Musa haekkinenii

Between 1943 and 1991, forest cover decreased from 67% to 29% of Viet Nam's total area. Forest degradation and loss is viewed as the most important contributor to the loss of biodiversity in Viet Nam with significant drivers of this loss being arable land expansion, shifting cultivation, logging, fuelwood collection, fire, war, and hunting and collection of non-timber forest products (Wood et al. 2000). However, the specific 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). Given that no wild populations of Musa haekkinenii have yet been identified, it is not possible to evaluate the threats it may face. Upon discovery of a wild population, research into the threats affecting the species, as well as its ecological requirements, will be required.

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 is represented in living collections at the Calicut Botanic Garden in Kerala, India, the Singapore Botanic Garden in Singapore and the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, France (Vézina and Van den Bergh 2016) but there are no germplasm accessions held (Ruas et al. 2017, Genesys Global Portal on Plant Genetic Resources 2019). As no wild populations have been identified to date, it is not known whether the species occurs in any protected areas (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2019). As such, gathering of wild germplasm material for ex situ conservation from any extant wild plants yet to be discovered is a conservation priority.