Floristic Diversity and Indigenous Uses of Forest Vegetation of Dabka Watershed in Indian Central Himalaya

A species check list of flora is presented in and around Dabka watershed, District Nainital of Uttarakhand, together with preliminary Phytosociological data for the major species of communities. A total of 45 tree species, 09 shrubs and 32 species of grasses and herbs recorded. Results of quantitative sampling indicate that Adina cordifolia (IVI 66.26) species dominated in the watershed area. Other important woody associates include Quercus incana (IVI 26.74), Pinus roxburghii (IVI 14.64). The diversity range for tree layer was 3.16 followed by herbs (2.92) and then shrubs (1.84); all of the tree species were contagious distribution. Analysis of use diversity showed that the recorded species provide 8 Different uses to local communities. About 56% of the species are used for more than one use categories. Although some species have multiple uses, the average number of uses per species is three. The uses were placed under three major use categories, which had highest contribution of the total uses. These include food, medicinal and fuel/fodder/timber/ dye etc. use value of species shows that about 38% species use in medicinal purposes, 32% species used for edible purposes and 33% use as various purposes. The current work provide the baseline floristic and ecological data and documents the structure and composition of vegetation and also collect information about ethno-botanic used to explore the conservation status and folk medicinal knowledge of the surrounding peoples of the study area, for managers planners and policy makers to understand such simple method assessing the biodiversity of any potential area for conservation in any region. The finding suggest that, public awareness and community based management need to be encouraged at all levels in order to overcome the threats; further investigation into nutritional properties of all the species reported; study on the pharmacological attributes would help to understand their medicinal application. Furthermore urgent collection of germplasm from areas under human pressure is recommended

Traditional healthcare practices among the villages of Rawain valley, Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, India

533-537A study on practice of traditional medicine was carried out among the people of Rawain valley, Uttarkashi. The results documented 63 plants to assess their therapeutic significance in managing various diseases in the villages of the valley. Fresh leaves, roots, fruits, bark, stems and some time whole plant are reported to be used for treatment of various ailments. Since, the knowledge of various medicinal plants being used is confined to mostly local healers, it is of utmost importance to document this knowledge for future generation, otherwise it will be lost forever with the death of local healers/knowledgeable person

Promoting medicinal plants cultivation as a tool for biodiversity conservation and livelihood enhancement in Indian Himalaya

The present paper discusses the development of a participatory approach to promote medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) cultivation as a tool for biodiversity conservation and livelihood enhancement in Champawat district of Uttarakhand state in India. People perception analysis revealed that farmers were dependent solely on the wild collection of MAPs before the initiation of the National Agriculture Innovation Project. However, they later engaged in cultivation practices. During the course of study, the propagation protocols of 11 selected MAPs of that area were developed and a cost-benefit analysis was performed. A series of meetings and exposure visits were organized and a memorandum of understanding was simultaneously signed between farmers and traders for promoting a buy-back system of MAPs. One hundred thirty-two farmers adopted MAP cultivation in 14 hectares of land. This approach provides opportunities for farmers to build skills, knowledge, and self confidence, and conserve MAP diversity in their natural habitat

The Sandflies of the Satluj river valley, Himachal Pradesh (India): some possible vectors of the parasite causing human cutaneous and visceral leishmaniases in this endemic focus

Background & objectives: The recently recognized endemic focus of leishmaniasis in Satluj rivervalley in Himachal Pradesh (India) lies in north-western Himalayas (30°N, 70°E). This endemicfocus of leishmaniasis appears peculiar where localized cutaneous leishmaniasis (LCL) co-existswith visceral leishmaniasis (VL), and Leishmania donovani is predominant pathogen for LCLwhereas only a few cases have been due to Leishmania tropica. This study was carried out to collectsandflies, identify and delineate their habitat and role in transmission of human leishmaniasis inthis endemic focus.Methods: During June 2003 to September 2007, 142 (M–22, F–120) sandflies were collected withaspirators from 10 endemic villages of Kinnaur and Shimla districts.Results & conclusion: Sixty-two of the identified sandflies caught belonged to the genus Phlebotomusspecies, including some species that are known to act as vectors of the parasites causing humanleishmaniasis. The Phlebotomus (Adlerius) chinensis longiductus (Parrot), 1928 (28 sandflies), P.major (8 sandflies), P. (Larroussius) kandelakii burneyi (Lewis), 1967 (8 sandflies) were identified.The identification of the main species of vector sandfly in the region is complicated because it isstill uncertain which Leishmania species cause(s) the local human leishmaniasis. Circumstantiallyit seems likely, however, that Phlebotomus (Adlerius) chinensis longiductus is the main vector.Other species found, such as P. major and P. (Larroussius) kandelakii burneyi, may also be responsiblefor some cases. A more elaborate study is recommended

Scientific Appraisal and Therapeutic Properties of Plants Utilized for Veterinary Care in Poonch District of Jammu and Kashmir, India

The importance of traditional and indigenous knowledge is acknowledged on a worldwide scale for its coexistence principles and sustainable use techniques. In view of this, the present study is an attempt to document the ethno-veterinary plants used by the tribal communities of Western Himalaya. This study also provides the scientific validation of herbal medicines used in ethno-veterinary practices through a reverse pharmacological approach. A total of 59 informants were selected through a non-probability sampling method. Detailed information on the medicinal plants used in ethno-veterinary practices along with their habits and habitats, part/s used, remedy preparation methods, additives/ingredients used during preparation and administration, dosages administered, and route of administration was collected. Data was analyzed for the Relative Frequency of Citations (RFC), Use Values (UV), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), and Jaccard Index (JI). Further, a reverse pharmacological approach was used for scientific validations of the documented herbal knowledge of plant species. During the study, 56 plant species belonging to 54 genera and 39 families were documented. Asteraceae was the dominant family followed by Lamiaceae, Amaranthaceae and Fabaceae. Life forms were dominated by herbaceous species and leaves were the most common plant parts used. The highest Relative Frequency of Citations (RFC) and Use Values (UV) were recorded for Brassica rapa L. (Brassicaceae). The Pearson correlation coefficient between RFC and UV shows a strong positive correlation between the proportion of uses of a plant species within a sample of informants and the number of times that a particular use of a plant species was mentioned by the informant. Studies of the biological activity of ethno-veterinary plants can provide clues of promising leads for the isolation and identification of useful compounds that may be developed into pharmaceuticals for human welfare

Restoring India's Terrestrial Ecosystems: Needs, Challenges, and Policy Recommendations

<p>This document is a product of the preparatory phase project of the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Well-Being which was catalysed and supported by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. It is the outcome of a series of stakeholder consultation meetings on ecological restoration of terrestrial landscapes and climate change in India. The insights from these meetings have been used to develop this document which highlights the challenges and best-practices in the restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, can serve as a guide for successful restoration of landscapes across different biomes of the Indian subcontinent, and help achieve India’s commitments to the Bonn Challenge and the goals set by India for biodiversity conservation, land restoration, climate mitigation and adaptation.</p&gt