Musa yunnanensis

The native range for this species overlaps closely with the Northern Indochina subtropical forests ecoregion, as delineated by Olson et al. (2001). The major threats to biodiversity in this ecoregion are presented by land clearing for shifting cultivation, poppy cultivation, rice and cinnamon cultivation, and logging. Although human population density is low, cultivation in steep and unproductive land accounts for large-scale forest clearing (WWF 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). Felling of trees along narrow stretches of roadside may actually provide suitable habitat for some Musa species (Kiew 1987) and M. yunnanensis has been observed growing along roadsides (Häkkinen and Wang 2007). Additionally, Häkkinen and Wang (2007) observe that the species is highly cold-tolerant and disease-resistant, so the impact of threats is suspected to be minimal.

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). A single M. yunnanensis germplasm accession of wild origin is held by each of the Bioversity International Musa Germplasm Transit Centre (ITC) in Belgium, and the Institute of Fruit Tree Research, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IFTR/GDAAS) in China (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). The species has been collected from the 2,417.0 km² Xishuangbanna UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve in China and the 2,224.0 km² Nam Ha National Biodiversity Conservation Area and ASEAN Heritage Park in Lao PDR, so passive conservation is presumed here (UNEP-WCMC and IUCN 2019); it is unclear whether active management is apparent.