A note on ethnobotanical studies of threatened trees species in Barak valley, Assam, northeast India: A comprehensive review
Paper Details
A note on ethnobotanical studies of threatened trees species in Barak valley, Assam, northeast India: A comprehensive review
Abstract
The Barak valley is located in the southern part of Assam (India) and the phytogeographically, the valley belongs Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, harbours rich arboreal diversity and a strong tradition of ethnobotanical knowledge among certain local communities and the different tribes. The present study is to provide a comprehensive review that synthesizes available information on the ethnobotanical uses of threatened species and conservation status of tree species. A total of 290 tree species belonging to 206 genera and 70 families have been recorded from the valley, reflecting remarkable floristic richness. These tree species play a crucial role in the livelihood such as, providing food, medicine, timber, fuelwood, fodder, and cultural resources. IUCN Red list assessment reveals that as the threatened categories, 2% (7 species) Vulnerable, 3% (8 species) Endangered, and 1% (2 species) Critically Endangered and the majority of the species falls under the Least Concern category of 72% (206 species), while 16% (45 species) are Not Evaluated and 4% (10 species) are Data Deficient. The threatened species indicating that due to the increasing of anthropogenic pressure, habitat loss, overexploitation, illegal plantation, and lack of awareness on forest ecosystem are major threats to tree diversity in the valley. This review highlights the ethnobotanical knowledge of threatened species with scientific conservation strategies. The study establishes a valuable baseline dataset for ethnobotanical, future ecological monitoring, conservation planning, and sustainable utilization of tree resources in the valley.
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