Ethno-botanical dimension of Sacred Groves in Valsad District, Gujarat, India

Paper Details

Research Paper 15/07/2022
Views (560) Download (85)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Ethno-botanical dimension of Sacred Groves in Valsad District, Gujarat, India

Hetal M Patel, Meghna Adhvaryu
J. Bio. Env. Sci.21( 1), 108-125, July 2022.
Certificate: JBES 2022 [Generate Certificate]

Abstract

Biodiversity conservation is a need of a day, when deforestation has reached its peak of destruction. Sacred groves (SGs) are such areas of forest which serve as tool for in-situ conservation by means of religious and cultural belief system of locals. Several plant species are conserved in SGs which are ecologically, economically and medicinally valuable. Study was carried out to investigate ethno-botanical significance of SGs in Valsad district. Primary data collection was done by taking interviews, using questionnaires from ‘Bhagat’ (traditional healer), and local tribes living around these groves. There are 480 SGs documented in Valsad district, which harbors valuable plant diversity. Among them, 48 SGs were large in size, more than 100 years old, were selected for ethno-botanical documentation. 182 species have been enumerated as valuable ethno-botanical sp. from these SGs. Plant details such as local name, scientific name, parts used for ethno medicine in various ailments like jaundice, piles, dysentery, diarrhea, fever, piles, conjunctivitis, ulcer, and kidney stone etc. were recorded. In District areas, due to high level of development, anthropogenic activities, modernization and erosion in traditional and civic values (corruption), the conservation of ethnomedicinally important species is affected largely. Existence of SGs & conservation of them has led the SGs be richer in diversity, many conserved species is available abundantly in natural conditions from SGs. Traditional knowledge from such conserved areas is needed to be preserved and should be documented in form of books or People Biodiversity Register (PBR) before SGs and/or traditional practices are destroyed.

VIEWS 115

Anbarashan, Munisamy, Narayanaswamy Parthasarthy, Anbarashan Padmavathy. 2011. “Ethno-Floristic Survey in Sacred Groves, Pudukottai District, Tamil Nadu- India.” Journal of Medicinal Plant Research 5(3), 439-43.

Bhakat RK, Sen UK. 2008. “Ethnomedicinal Plant Conservation Through Sacred Groves.” in Tribes and Tribals, Special 2, 55-58.

Das AK, Hui Tag. 2006. “Ethnomedicinal Studies of the Khamti Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.” Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 5(3), 317-322.

Khumbongmayum Ashalata Devi, Khan ML, Tripathi RS. 2005. “Ethnomedicinal Plants in the Sacred Groves of Manipur.” Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 4(1), 21-32.

Madharia Preeti and Jahan Aafreen. 2015. Ethnomedicinal plants and their Conservation in Chhattisgarh State: Review and Perspectives. IOSR Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology 1(4), 46-50.

Malik, Akhtar H, Khuroo Anzar A, Dar GH, Khan ZS. 2011. “Ethnomedicinal Uses of Some Plants in the Kashmir Himalaya.” Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 10(2), 362-366.

Mohammed Rahmatullah, Das Anuj Kumar, Md Ariful Haque Mollik, Jahan Rownak, Khan Mujib, Chowdhury Majeedul H, Rahman Taufiq. 2009. “An Ethnomedicinal Survey of Dhamrai Sub-District in Dhaka District, Bangladesh.” American-Eurasian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture 3(4), 881-888.

Panda, Anima, Misra Malaya K. 2011. “Ethnomedicinal Survey of Some Wetland Plants of South Orissa and Their Conservation.” Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 10(2), 296-303.

Pooja Sharma, Virender K Santvan, Sharma Arti, Sharma Bhagwati P. 2014. “Research Article Research Article.” Global J Res. Med. Plants & Indigen. Med 3(4), 154-164.

Pradhan, Antaryami, Satyendra Prasad Mishra, Niranjan Behera. 2016. “An Ethnomedicinal Survey of Medicinal Plants from a Sacred Forest of Western Odisha, India.” International Journal of Phytomedicine 8(3), 325-32.

Ragunathan  Muthuswamy, and Abay Solomón Mequanente. 2009. “Ethnomedicinal Survey of Folk Drugs Used in Bahirdar Zuria District , Northwestern Ethiopia.” Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 8(2), 281-284.

Rout SD, Panda SK. 2010. “Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Mayurbhanj District, Orissa.” Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 9(1), 68-72.

Sikarwar RLS, Pathak Bharat, Jaiswal Anil. 2008. “Some Unique Ethnomedicinal Perceptions of Tribal Communities of Chitrakoot , Madhya Pradesh.” Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 7(4), 613-617.