Coelachne minuta Bor

This is one of the smallest Coelachne species. A tiny grass growing on moist, rocky plateaus or Northern Western Ghats.

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1 Year Assessed: 2010 Assessor/s: Watve, A. Reviewer/s: Juffe Bignoli, D., Narasimhan, D., Kumar, V.S., Ravikumar, K. & Rao, M.L.V. Contributors: Molur, S. Justification: Coelachne minuta is endemic to about 300km long hilly stretch of the Western Ghats in the Maharashtra state of India. It grows abundantly on hill tops during the peak of monsoon season (July-August). It prefers habitats with shallow soil and sparse grass layer on ferricretes and rocky areas, although it can easily colonize secondarily barren habitats like mining and quarrying areas adjacent to its population. The populations of this species have large number of mature individuals and it is found in around 40 locations for more than 30 years. No change, reduction or fluctuation in the population of this species has been reported in the past and none was observed in a 3 years study. No major threat to the species is known, although local grazing and trampling can have some effect on the population. Some sites have windmill farms which might affect in long term if this leads to increased littering, tourism etc.. Around 5-6 of the sites were previously mined or marked for mining of bauxite, but it has been stopped at present and is unlikely to return considering the environmental concerns about Western Ghats hills. Thus, this species is categorised as Least Concern. Assessment History: 1997 - Rare (Walter and Gillett 1998) Conservation Actions: No specific conservation measures have been taken so far for this species. Research on population and life history and conservation monitoring essential List of Conservation Actions: 1, 1.1, 4, 4.3

Flowering period: August September

Anemochory

Perrenials, with long creeping culms rooting at nodes 5-10 cm long, nodes hairy. Leaves 0.6-3.0 x 0.15-0.4 cm, lanceolate, hirsute on nerves above, glabrescent beneath, apex acute. Panicles effuse, 3-5 cm long. Spikelets globose, 0.1-0.13 cm long, on slender, 0.15-0.2 cm long pedicles; lower glume broadly ovate, upper glume ovate-oblong; lower lemma longer than upper lemma.

Not available

autotrophy; primary producer

Habitat and Ecology: The species is found on the hill tops of Northern Western Ghats between 150-180N. It is abundant in shallow soil, grass patches on ferricretes, or any lateritic soil plateau. Systems: Terrestrial; Freshwater List of Habitats: 4, 4.6, 6

System: Terrestrial, hill tops. Habitat: Common on lateritic plateaus at high altitude.

Endemic

Locally abundant during monsoon

Population: Quantitative study of the population of this species was made for three years 2003-2006 at 5 locations during the study of rock outcrop plant communities. It is one of the most abundant species during its growing season of July-August. More than 100 individuals can be found within 20X20cm area. It can readily colonize disturbed patches adjacent to its area, like mined or quarried zones. Population Trend: Stable

Not known

Not known

Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1 Year Assessed: 2010 Assessor/s: Watve, A. Reviewer/s: Juffe Bignoli, D., Narasimhan, D., Kumar, V.S., Ravikumar, K. & Rao, M.L.V. Contributors: Molur, S. Justification: Coelachne minuta is endemic to about 300km long hilly stretch of the Western Ghats in the Maharashtra state of India. It grows abundantly on hill tops during the peak of monsoon season (July-August). It prefers habitats with shallow soil and sparse grass layer on ferricretes and rocky areas, although it can easily colonize secondarily barren habitats like mining and quarrying areas adjacent to its population. The populations of this species have large number of mature individuals and it is found in around 40 locations for more than 30 years. No change, reduction or fluctuation in the population of this species has been reported in the past and none was observed in a 3 years study. No major threat to the species is known, although local grazing and trampling can have some effect on the population. Some sites have windmill farms which might affect in long term if this leads to increased littering, tourism etc.. Around 5-6 of the sites were previously mined or marked for mining of bauxite, but it has been stopped at present and is unlikely to return considering the environmental concerns about Western Ghats hills. Thus, this species is categorised as Least Concern. Assessment History: 1997 - Rare (Walter and Gillett 1998) Conservation Actions: No specific conservation measures have been taken so far for this species. Research on population and life history and conservation monitoring essential List of Conservation Actions: 1, 1.1, 4, 4.3

Endangered. IUCN redlist status: Red List Category & Criteria: Least Concern ver 3.1 Year Published: 2011 Assessor/s: Watve, A. Reviewer/s: Juffe Bignoli, D., Narasimhan, D., Kumar, V.S., Ravikumar, K. & Rao, M.L.V. Contributor/s: Molur, S.

Major Threat (s): The areas where this plant occurrs are generally threatened with increased grazing, tourism, construction of roads, mining, etc. List of Threats: 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2, 2.3, 2.3.1, 3, 3.2

Habitat disturbance, many of the plateaus within it's area of occurrence are being converted to mining and agricultural land therefore there is a possibility of general decline in population due to loss of sites. The endangered status was suggested by Mishra & Singh 2001 owing to it being known only from 4 locations. However, more surveys conducted since then have recorded it's presence in more than 10 localities. The populations are fairly large even within a locality. Although there is a possible threat of land conversion and habitat destruction, there is no strong data to prove population loss, hence, at present, it falls under Least Concern category of IUCN

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