Available online 8 April 2015
Oral traditional knowledge on medicinal plants in jeopardy among Gaddi shepherds in hills of northwestern Himalaya, J&K, India
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
The
Gaddi community has been known for its shepherd profession from time
immemorial. At least one family member or 4–5 people from a village
adopt a nomadic lifestyle with their sheep flocks in between the hills
of north western Himalaya. In Jammu and Kashmir, India, law enforcement
has banned the collection of the medicinal plants from the wild except
for the Gaddi, Gujjar and Bakerwal tribes who are permitted to collect
the species for their personal use only. As a consequence, knowledge of
medicinal plants lies with these tribes only. This study has been
undertaken to assess the status of Oral Traditional Knowledge (OTK) on
medicinal plant usage in one of these tribes, known as the Gaddi. The
study has focused specifically on the Gaddi Shepherds as their nomadic
lifestyle means they are closely associated with nature and dependent on
natural resources for their livelihood including treatment of various
ailments.
Material and methods
Data
on indigenous knowledge has been collected through direct interviews of
53 shepherds of the Gaddi tribe and analyzed for quantitative
parameters such as use-value and factor informant consensus.
Results
A
total of 190 plant species belonging to 70 families, growing along the
migratory route of the Gaddi Shepherds are used to treat more than 80
different ailments and disorders. Leaves are the most common plant parts
used by the Gaddi Shepherds. The older shepherds are much more aware
about the traditional knowledge on medicinal plant usage than the
younger ones. 56 plant species are used to treat a range of
gastrointestinal and liver disorders, however, diabetic conditions and
stings/bites by snakes/scorpions are treated using only two plant
species each. Mentha longifolia with UV=0.26 is the species most commonly used by the informants for medicinal purposes. The low UV (below 1) and low Fic (near 0) is a common observation in the present study.
Conclusions
The UV and Fic, analysis reveals that OTK on the medicinal plants is dwindling among the Gaddi Shepherds in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Gaddi shepherds;
- NW Himalaya;
- Medicinal plants;
- India
- Corresponding author at: Department of Botany, University of Jammu, Jammu 180006, India. Tel.:
+91 990 60 73604.
Copyright © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
