Indian Rosewood

About Indian Rosewood Latest News

According to recent habitat modelling by the Institute of Wood Science and Technology (IWST), Bengaluru, only 17.2% of India’s suitable habitat for Dalbergia latifolia — Indian rosewood — lies within protected areas.

About Indian Rosewood

• Indian Rosewood i.e Dalbergia sissoo (North Indian rosewood) is often called the “ivory of the forests,”
• Indian Rosewood is a fast-growing, hardy, deciduous crooked rosewood
• Distribution: It is native to the foothills of the Himalayas, ranging from Afghanistan in the west to Bihar, India, in the east.
• Habitat: It is primarily found growing along river banks above 200 m (700 ft) elevation, but can range naturally up to 1,400 m (4,600 ft).
• It has long, leathery leaves and whitish or pink flowers.
• Indian rosewood is prized for its rich grain, deep colour, and exceptional durability.
• It serves as both a premium timber resource for the furniture and handicraft industries and a keystone ecological species.
• It is commonly used for furniture, musical instruments, decorative items and veneers.
• Ecological Significance: Rosewood trees improve soil fertility through nitrogen fixation, support bird and insect diversity, and act as long-term carbon sinks.
• Concerns: Researchers observed that populations are dominated by mature, ageing trees with almost no regeneration in the wild. Seedlings are rare, and in many areas, entirely absent.

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Conservation status of Indian Rosewood

• IUCN: Vulnerable
• CITES list: Appendix II

Source: TH