Musa celebica

In areas below 1,000 m asl across Sulawesi, uncontrolled and illegal logging operations threaten the integrity of forests (Morrison 2001). In the vicinity of Lore Lindu National Park, logging is common outside the park boundaries and on its margins, which has led to widespread deforestation and forest degradation. There is also much conversion of forest to cacao plantations on the edge of the protected area, with more than 7,500 ha established since the 1980s (Cicuzza et al. 2011). The impact of deforestation on members of the Musa genus is somewhat difficult to quantify: while clear-felling or land conversion is likely to be detrimental to the species, wild bananas spring up in transient, often man-made, habitats and thus may benefit from human disturbance to some extent (Simmonds 1962). M. celebica has only been observed to grow in cacao plantations under low-intensification systems, suggesting that it may only exhibit minimal tolerance to disturbance (Cicuzza et al. 2011). However, as the precise distribution of the species across Sulawesi is poorly understood, it is challenging to effectively evaluate the threats it faces. Study into the scope and severity of threats in action should represent a component of further research into the species.

The genus Musa is listed in Annex I of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) which aims to guarantee sustainable agriculture and food security through the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, as well as ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use (FAO 2009). The species has been collected from the 2,179.92 km² Lore Lindu National Park, so passive conservation is presumed here (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2020); it is unclear whether active management is apparent. One botanical garden is listed as a site of ex situ conservation for this species (BGCI 2020) but no germplasm accessions are held (Ruas et al. 2017, Genesys Global Portal on Plant Genetic Resources 2020). Gathering of wild germplasm material for ex situ conservation in seed banks is recommended.