Diversity, indigenous uses and traditional practices of dye yielding plants in Central Himachal Pradesh, North western Himalaya

560-564The present paper is an attempt to assess the diversity and document the indigenous uses and traditional practices of dye yielding plants in Central Himachal Pradesh North Western Himalaya. A total of 17 species of dye yielding plants belonging to 13 families and 17 genera were recorded. These species are used to dyeing clothes and other items. Different plant parts were utilized, of which fruit (07 spp.) was used in the majority, followed by flowers (05 spp.); bark (04 spp.) and leaves (03 spp.) Information on indigenous uses and traditional practices was documented with the help of local inhabitants. Natural dye yielding plants have immense significance in the socio-economic and socio-cultural aspects of the inhabitants. The indigenous knowledge of extractions, processing and practices of in situ and ex situ conservation of the species; natural dyes has declined to a great extent. Therefore, to maintain dye yielding plant wealth, awareness among the inhabitants; involvement of local inhabitants and Forest Department about the indigenous uses and traditional practices have been suggested

Diversity, distribution pattern and traditional knowledge of sacred plants in Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), Himachal Pradesh, Northwestern Himalaya

642-651Himachal Pradesh, the mountainous part of Indian Himalayan Region, also referred as Dev Bhoomi, is famous for its religious culture and traditions. People from the state are highly religious and believe that the plants which are sacred to the Gods and Goddess also have vast medicinal potential. Hence, the present study has been carried out to investigate diversity, distribution pattern and traditional knowledge of sacred plants by the native communities of Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), Himachal Pradesh. The study revealed that 33 species (trees 06; shrubs 16; herbs 11) belonging to 29 genera and 22 families were being used in numerous religious ceremonies and also as folk medicine by indigenous people of the KWLS. Of the total, 20 species were native and 01 was endemic to the Himalayan region. It was found that leaves of 17 species, flowers of 11 species and whole plant of 8 species were used, extensive use of which may lead to decrease in their population to a great extent. Therefore, there is an utmost need to develop a proper management plan and appropriate strategy for the conservation and sustainable utilization of such sacred plants, so that their population could be maintained for posterity

Ethnobotany in the Nepal Himalaya

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Indigenous knowledge has become recognized worldwide not only because of its intrinsic value but also because it has a potential instrumental value to science and conservation. In Nepal, the indigenous knowledge of useful and medicinal plants has roots in the remote past.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The present study reviews the indigenous knowledge and use of plant resources of the Nepal Himalayas along the altitudinal and longitudinal gradient. A total of 264 studies focusing on ethnobotany, ethnomedicine and diversity of medicinal and aromatic plants, carried out between 1979 and 2006 were consulted for the present analysis. In order to cross check and verify the data, seven districts of west Nepal were visited in four field campaigns.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In contrast to an average of 21–28% ethnobotanically/ethnomedicinally important plants reported for Nepal, the present study found that up to about 55% of the flora of the study region had medicinal value. This indicates a vast amount of undocumented knowledge about important plant species that needs to be explored and documented. The richness of medicinal plants decreased with increasing altitude but the percentage of plants used as medicine steadily increased with increasing altitude. This was due to preferences given to herbal remedies in high altitude areas and a combination of having no alternative choices, poverty and trust in the effectiveness of folklore herbal remedies.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Indigenous knowledge systems are culturally valued and scientifically important. Strengthening the wise use and conservation of indigenous knowledge of useful plants may benefit and improve the living standard of poor people.</p

Finding Diagnostically Useful Patterns in Quantitative Phenotypic Data.

Trio-based whole-exome sequence (WES) data have established confident genetic diagnoses in ∼40% of previously undiagnosed individuals recruited to the Deciphering Developmental Disorders (DDD) study. Here we aim to use the breadth of phenotypic information recorded in DDD to augment diagnosis and disease variant discovery in probands. Median Euclidean distances (mEuD) were employed as a simple measure of similarity of quantitative phenotypic data within sets of ≥10 individuals with plausibly causative de novo mutations (DNM) in 28 different developmental disorder genes. 13/28 (46.4%) showed significant similarity for growth or developmental milestone metrics, 10/28 (35.7%) showed similarity in HPO term usage, and 12/28 (43%) showed no phenotypic similarity. Pairwise comparisons of individuals with high-impact inherited variants to the 32 individuals with causative DNM in ANKRD11 using only growth z-scores highlighted 5 likely causative inherited variants and two unrecognized DNM resulting in an 18% diagnostic uplift for this gene. Using an independent approach, naive Bayes classification of growth and developmental data produced reasonably discriminative models for the 24 DNM genes with sufficiently complete data. An unsupervised naive Bayes classification of 6,993 probands with WES data and sufficient phenotypic information defined 23 in silico syndromes (ISSs) and was used to test a "phenotype first" approach to the discovery of causative genotypes using WES variants strictly filtered on allele frequency, mutation consequence, and evidence of constraint in humans. This highlighted heterozygous de novo nonsynonymous variants in SPTBN2 as causative in three DDD probands

The topographic evolution of the Tibetan Region as revealed by palaeontology

The Tibetan Plateau was built through a succession of Gondwanan terranes colliding with Asia during the Mesozoic. These accretions produced a complex Paleogene topography of several predominantly east–west trending mountain ranges separated by deep valleys. Despite this piecemeal assembly and resultant complex relief, Tibet has traditionally been thought of as a coherent entity rising as one unit. This has led to the widely used phrase ‘the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau’, which is a false concept borne of simplistic modelling and confounds understanding the complex interactions between topography climate and biodiversity. Here, using the rich palaeontological record of the Tibetan region, we review what is known about the past topography of the Tibetan region using a combination of quantitative isotope and fossil palaeoaltimetric proxies, and present a new synthesis of the orography of Tibet throughout the Paleogene. We show why ‘the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau’ never occurred, and quantify a new pattern of topographic and landscape evolution that contributed to the development of today’s extraordinary Asian biodiversity

Diversity, indigenous uses and conservation status of medicinal plants in Manali wildlife sanctuary, North western Himalaya

439-459In the moutaineous regions human populations are dependent on plants for their sustenance particularly for medicine. In India, more than 95% of the total medicinal plants used in preparing medicines by various industries are harvested from wild. There is a great need to recognise the potential of bioresources at their fullest. Therefore, the present study focused to assess the medicinal plants diversity in Manali wildlife sanctuary of North western Himalaya, identify species preference, native, endemic and threatened medicinal plants and suggests conservation measures. A total of 270 medicinal plants belonging to 84 families and 197 genera were recorded. Maximum medicinal plants were reported in the altitudinal zone, 2000-2800 m and decreased with increasing altitude. Out of the total, 162 medicinal plants were native and 98 were endemic to the Himalayan region. Maximum species were used for stomach problems, followed by skin, eyes, blood and liver problems. Thirty seven species were identified as threatened. Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Aconitum heterophyllum, Arnebia benthamii, Lilium polyphyllum, Swertia chirayita, Podophyllum hexandrum, Jurinella macrocephala, Taxus baccata subsp. wallichiana, etc. were highly preferred species and continuous extraction from the wild for trade has increased pressure which may cause extinction of these species in near future. Identification of active ingredients and mass multiplication of the potential species have been suggested in view of economic importance. Regular monitoring of populations and habitats of threatened medicinal plants, restricted harvesting and habitat protection are suggested. </span

Diversity and indigenous household remedies of the inhabitants surrounding Mornaula reserve forest in West Himalaya

606-610The remote villages of the Indian Himalayan region are repository of the indigenous knowledge and practices. Documentation of such knowledge is required in view of the day-by-day disappearing knowledge in new generations. Therefore, an attempt has been made to document the indigenous uses and practices of the plants utilized in household remedies by the inhabitants surrounding the Mornaula reserve forest in West Himalaya. A total of 33 plant species belonging to 31 genera and 22 families are used traditionally to cure various diseases/ailments. 31 plant species are non-natives and 02 species are natives to the Himalayan region. Various parts of the these species are used to cure cold, cough, fever, liver disorder, kidney stone, joints pain, eye and ear diseases, diabetes, healing wounds, toothache, etc. Such studies would help developing a comprehensive data base of the plants used in household remedies, strengthening the healthcare system in the villages and also in conserving the traditional knowledge and practices for posterity