, Middle Atlas, and
northeastern High Atlas) and Algeria (Aurès, Belezma, Hodna, Djbel Babor,
Djurdjura, Blida and Ouarsenis). The Middle Atlas (northern Morocco)
contains about 80% of the Atlas Cedar forest surface area (ca. 100,000 ha). The
total area of occupancy in Algeria and Morocco is estimated to be between
1,300 and 1,500 km2 (Terrab et al. 2008, Linares et al. 2011).
Native Countries: Algeria; Morocco

19. Cedrus atlantica: Conservation status
A taxon is Endangered(EN) when it is not Critically
Endangered but is facing a very high risk of extinction in
the wild in the near future

20. Cedrus brevifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom Plantae
Division Pinophyta
Class Pinopsida
Order Pinales
Family Pinaceae
Genus Cedrus
Species C. brevifolia
Binomial name
Cedrus brevifolia
Other names
Cyprus cedar

21. Cedrus brevifolia: Geographic Range
Range Description: It is native to the Troödos Mountains of central Cyprus. It
grows in the Pafos State Forest.

22. Cedrus brevifolia: Conservation status
A taxon is Vulnerable(VU) when it is not Critically
Endangered or Endangered but is facing a high risk of
extinction in the wild in the medium-term future

23. Cedrus deodara
Scientific classification
Kingdom Plantae
Division Pinophyta
Class Pinopsida
Order Pinales
Family Pinaceae
Genus Cedrus
Species C. deodara
Binomial name
Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) G.Don
Other names
Deodar cedar
Himalayan cedar
Deodar
Devdar
Devadar
Devadaru

24. Cedrus deodara: Geographic Range
Range Description: Recorded from East Afghanistan (Hindu Kush), North-West
Pakistan (Karakoram), China: extreme SouthWest Xizang
[Tibet], Kashmir to West Nepal.
Native Countries: Afghanistan; China (Tibet [or Xizang]); India (Himachal
Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh); Nepal; Pakistan

25. Cedrus deodara: Conservation status
A least concern (LC) species is one which has been
categorised by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature as evaluated but not qualified
for any other category. As such they do not qualify as
threatened, near threatened, or (prior to 2001)
conservation dependent.

26. Cedrus in Himachal Pradesh
 The species of Cedrus found in Himachal Pradesh is Cedrus deodara
 Cedrus deodara has been given the status of State Plant

27. Cedrus deodara: Etymology
The botanical name, which is also the English common name,
derives from the Sanskrit term devadāru, which means "wood of
the gods", a compound of deva "god" and dāru "wood, tree".

28. Cedrus deodara: Habitat and Ecology
 Cedrus deodara is a high mountain tree, but it occurs in a wide range of habitats in the Himalaya.
 It grows in a belt at elevations between 17,00 m and 3,000 m a.s.l. in the western part of its range
and between 1,300 m and 3,300 m in the eastern part, where the climate is less dry.
 At higher elevations it forms a coniferous forest belt with, among other species, Abies pindrow, A.
spectabilis in Nepal, Pinus wallichiana, Picea smithiana, and Cupressus torulosa, but forms often
also pure stands.
 At the highest limits of Cedrus, Juniperus squamata is the only accompanying conifer species.
 At lower elevations first Quercus spp., then Aesculus indica, Betula sp., Corylus jaquemontii, Acer
spp., Prunus spp. and shrubs mark the transition towards a broad-leaved forest.
 Systems: Terrestrial

29. Cedrus deodara: Physical description
 Leaf: Evergreen needles, dark green but may have some silvery bloom
giving them a blue-green color; 1 to 2 inches long, sharp pointed;
occur singly on new growth and than later on spur shoots; remaining
on the tree for 3 to 6 years.

30. Cedrus deodara: Physical description
 Flower: Species is monoecious; male cones 2 to 3 inches long on the
lower parts of crown; female cones erect, purplish, occur on upper
portions of crown.

31. Cedrus deodara: Physical description
 Fruit: Upright cones, 3 to 4 inches long and 3 inches across;
deciduous scales; initially green and purplish, then later turning a
reddish brown when mature, usually resinous.

32. Cedrus deodara: Physical description
 Twig: Slender, with numerous short spur shoots, branches droop with
age; buds are very small and round.

33. Cedrus deodara: Physical description
 Bark: Initially smooth and gray-brown, later developing short furrows
with scaly ridge tops.

34. Cedrus deodara: Physical description
 Form: Young trees have a broad pyramidal crown that becomes wider
with age; branch tips and leaders droop and have a fine texture. In
the landscape it can reach 80 feet tall but becomes much taller in its
native range.

35. Cedrus deodara: Uses
 It is widely grown as an ornamental tree, often planted in parks and large gardens for its
drooping foliage.

36. Cedrus deodara: Uses
 It is used as construction material
 Deodar is in great demand as building material because of its durability, rot-resistant character
and fine, close grain, which is capable of taking a high polish.
 Its historical use to construct religious temples and in landscaping around temples is well
recorded.
 Its rot-resistant character also makes it an ideal wood for constructing the well-known houseboats
of Srinagar, Kashmir.
 In Pakistan and India, during the British colonial period, deodar wood was used extensively for
construction of barracks, public buildings, bridges, canals and railway cars.
 Despite its durability, it is not a strong timber, and its brittle nature makes it unsuitable for
delicate work where strength is required, such as chair-making.

37. Cedrus deodara: Uses
 Herbal Ayurveda- The use of C. deodara in Ayurvedic medicines
is well recorded. The inner wood is aromatic and used to make
incense. Inner wood is distilled into essential oil. As insects avoid
this tree, the essential oil is used as insect repellent on the feet of
horses, cattle and camels. It also has anti-fungal properties and
has some potential for control of fungal deterioration of spices
during storage. The outer bark and stem are astringent. In
Himachal people suffering from asthma or other respiratory
problems are advised to sit under a Deodar tree early in the
morning.

38. Cedrus deodara: Threats
 Intensive logging (legal and illegal) in some parts of its range (e.g.
Afghanistan) may pose a localized threat. Deforestation and
conversion of forests for agriculture may also pose local threats in
some parts of Pakistan and India.

39. Cedrus deodara: Conclusion
Cedrus deodara may now be categorised as Least Concerned but if intensive
logging continues the day will not be far when it will become extinct from the face
of the earth.

40. References
 The IUCN Red List [http://www.iucnredlist.org]
 VirginiaTech-Department of Forest Resources and Environment Conservation
[http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology]
 Missouri Botanical Garden [http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org]
 The Gymnosperm Database [http://www.conifers.org]
 About.com [http://treesandshrubs.about.com]
Note: The background images in the slides belongs to the author. ag1805x