Red Sanders 

Why in News?

Andhra Pradesh Police arrested a Red Sanders smuggler facing 99 cases recently, highlighting the continuing illegal trade in this valuable timber.

Key facts about Red Sanders: 

• Common name: Red sandalwood, Rakta Chandan and Lal Chandan.
• Distinctive wood: Prized for its deep-red, largely non-aromatic heartwood, unlike fragrant sandalwood.
• Pigment: Its heartwood yields santalin, a natural red dye.
• Growth: A slow-growing tree, taking approximately 25-40 years to attain maturity in natural forests. 

Distribution and Habitat:

• Range: The Indian endemic species is found in the southern Eastern Ghats, with its principal natural populations in Andhra Pradesh, particularly the Seshachalam landscape. Smaller cultivation areas (non-native) include adjoining Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. 
• Habitat: Tropical dry deciduous forests, typically with rocky, well-drained soils and a seasonally hot, dry climate.
• Adaptation: Drought-resistant

Economic Importance and Threats:

• Uses: Luxury furniture, carvings, musical instruments, dyes and traditional medicinal preparations.
• Principal threat: High timber demand, especially in East Asian markets, drives illegal logging and international smuggling.
• Additional pressures: Habitat degradation, agricultural expansion, grazing and forest fires; slow growth makes recovery difficult.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Endangered
• CITES: Appendix II; international trade is regulated through permits and sustainability safeguards. This does not itself impose a blanket trade ban. 

UPSC PYQ 2016

Q. 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.

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)