Musa kamengensis

In West Kameng, the human population density is just 10/km², large tracts of the region are designated as protected areas, and the northern part of the Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary, which is suspected to overlap with the native range, is described as inaccessible due to dense vegetation, hilly terrain and a lack of trails or paths (Mishra et al. 2006, BirdLife International 2019a, UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2019). In the long term, the opening of further transportation and service corridors may impact upon a small area of the native range, but this is not anticipated to have a perceptible impact on the species in the area (BirdLife International 2019b).

Sreejith et al. (2013) report that forest clearing for jhum cultivation and traditional shifting cultivation, in addition to forest destruction for the broadening of roads and clearing of roadsides, threaten Musa arunachalensis. Until the taxonomy is formally resolved, the threats to M. arunachalensis are not considered here; but are unlikely to have a significant impact on the broader species concept.

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 precise collection locality of the type specimen and the localities of the observed subpopulations in West Kameng are not clear. As such, it is not known for sure whether the species occurs in any protected areas; however, based on qualitative description of its extent of occurrence, it is suspected that the species may occur in the 100.0 km² Sessa Orchid Sanctuary and the 861.95 km² Pakke Sanctuary (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2019). If any subpopulations occur within the boundaries of these protected areas, their passive conservation is presumed; it is unclear whether active management is practised. The species is not known to be represented in ex situ conservation efforts (Ruas et al. 2017, BGCI 2019, Genesys Global Portal on Plant Genetic Resources 2019). Gathering of wild germplasm material for ex situ conservation efforts is therefore recommended.