Context
UNODC reports agarwood as one of the most affected by illegal smuggling.
About Agarwood
- Also known as oud, aloeswood, or gaharu.
- A highly valuable, fragrant resinous wood from Aquilaria trees.
- Aquilaria is an evergreen tree that can grow up to 40 meters tall.
- Formation:
- Produced when Aquilaria trees are infected by the mold Fusarium solani.
- The tree reacts to the infection by producing a dark aromatic resin, giving the wood its fragrance.
- Geographical Distribution:
- Native to South and South-East Asia.
- Found in India (North-East states), Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Thailand.
- Economic Value:
- One of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world.
- High-grade resin can reach prices of up to $100,000 per kilogram.
- Agarwood oil (oud) is extracted through steam distillation.
- Highly prized in the perfume industry and known as ‘liquid gold.’
- Uses:
- Used in high-end perfumes, incense sticks, traditional medicine, and religious and cultural rituals.
- Highly valued in Middle Eastern and East Asian cultures.
- Artificial Induction:
- Methods to artificially induce resin production due to high demand and conservation issues.
- Techniques include mechanical wounding, chemical treatments, and biological inoculation with fungi.
- Conservation Status:
- Trade is protected byCITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) .
- Listed in Appendix II of CITES.
- IUCN Status:
- Aquilaria malaccensis, the most renowned species for agarwood production, is ‘critically endangered.’
- Population has declined over 80% in the past 150 years due to indiscriminate logging and commercial exploitation.
Source:
DownToEarth
Previous Year Question
With reference to ‘Red Sanders’, sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements:
1. It is a tree species found in a part of South India.
2. It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rainforest areas of South India.
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2016 Prelims]
Which of the statements given above is /are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a)
