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Planta Med 2023; 89(12): 1147-1164
DOI: 10.1055/a-2089-3643
Biological and Pharmacological Activity
Original Papers

Sustaining Traditional Ethnomedicinal Knowledge and Protected Areas in Synergy: A Case Study of Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary in Kashmir Himalaya

Tajamul Islam
1   Centre for Biodiversity & Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
2   Plant Reproductive Biology, Genetic Diversity and Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
,
Irshad A. Nawchoo
2   Plant Reproductive Biology, Genetic Diversity and Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
,
Junaid A. Magray
2   Plant Reproductive Biology, Genetic Diversity and Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
,
Anzar Ahmad Khuroo
1   Centre for Biodiversity & Taxonomy, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
› Author AffiliationsThe authors are thankful to the Head, Department Botany, University of Kashmir. The colleagues at BIOTA Laboratory, Centre for Biodiversity & Taxonomy, University of Kashmir are acknowledged for their kind support during the present study. Tajamul Islam acknowledge the University Grants Commission (UGC) for providing financial assistance as Junior Research Fellowship under 924/(CSIRNET JUNE-2019). We are also thankful to the participants for sharing their precious knowledge. We duly acknowledge the necessary permission granted by the Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir Government, to conduct this study. We are grateful to the esteemed Editor and the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions, which has improved the quality of this manuscript.
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Abstract

The ethnic communities living near protected areas are critically dependent on medicinal plants for their healthcare. Although several ethnomedicinal studies are available from the Himalaya, quantitative studies focusing on protected areas in this region are largely overlooked. In this study, we aimed to document the ethnomedicinal plants of the Overa-Aru wildlife sanctuary in Kashmir Himalaya. We conducted a systematic field survey in the study area during 2020 – 2021 to collect primary data from 110 participants through semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The data was analyzed using quantitative indices and Pearsonʼs correlation. We recorded 64 plant species used against 8 human disease categories, including some first-time reports from the region. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most dominant families and herbs were the dominant growth form. The most common plant part used were leaves, and the main method of preparation was decoction. Plant species with the highest relative frequency of citation was Achillea millifolium (0.83). Informant consensus factor for each disease category ranged from 0.94 to 0.97. We found a strong positive correlation between participantsʼ age and citations (r = 0.85), but a negative correlation between the participantsʼ education status and citations (r = − 0.11). Our results revealed that the younger generation possesses the least ethnomedicinal information. We recommend that the species with high use values and fidelity level merit priority in phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies. Our findings highlight that protected areas, besides their prime importance in biodiversity conservation, play a pivotal role in providing the healthcare provisioning ecosystem services to the ethnic communities.

Key words

Himalaya - human diseases - medicinal plants - protected area - quantitative analysis - traditional knowledge


Publication History

Received: 09 February 2023

Accepted after revision: 28 April 2023

Article published online:
28 June 2023

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

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