35 research outputs found

    Medicinal plants used for veterinary diseases by the local inhabitants of the Teshil Tangi, District Charsadda, Pakistan

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    Therapeutic plants ethnically utilized for the cure of various aliments of animals have an important part in the rural veterinary healthcare system because allopathic medicines remain inaccessible, particularly in the third world countries. This work was carried out in Teshil Tangi District Charsadda, Pakistan, in 2016-18, aiming for conserving the ethnic medicinal plants knowledge about veterinary illnesses. Information was collected from older people, herbalists and pansaris (herbal sellers) via semi-structured questionnaire and open ended interviews. Quantification of the result was done by Relative Frequency Citation (RFC) and Use Value (UV).The result of current study comprises of the 118 therapeutic plant species’ collection which belong to forty-six families by interviewing 233 native informants. Among the 46 botanical families, Leguminosae with 14 species was the leading family. The most dominant growth habit was herbs constituted (68%). Leaves (42%) were the main morphological parts used for ethnoveterinary medicine. The highest UV was obtained for 0.52 for Silybum marianum (L.) and RFC (0.33) for Silybum marianum (L.). Most of the therapeutic plants have been utilized for curing digestive illnesses, followed by promote lactation and wounds healing. Due to the dense and diverse vegetation, the study area is rich in ethnobotanical knowledge and the people still use medicinal plants to cure animal diseases

    Influence of edaphic properties in determining forest community patterns of the Zabarwan Mountain Range in the Kashmir Himalayas

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    The significance of edaphic factors in describing forest vegetation patterns is becoming more well acknowledged, with significant implications for the description of biogeographical regions and biome classification, as well as abundance and growth patterns at regional levels. The current study examines the vegetation association in the Zabarwan mountain range of the Western Himalayas and its association with edaphic factors. To collect data on forest types, we employed a systematic random sampling strategy in 60 plots (0.1 ha) across five forest types. We investigated data using ordination and cluster analysis approaches after calculating the important value index (henceforth IVI) for each plant species and edaphic data from forests. In total, 76 plant species from 39 different families were found in the area. The Rosaceae family was the most numerous, followed by Fabaceae and Asteraceae. Scrub forest types have lower diversity indices, while broad-leaved forest types have greater diversity indices. Two-way cluster analyses classified the forest vegetation of the Zabarwan mountain range into two plant communities on the basis of indicator plant species. The ordination analysis (canonical correspondence analysis) indicated that vegetation association tended to be influenced differently by distinct levels of soil parameters. The soil pH and calcium content were the main factors influencing the species distribution in the different forest types. The phytosociological features (basal area) were higher in coniferous forest type (74.49 m2ha−1) compared to broad-leaved (58.63 m2ha−1) and scrub forest type (15.4 m2ha−1). Overall, the goal of this research is to gain a better understanding of the impact of soil elements on forest composition and associations in order to develop scientifically based management options for forest ecosystem protection in the Himalayan region

    Floristic composition, life history traits and phytogeographic distribution of forest vegetation in the Western Himalaya

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    IntroductionScientific documentation of the qualitative forest vegetation parameters of a biogeographical area provides baseline information to guide conservation strategies and design policies for biodiversity management regulations.MethodsWe present one of the most comprehensive qualitative vegetation analyses to evaluate the entire structure and function of an ecosystem in the remote northern part of the Kashmir Himalaya, India. Several multivariate ecological community analyses were conducted after determining the presence of plant species in the various habitats using a random sampling technique.ResultsIn total, 155 plant species belonging to 120 genera and 49 families occurred in the area. Asteraceae was the largest family (12% of plant species) followed by Rosaceae (11%). The patterns of species distribution across families were uneven, with 50% of the species belonging to only 7 families, and 23 families being monotypic. In terms of functional groups, the herbaceous growth form dominated. Therophytes were the dominant life form, indicating that the vegetation was disturbed. According to the phytogeographical research, 65% of the species documented in the study area were native, 15% were invasive, 14% naturalized, and 5% being casual. The majority (30%) of exotic species were reported along roadsides. Of all the species found, 39% grew in their natural habitats, such as forests, and 11% were scattered along roadsides. Plant species were grouped in five different clusters based on their floristic similarity. According to the estimated diversity indices, natural forest has the greatest values for Shannon’s and Simpson’s index. We found that the study area serves as the natural habitat for several significant, endangered medicinal plants, including Arnebia benthamii, Bergenia ciliata, Delphinium roylei, Gentiana kurroo, Phytolacca acinosa, Saussurea costus, and Trillium govanianum. Therefore, we recommend that human intervention in natural regeneration efforts be prioritized in these habitats to increase the population of these species.ConclusionExamining species features from the perspective of functional groups contributes to our understanding of the ecological aspects of the flora. It may also be useful in developing management plans to ensure long-term management of forest landscapes in this remote Himalayan region

    Quantitative ethnoveterinary study on plant resource utilization by indigenous communities in high-altitude regions

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    For millennia, ethnic knowledge has been intricately tied to local biodiversity and woven into the fabric of rural communities. Growing scientific evidence suggests that merging ethnic knowledge with new scientific findings can lead to socially acceptable and environmentally friendly approaches essential for the long-term prosperity of local communities. In the high-altitude region, where livestock raising is a key income source, and plant-based utilization for ethno-veterinary practices is widely practiced. In this context, this study was conducted with the aim of documenting the ethno-veterinary use of plant resources in different bio-geographical regions of Jammu and Kashmir's Himalayas (J & KH). Semi-structured interviews and group discussions were used to collect information. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation were conducted to analyze the data. We documented 148 species from 53 families that locals used for various purposes: medicine, fodder, tonic, antidote, magic, and also used to protect themselves from ectoparasite such as Pediculus humanus capitis by the local inhabitants. There were significant differences in the relative usage of plant resources across the three biogeographic regions. Comparatively, the highest number (41%) of plant species were used for ethnoveterinary in the Jammu region, while the lowest number (28%) of species were used in Kashmir. Across the regions, Kashmir and Jammu had the highest level of species similarity (17%), while Jammu and Ladakh had the lowest (1%). A cross-regional assessment of plant resources revealed that 18% of plants were shared among the regions. The reported use of Amaranthus blitum, Morus alba, Ficus palmata, Vitex negundo, Juniperus semiglobosa, Ulmus wallichiana, and Rumex nepalensis are novel for the ethno-veterinary uses of this part of the Himalayan region. The various dry unique traditional fodder preparations (gaaslov, gass khor, pan baath, kaandbaath, Lovgooad, Karb, and Phungma) from plant resources are reported for the first time from the Himalayan region and can be ascribed to the novelty of this study. Plant resources were not only a source of fodder and medicine but also presented themselves as an opportunity for livelihood generation. Therefore, our findings bridge the knowledge gap by documenting key ethnoveterinary applications of native plant species from the study region that are used to cure livestock diseases and disorders by the mountain inhabitants.This research was funded by project IGYMERA, under grant agreement 101030604. AM-d is a recipient of a postdoctoral Marie Curie fellowship under grant agreement 101030604 (IGYMERA).Peer reviewe

    Bitter Is Better: Wild Greens Used in the Blue Zone of Ikaria, Greece

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    The current study reports an ethnobotanical field investigation of traditionally gathered and consumed wild greens (Chorta) in one of the five so-called Blue Zones in the world: Ikaria Isle, Greece. Through 31 semi-structured interviews, a total of 56 wild green plants were documented along with their culinary uses, linguistic labels, and locally perceived tastes. Most of the gathered greens were described as bitter and associated with members of Asteraceae and Brassicaceae botanical families (31%), while among the top-quoted wild greens, species belonging to these two plant families accounted for 50% of the wild vegetables, which were consumed mostly cooked. Cross-cultural comparison with foraging in other areas of the central-eastern Mediterranean and the Near East demonstrated a remarkable overlapping of Ikarian greens with Cretan and Sicilian, as well as in the prevalence of bitter-tasting botanical genera. Important differences with other wild greens-related food heritage were found, most notably with the Armenian and Kurdish ones, which do not commonly feature many bitter greens. The proven role of extra-oral bitter taste receptors in the modulation of gastric emptying, glucose absorption and crosstalk with microbiota opens new ways of looking at these differences, in particular with regard to possible health implications. The present study is also an important attempt to preserve and document the bio-cultural gastronomic heritage of Chorta as a quintessential part of the Mediterranean diet. The study recommends that nutritionists, food scientists, and historians, as well as policymakers and practitioners, pay the required attention to traditional rural dietary systems as models of sustainable health

    Plant Resources Utilization among Different Ethnic Groups of Ladakh in Trans-Himalayan Region

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    The nomadic pastoral indigenous communities of the Ladakhi people share roots with Tibetan culture in terms of food, clothing, religion, festivals, and habits, and rely widely on plant resources for survival and livelihood. This survey was conducted during 2019–2021 to document the indigenous knowledge about plant resources of the Balti, Beda, and Brokpa communities of the Ladakh region, trans-Himalayas. Open- and close-ended semi-structured interviews (N = 184) and group discussions (N = 17) were used to collect the data. Quantitative data was further analyzed using various statistical tools. A total of 105 plant species belonging to 82 genera and 39 families were used as medicine, fuel wood, fragrance, oil, food, flavor, fodder, decoration, and dye. Among these, medicinal use was most prevalent, with 70% of use reports, followed by fodder and fuel wood. Leaves (27%) were the most preferred plant part used, followed by roots and flowers. The principal component analysis revealed five clusters of ethnobotanical usage, i.e., food, medicine, fuel wood, fodder, and fragrance, oil, dye, and flavor. The maximum number of plant species used was reported by the Brokpa, while the Beda reported the minimum number of plant species uses. Delphinium brunonianum, Waldheimia tomentosa, and Juniperus indica played a significant role in the cultural and religious ritual aspects, whereas Allium przewalskianum, Waldheimia tomentosa, Juniperus indica, and Hippophae rhamnoides were commonly used as a livelihood source among Ladakhi communities. The local people collected most plants (65%) for self-consumption, while the rest (35%) were sold in markets as a source of income. The sustainable utilization and management of plant resources by local people is a strategy to boost livelihoods and food security and alleviate poverty

    The floristic quality assessment index as ecological health indicator for forest vegetation: A case study from Zabarwan Mountain Range, Himalayas

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    Evaluations ecosystem health-based field studies can assist decision-makers in formulating more targeted conservation policies to better manage ecosystems and landscape. To analyze forest characteristics in the Zabarwan Mountain Range we used the Floristic Quality Assessment Index (FQAI) technique to evaluate the ecosystem health status of the vegetation. According to our findings, the forest area showed an FQAI rating of 61.41. The FQAI ranked 54 of the plant species growing in the forest region at 0, 30 species at 1–3, 51 species at 4–6, 30 species at 7–8, and 17 species at 9–10. Of the 54 alien species ranking 0, thirteen species were invasive, 36 were naturalized, and five were casual. Amoung the forest types, the Broadleaved forest harbored most alien species (35%) and the scrub forest the least (6%). Based on habitat-wise distribution, the largest (38%) species pool was observed in natural forest habitats, while human-modified habitat types harbord 51% of species. Roadsides exhibited the by far highest alien species number (45%) together with other anthropogenic habitats. The investigation of indicator species revealed a separation between the various ranking groups, as evidenced by high indicator values. Important alien indicator species ranking 0 were i.e., Aesculus indica, Ailanthus altissima, Celtis australis, Daucus carota, Poa bulbosa, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus cerasus, Quercus robur, and Salix alba, which showed a significant p-value for indicator species analysis. The findings of this study provide a method for measuring vegetation communities' responses to alien invasions and as a result can serve for developing management methods to preserve ecosystems, particularly in protected areas, from this biodiversity threat

    Vegetation communities and identification of indicator species in the riparian areas of Zabarwan mountain range in the Kashmir Himalaya

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    Plant communities that occur along water corridors are termed riparian vegetation. Although relatively narrow and long, riparian zones do provide an extensive spatially linear network of connectivity between existing habitats, allowing species to move more easily in response to changing microclimate conditions. Knowledge of riparian ecosystems in the Himalayan Region of Kashmir has not been explored, even though this region is unique and comprises some of the most important hotspots for Himalayan biodiversity. The current study characterizes the vegetation community along a riparian ecosystem in the Zabarwan Range, where there is no information on community characterization. After preliminary surveys, the three sites representing the study area were selected for detailed field sampling (Community-1 at the lower end of the stream; Community-2 at the middle of the stream, and Community-3 at the upper end of the stream). Data on the communities were gathered using the T-transect vegetation sampling method, and indicator plant species along the riparian zones were identified using Analysis of Indicator Species (AIS). A total of 71 plant species were collected, which were divided into 64 genera and 38 families. With nine species, the Rosaceae family was the largest, followed by the Asteraceae with six species. Three community associations, Ulmus-Parrotiopsis-Oplismenus, Salix-Rosa-Oplismenus, Celtis-Viburnum-Fragaria, were identified on the basis of an important value index. Diversity indices show significant differences in riparian vegetation between the types of plant communities. Shannon Diversity was also found to be higher in communities 2 and 3, indicating that the vegetation there was more diverse. Ulmus villosa is a common indicator species in Community-1 and Community-2, while Prunus tomentosa is a common indicator species in Community-3 and Community-1. Rosa webbiana was found as an indicator species in Community-2 and Community-3 while Celtis australis and Viburnum grandiflorum were restricted to Community-3. The identified indicator species in the vegetation associations can be employed for restoring riparian zones because of their excellent ecological performance and capacity for regrowth in these environments
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