Diversity of climbers and their conservation status in the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, India

This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the floristic diversity and conservation status of climbers in the Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary, Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, India. Climbers have special horticultural characteristics due to their ornamental features but they have inherently weak stems; hence, they develop a variety of climbing mechanisms to support their growth and development in diverse habitats. To document the diversity of climbers in the sanctuary, extensive field surveys have been conducted, supplemented by herbarium studies and evaluation of their conservation status according to the IUCN Red List. A total of 95 climbers, constituting of 53 lianas and 42 vines, under 33 families, have been recorded. Convolvulaceae was found to be the largest family of 17 species. The study also reveals the twinning behavior of plants with species exhibiting right- or left-handed twinning patterns, and, notably, the right-handed have been found to be more prevalent in that area. The conservation assessment according to the IUCN data has assigned to these climbers a threat status, including NE (78 sp.), LC (16 sp.), and CR (1 sp.).