Recognizing the characteristics of Kangchenjunga Conservation Area as a potential World Heritage property in Nepal

The Kangchenjunga Conservation Area in Nepal is a potential World Heritage Site because of its unique characteristics and strategic location. The exceptional altitudinal range (from 1,200 m to 8,586 m at Mt.Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-highest peak) within an area of only 2,035 km2 has created pristine habitats for flora and fauna. The local people practice a variety of livelihoods, including agriculture, pastoralism, forestry, and trade, resulting in a vibrant cultural tapestry. The human settlements within the area are some of the highest altitude settlements known in the world that adapt traditional systems for coping with a harsh environment. The area holds both challenges and opportunities from conservation and development perspectives. In order to translate challenges into opportunities, there is a need for a more integrated and coordinated approach with multiple-stakeholder participation. The recognition of the area as a World Heritage property can provide a platform to bring stakeholders together to better manage the natural and cultural entities of this “Gift to the Earth

Dynamique du pin blanc (pinus strobus) à sa limite nordique de répartition continue et options de restauration et d’aménagement dans une perspective autochtone

Le pin blanc (Pinus strobus L.) était autrefois une composante importante des forêts du nord-est de l'Amérique du Nord. La diminution marquée de l'abondance de l'espèce au cours des derniers siècles est attribuable à des changements des régimes de perturbations. Le déclin du pin blanc est source d'inquiétude pour les écologistes, les aménagistes forestiers et les peuples autochtones. La communauté algonquine de Kitcisakik est fortement concernée par le déclin du pin blanc et demande qu'une stratégie de restauration et d'aménagement durable de l'espèce soit développée pour son territoire ancestral. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse vise à développer des scénarios de restauration et d'aménagement du pin blanc à la limite nordique de répartition continue de l'espèce – correspondant au territoire ancestral de la communauté de Kitcisakik, dans l'ouest du Québec. Comme première étape en vue de l'atteinte de cet objectif, des entrevues ont été réalisées avec des informateurs clés afin de documenter l'importance culturelle, spirituelle et écologique du pin blanc pour la communauté de Kitcisakik, ainsi que les savoirs traditionnels en lien avec cette espèce (Chapitre II). Le pin blanc était perçu comme une composante importante de la vie traditionnelle, fournissant de nombreux biens et services aux membres de la communauté. L'espèce figure dans les légendes, est utilisée comme plante médicinale, fournit un habitat à des espèces fauniques d'intérêt, et est une partie importante des paysages culturels. Le pin blanc est une espèce culturelle clé pour la communauté de Kitcisakik. Les gens de la communauté ont identifié la surexploitation des forêts de pin blanc comme raison principale du déclin de l'espèce sur leur territoire ancestral. Ils ont suggéré que des plantations mixtes pourraient être utilisées dans une stratégie de restauration culturellement adaptée. La deuxième étape du projet visait à quantifier la régénération naturelle de pin blanc dans des peuplements matures. Les facteurs influençant l'abondance de régénération ont été identifiés, de même que les impacts de la rouille vésiculeuse (Cronartium ribicola J.C. Fisch.), du charançon (Pissodes strobi Peck) et de l'herbivorie (Chapitre III). L'influence de peuplements résiduels et de semenciers refuges sur la répartition spatiale de la régénération a également été étudiée. Les résultats révèlent un recrutement faible mais continu de pin blanc. Le sapin baumier (Abies balsamea (L.) Miller) a un impact négatif important sur la régénération en pin blanc. La régénération était plus abondante sur les substrats humides. L'impact de la rouille vésiculeuse et du charançon était beaucoup plus faible qu'escompté en fonction des cartes de risque du ministère des Ressources naturelles. La distance a un peuplement résiduel a un impact significatif sur la régénération en pin blanc dans les aires de coupe. Il est possible de restaurer le pin blanc à la limite nordique de sa répartition continue en ciblant des peuplements mésiques à humides, mais sous un couvert forestier modéré afin de minimiser les risques d'attaque par la rouille vésiculeuse. L'étape finale du projet s'appuyait sur une revue de littérature sur la sylviculture du pin blanc pour proposer des scénarios de restauration et d'aménagement du pin blanc qui répondent aux besoins de Kitcisakik tout en tenant compte des types écologiques (végétation potentielle et conditions abiotiques) (Chapitre IV). Le scénario I concerne l'utilisation du pin blanc comme plante médicinale et s'appuie sur la régénération naturelle dans les types écologiques où le pin blanc est une composante secondaire. Le scénario II vise à maintenir ou produire des arbres géants utilisés pour l'orientation sur le territoire et comme habitat par des espèces fauniques d'intérêt. La régénération naturelle est suggérée, de même que la plantation d'individus épars dans tous les types écologiques où le pin blanc peut pousser. Le scénario III a pour objectif de générer des peuplements purs matures naturels qui serviront d'habitat pour des espèces fauniques d'intérêt, et aussi de lieux de resourcement pour les membres de la communauté. La coupe progressive d'ensemencement est suggérée dans les types écologiques (co)dominés par le pin blanc. Le scénario IV vise à produire des peuplements purs matures à des fins de production de matière ligneuse. La plantation sous couvert est suggérée dans les types écologiques dominés par les résineux. Le scénario V vise la restauration et le maintien du pin blanc comme composante du paysage à des fins esthétiques et de préservation d'habitats fauniques en ayant recours à des plantations mixtes dans des types écologiques où le pin blanc est une composante secondaire

Preserving Ecosystem Services on Indigenous Territory through Restoration and Management of a Cultural Keystone Species

Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) is a cultural keystone tree species in the forests of eastern North America, providing numerous ecosystem services to Indigenous people. White pine abundance in the landscape has considerably decreased over the last few centuries due to overharvesting, suppression of surface fires, extensive management, and plantation failure. The Kitcisakik Algonquin community of western Quebec is calling for restoration and sustainable management of white pine on its ancestral territory, to ensure provision of associated ecosystem services. We present five white pine restoration and management scenarios taking into account community needs and ecological types: (1) natural regeneration of scattered white pines to produce individuals of different sizes and ages used as medicinal plants; (2) protection of supercanopy white pines used as landmarks and for providing habitat for flagship wildlife species, and younger individuals left as regeneration and future canopy trees; (3) the uniform shelterwood system to create white pine-dominated stands that provide habitat for flagship wildlife species and support cultural activities; (4) under-canopy plantations to yield mature white pine stands for timber production; (5) mixed plantations to produce forests with aesthetic qualities that provide wildlife habitat and protect biodiversity

Traditional use of medicinal plants in the boreal forest of Canada: review and perspectives

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The boreal forest of Canada is home to several hundred thousands Aboriginal people who have been using medicinal plants in traditional health care systems for thousands of years. This knowledge, transmitted by oral tradition from generation to generation, has been eroding in recent decades due to rapid cultural change. Until now, published reviews about traditional uses of medicinal plants in boreal Canada have focused either on particular Aboriginal groups or on restricted regions. Here, we present a review of traditional uses of medicinal plants by the Aboriginal people of the entire Canadian boreal forest in order to provide comprehensive documentation, identify research gaps, and suggest perspectives for future research.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A review of the literature published in scientific journals, books, theses and reports.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 546 medicinal plant taxa used by the Aboriginal people of the Canadian boreal forest were reported in the reviewed literature. These plants were used to treat 28 disease and disorder categories, with the highest number of species being used for gastro-intestinal disorders, followed by musculoskeletal disorders. Herbs were the primary source of medicinal plants, followed by shrubs. The medicinal knowledge of Aboriginal peoples of the western Canadian boreal forest has been given considerably less attention by researchers. Canada is lacking comprehensive policy on harvesting, conservation and use of medicinal plants. This could be explained by the illusion of an infinite boreal forest, or by the fact that many boreal medicinal plant species are widely distributed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>To our knowledge, this review is the most comprehensive to date to reveal the rich traditional medicinal knowledge of Aboriginal peoples of the Canadian boreal forest. Future ethnobotanical research endeavours should focus on documenting the knowledge held by Aboriginal groups that have so far received less attention, particularly those of the western boreal forest. In addition, several critical issues need to be addressed regarding the legal, ethical and cultural aspects of the conservation of medicinal plant species and the protection of the associated traditional knowledge.</p

Contribution of traditional knowledge to ecological restoration : practices and applications

Traditional knowledge has become a topic of considerable interest within the research and development environment. The contribution of traditional knowledge to conservation and management is increasingly recognized, and implementation endeavours are underway in several countries. The current scale of ecosystem degradation underscores the need for restoration interventions. It is increasingly recognized that successful ecological restoration depends on effective coordination of science and traditional ecological knowledge. This paper synthesizes the literature to evaluate the present and potential contribution of traditional knowledge to ecological restoration. Despite a growing number of articles published on traditional knowledge, only a few have addressed its contributions to ecological restoration per se. The main contributions of traditional knowledge to ecological restoration are in construction of reference ecosystems, particularly when historical information is not available; species selection for restoration plantations; site selection for restoration; knowledge about historical land management practices; management of invasive species; and post-restoration monitoring. Traditional knowledge and science are complementary and should be used in conjunction in ecological restoration projects. Incorporation of traditional knowledge can contribute to build a strong partnership for the successful implementation of restoration projects and increase their social acceptability, economical feasibility, and ecological viability. L'intérêt du secteur de la recherche et développement pour les connaissances traditionnelles est considérable. La contribution des savoirs traditionnels à la conservation et à l'aménagement est de plus en plus reconnue et des expériences terrain en ce sens sont en cours dans plusieurs pays. Le niveau de dégradation des écosystèmes justifie le besoin d'interventions de restauration. Il est de plus en plus reconnu que l'intégration des connaissances scientifiques et traditionnelles est nécessaire au succès des efforts de restauration. Cette synthèse évalue les contributions actuelles et potentielles des savoirs traditionnels à la restauration écologique. Malgré qu'un nombre croissant d'articles soient publiés à propos des connaissances traditionnelles, peu concernent la contribution à la restauration écologique. Les principales contributions des connaissances traditionnelles à la restauration écologique sont l'identification d'écosystèmes de référence, en particulier lorsque les informations historiques ne sont pas disponibles; la sélection d'espèces pour les plantations; la sélection de sites pour la restauration; la connaissance de l'historique local des pratiques d'aménagement; la gestion des espèces envahissantes; et le suivi post-restauration. Les connaissances traditionnelles et scientifiques sont complémentaires et devraient être utilisées conjointement dans les projets de restauration écologique. L'inclusion des connaissances traditionnelles peut contribuer à construire un partenariat solide pour le succès de mise en œuvre de projets de restauration et pour en augmenter l'acceptabilité sociale, la faisabilité économique et la viabilité écologique

Diversity of use and local knowledge of wild edible plant resources in Nepal

Background Wild edible plants (WEP) provide staple and supplement foods, as well as cash income to local communities, thus favouring food security. However, WEP are largely ignored in land use planning and implementation, economic development, and biodiversity conservation. Moreover, WEP-related traditional knowledge is rapidly eroding. Therefore, we designed this study to fulfill a part of the knowledge gap by providing data on diversity, traditional knowledge, economic potential, and conservation value of WEP from Nepal. Methods The information was collected through focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Percentage of general utility of the plants among the study communities was evaluated using the Chi-square (χ2) test of homogeneity. High priority species were identified after consultation with the local stakeholders followed by scoring based on defined criteria. Pairwise ranking was used to assess ethnoecological knowledge to identify the threats to WEP. Results We documented 81 species belonging to Angiosperms (74), Pteridophytes (5), and Fungi (2). Most of the species were used as fruits (44 species) followed by vegetables (36). Almost half of the species (47%) were also used for purposes other than food. From the species with market value (37% of the total), 10 were identified as high priority species. Pairwise ranking revealed that WEP are threatened mostly by habitat destruction, land-use change and over-harvesting. Some of these plants are crop wild relatives and could thus be used for crop improvement. Interestingly, our study also revealed that young people who spend most of the time in the forest as herdsmen are particularly knowledgeable of wild fruit plants. Conclusion We provide empirical evidence from a relatively large area of Nepal about diversity and status of WEP, as well as methodological insights about the proper knowledge holders to consult. Regarding the unique and important knowledge they have on WEP, young people should be included when recruiting participants to ethnobotanical studies or to any type of consultation about WEP. The habit of using wild edible plants is still alive and is a traditional culinary practice that demonstrates rich traditional knowledge of local people. WEP were found to be important for livelihood as well as showing great potential for crop improvement. Priority species should be promoted for income generation activities through sustainable collection and trade. Communities should engage in minimizing the threats to these valuable resources

Cultural keystone species as a tool for biocultural stewardship. A global review

The cultural keystone species (CKS) concept (i.e. ‘species that shape in a major way the cultural identity of a people’ as defined by Garibaldi and Turner in 2004) has been proposed as part of a common framing for the multiple entangled relationships between species and the socioecological systems in which they exist. However, the blurred and prolific definitions of CKS hamper its univocal application. This work examines the current use of the term CKS to reconcile a definition and explore its practical applications for biocultural stewardship. We ran a search for the words ‘cultural’ AND ‘keystone’ AND ‘species’. Our search was limited to peer‐reviewed articles published in English between 1994 and 2022 (inclusive) and was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. We extracted and analysed bibliometric information as well as information on (i) the CKS components, (ii) humans' support for CKS and (iii) the definitions of CKS. From the 313 selected documents, the CKS concept appears to be increasingly accepted, as evidenced by a growing corpus of literature. However, the absence of a systematic and precise way of documenting CKS precludes global cross‐cultural comparisons. The geographical distribution of authors using the concept is biased. We found that 47% of all the CKS reported and 38% of the works identified in our review were located in North America. Beyond ‘supporting identity’, several other of nature's contributions to people are associated with the CKS definitions. However, the contributions of the sociocultural group to the survival and conservation of the CKS (i.e. stewardship) are made explicit only in one‐third of the documents reviewed. To advance biocultural stewardship as a conservation paradigm, we suggest (a) defining CKS as an indissoluble combination of a non‐human species and one or more sociocultural groups; (b) acknowledging that species and sociocultural group relations should be classified in a continuum, according to gradients of relationship intensity; and (c) explicitly acknowledging the reciprocal relationships between sociocultural groups and species. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog

Indigenous use and bio-efficacy of medicinal plants in the Rasuwa District, Central Nepal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>By revealing historical and present plant use, ethnobotany contributes to drug discovery and socioeconomic development. Nepal is a natural storehouse of medicinal plants. Although several ethnobotanical studies were conducted in the country, many areas remain unexplored. Furthermore, few studies have compared indigenous plant use with reported phytochemical and pharmacological properties.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Ethnopharmacological data was collected in the Rasuwa district of Central Nepal by conducting interviews and focus group discussions with local people. The informant consensus factor (F_IC) was calculated in order to estimate use variability of medicinal plants. Bio-efficacy was assessed by comparing indigenous plant use with phytochemical and pharmacological properties determined from a review of the available literature. Criteria were used to identify high priority medicinal plant species.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 60 medicinal formulations from 56 plant species were documented. Medicinal plants were used to treat various diseases and disorders, with the highest number of species being used for gastro-intestinal problems, followed by fever and headache. Herbs were the primary source of medicinal plants (57% of the species), followed by trees (23%). The average F_IC value for all ailment categories was 0.82, indicating a high level of informant agreement compared to similar studies conducted elsewhere. High F_ICvalues were obtained for ophthalmological problems, tooth ache, kidney problems, and menstrual disorders, indicating that the species traditionally used to treat these ailments are worth searching for bioactive compounds: <it>Astilbe rivularis</it>, <it>Berberis asiatica</it>, <it>Hippophae salicifolia, Juniperus recurva</it>, and <it>Swertia multicaulis</it>. A 90% correspondence was found between local plant use and reported plant chemical composition and pharmacological properties for the 30 species for which information was available. Sixteen medicinal plants were ranked as priority species, 13 of which having also been prioritized in a country-wide governmental classification.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The <it>Tamang </it>people possess rich ethnopharmacological knowledge. This study allowed to identify many high value and high priority medicinal plant species, indicating high potential for economic development through sustainable collection and trade.</p

Glycyrrhiza Genus: enlightening phytochemical components for pharmacological and health-promoting abilities

The Glycyrrhiza genus, generally well-known as licorice, is broadly used for food and medicinal purposes around the globe. The genus encompasses a rich pool of bioactive molecules including triterpene saponins (e.g., glycyrrhizin) and flavonoids (e.g., liquiritigenin, liquiritin). This genus is being increasingly exploited for its biological effects such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and cytotoxic activities. The species Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and the compound glycyrrhizin (glycyrrhizic acid) have been studied immensely for their effect on humans. The efficacy of the compound has been reported to be significantly higher on viral hepatitis and immune deficiency syndrome. This review provides up-to-date data on the most widely investigated Glycyrrhiza species for food and medicinal purposes, with special emphasis on secondary metabolites’ composition and bioactive effects