Test: Biodiversity & Its Importance

The “active chemical drug reserpine” is obtained from Rauwolfia.
Reserpine is an “indole alkaloid” obtained from the roots of “Rauwolfia serpentine” and “Rauwolfia vomitoria”. It was first isolated from the dried roots of Rauwolfia in 1950. It is widely used as an antihypertensive and antipsychotic drug. It is an adrenergic blocker.

Rauwolfia serpentina:

The Red Data Book is the state document established for documenting rare and endangered species of animals, plants and fungi as well as some local sub-species that exist within the territory of the state or country. 

• IUCN is International Union for Conservation of Nature, this system is designed to determine the relative risk of extinctin
• The main purpose of the IUCN Red List or red data book is to catalogue and highlight those plants, fungi and animals that are facing a higher risk of global extinction (i.e. those listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable).

Species of reptiles, amphibians and other vertebrates are becoming extinct in Haiti as deforestation has claimed more than 99 percent of the country's original wooded areas.

According to the IUCN regional red listing guidelines: 
- 12% of all the birds species
- 23% of all mammals species
- 31% of all gymnosperms species
- 32% of all amphibian species

These species face the threat of extinction in the world and have the highest percentage of endangered species, and the threats including habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, pollution, climate change, and invasive alien species.