Musa rosea

Häkkinen (2006) suggests that anthropogenic activities have contributed to the loss of wild subpopulations of this species, but specific threats are not documented. Across Cambodia, from where the species is proposed to originate (Häkkinen 2006), tree cover has decreased by 25% between 2001 and 2018 (GFW 2019). 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). As no contemporary populations of M. rosea have been studied, it is challenging to evaluate the threats it may face; as such, research into the threats affecting extant wild plants is 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). As the historical collection locality is imprecise and the distribution of extant wild subpopulations is not known, it is unclear whether the species occurs in any protected areas (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2019). There is one germplasm accession of wild origin held by the Bioversity International Musa Germplasm Transit Centre (ITC) in Belgium (Ruas et al. 2017, Genesys Global Portal on Plant Genetic Resources 2019). Six botanical gardens are listed as sites of ex situ conservation for this species (BGCI 2019). Gathering of germplasm material from extant wild plants is recommended to enhance ex situ conservation efforts.