Climate change dwarfs Shirui Lily ?
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 10 2013: Shirui Lily first discovered by British botanist F Kingdom Ward about 60 years has undergone drastic changes since then.

Some of the Shirui Lily plants are now just about six inches high although the rare flower was once said to be five feet high.

These drastic changes were observed by this reporter during a field trip to Shirui hills which are 2553 metres high from the mean sea level.

Philazan Shangh Shimray, author of the book "Shirui Lily at a glance" said that F Kingdom Ward recorded the height of Siroy Lily plants at five feet on the average.

Philazan said that Shirui Lily plants appeared to be quite high when she visited Shirui hills around 1980.Black and white photographs of Shirui Lily plants taken around 1970 too appeared to be quite high.

These photographs showed that Shirui Lilies grew in abundance at Shirui hills at that time.

Changing height of Shirui Lilies

Forest Department officials and this reporter during a field trip to Shirui hills on June 8 found some of the Shirui Lily plants as short as six inches.

The number of Shirui Lily plants and the number of Shirui Lily plants which bear flowers have also gone down drastically.

Even in the area identified as core zone by Forest Department, very few numbers of Shirui Lily plants could be seen.

Nonetheless, the hill slope was strewn with left-over food items, empty plastic packets and other waste material.

Deputy Conservator of Forest (Park and Sanctuary) L Joykumar remarked that changes seen in the Shirui hills might have been the result of global climate change.

It is essential to do a thorough research in order to ascertain the exact causes of environmental changes seen in and around Shirui hills.

Manipur University Associate Professor (Life Science Department) Dr P Kumar said that the drastic changes seen in Shirui Lily plants are caused by climate change.

Fertility of the soil where Shirui Lily plants grow has also degraded.

Saying that Shirui Lily and Dzuko Lily grow in areas which have similar eco-types, Dr Kumar said that physical changes as seen in Shirui Lily cannot be seen in Dzuko Lily so far.

According to former chief of Shirui village AW Yaokharek, majestic trees were growing abundantly and there were large numbers and varieties of wildlife in Siroy hill ranges about 40 years back when a tiger was living in Siroy forest.

But after the tiger was killed, lumbering and hunting activities multiplied resulting in drastic changes to the ecology and environment of Siroy hills, Yaokharek said.