Indigenous Uses, Population Density, and Conservation of Threatened Medicinal Plants in Protected Areas of the Indian Himalayas

The present communication consists of the first ever catalogue of Indian Notodontidae Stephens, 1829 comprising systematic accounts of 242 species (including nominotypical subspecies) and 10 subspecies under 116 genera of 10 subfamilies with four new records to India viz. Phalera (Phalera) birmicola Bryk, 1949, Spatalina desiccata stolida Schintlmeister, 2007, Hiradonta hannemanni Schintlmeister, 1989 and Kamalia tattakana (Matsumura, 1927). The account was prepared by compiling findings from both literature survey and field sampling carried out at various Protected Areas in the Indian Himalayas and Chhattisgarh state in the Deccan Peninsular region of India. Zoogeographic analysis of Indian Notodontidae reveals a majority of the assemblage showing Oriental (58.27%) and Palaearctic (40.49%) affinities with maximum species of Sundanian (80.00%), followed by Himalayan (77.65%) origins. In India, the majority of the species are distributed in the Himalayan (35.33%) and North-East (39.40%) biogeographic zones, reflecting maximum endemicity. Extensive surveys in the less explored southern part of the country are expected to enrich the inventory of Indian Notodontidae. The distribution map and detailed illustrations of the four new records are provided.

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Enhancing the Role of Protected Areas in Conserving Medicinal Plants

Conservation of Medicinal Plants ◽

10.1017/cbo9780511753312.014 ◽

1991 ◽

pp. 199-212 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jeffrey A. McNeely ◽

James W. Thorsell

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Protected Areas

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A Study on Traditionally used Medicinal Plants and Associated Practices in Anni Khad Watershed of District Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, Western Himalaya

Journal of Non Timber Forest Products ◽

10.54207/bsmps2000-2016-y23u42 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 199-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anita Kumari ◽

Sher Samant ◽

Shashi Sharma

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Medicinal Plants ◽

Medicinal Plant ◽

Western Himalaya ◽

Himachal Pradesh ◽

Income Generation ◽

Altitudinal Distribution ◽

Management Options ◽

Indigenous Uses ◽

Diverse Plant

Traditional systems of health care by using medicinal plants have been in use since times immemorial and are becoming widely accepted globally even today. The Himalayan Mountains are known to be the store houses of biological and cultural diversity. Himachal Pradesh, a region of IHR, is a well known medicinal plant hotspot that is a rich repository of diverse flora. The local inhabitants use this diverse plant diversity for treating diverse ailments and also as a source of income generation. However, this traditional knowledge runs the risk of vanishing as it is not present in proper documented form. The present study, therefore, aimed to explore and document the commonly used medicinal plants of Anni Khad Watershed of district Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. The information was collected by personal interviews with local healers and other knowledgeable persons. A total of 353 medicinal plants species belonging to 106 families are recorded. Also, the information regarding part used, indigenous uses, nativity and endemism and altitudinal distribution of these medicinal plants is also documented. Appropriate management options have been suggeseted for conservation.

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Changes in Human Population Density and Protected Areas in Terrestrial Global Biodiversity Hotspots, 1995–2015

Land ◽

10.3390/land7040136 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 136 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Caitlin Cunningham ◽

Karen Beazley

Keyword(s):

Population Density ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Protected Area ◽

Human Population ◽

Area Coverage ◽

Biodiversity Hotspots ◽

Population Densities ◽

Human Population Density ◽

Global Average ◽

Global Biodiversity

Biodiversity hotspots are rich in endemic species and threatened by anthropogenic influences and, thus, considered priorities for conservation. In this study, conservation achievements in 36 global biodiversity hotspots (25 identified in 1988, 10 added in 2011, and one in 2016) were evaluated in relation to changes in human population density and protected area coverage between 1995 and 2015. Population densities were compared against 1995 global averages, and percentages of protected area coverage were compared against area-based targets outlined in Aichi target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (17% by 2020) and calls for half Earth (50%). The two factors (average population density and percent protected area coverage) for each hotspot were then plotted to evaluate relative levels of threat to biodiversity conservation. Average population densities in biodiversity hotspots increased by 36% over the 20-year period, and were double the global average. The protected area target of 17% is achieved in 19 of the 36 hotspots; the 17 hotspots where this target has not been met are economically disadvantaged areas as defined by Gross Domestic Product. In 2015, there are seven fewer hotspots (22 in 1995; 15 in 2015) in the highest threat category (i.e., population density exceeding global average, and protected area coverage less than 17%). In the lowest threat category (i.e., population density below the global average, and a protected area coverage of 17% or more), there are two additional hotspots in 2015 as compared to 1995, attributable to gains in protected area. Only two hotspots achieve a target of 50% protection. Although conservation progress has been made in most global biodiversity hotspots, additional efforts are needed to slow and/or reduce population density and achieve protected area targets. Such conservation efforts are likely to require more coordinated and collaborative initiatives, attention to biodiversity objectives beyond protected areas, and support from the global community.

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Medicinal Plants Used in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality, Southern Ghana: An Ethnobotanical Study

Medicines ◽

10.3390/medicines6010001 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kwame Appiah ◽

Clement Oppong ◽

Hossein Mardani ◽

Richard Omari ◽

Sylvia Kpabitey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Skin Diseases ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Ethnobotanical Study ◽

Community Members ◽

Medicinal Uses ◽

Oral Transmission ◽

Informant Consensus ◽

Indigenous Uses ◽

High Degree

Background: The in-depth traditional knowledge of medicinal plants is at risk of extinction due to the dependency on oral transmission, and as such, there is an urgent need to document such knowledge. This study aimed to document indigenous uses of medicinal plants among community members in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality. Methods: Data was collected in 2016 from community members and local herbalists in the Ejisu-Juaben Municipality through a semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical tools and ethnobotanical indices, i.e., informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), and use value (UV) were used to analyse the data. Results: One hundred and six medicinal plants belonging to 45 families were reported to cure 68 different human diseases. The most frequently used plant part in this study was the leaves (52%). Decoction (57.5%) and oral administration (58.3%) were the most utilised herbal preparation and administration route respectively. Cleistopholis patens had the highest UV (0.54) with pain & fevers and skin diseases having the highest ICF values (0.88 and 0.85 respectively). Furthermore, new medicinal uses of Hilleria latifolia and ten other species were recorded for the treatment of the traditional local disease, aseram. Conclusions: The current knowledge and uses of medicinal plants are still high in the study area based on the high degree of consensus among informants. This study could allow for the preservation of knowledge and biodiversity of medicinal plants, both of which are threatened with extinction.

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Human population density explains alien species richness in protected areas

Biological Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.biocon.2012.11.022 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 159 ◽

pp. 137-147 ◽

Cited By ~ 90

Author(s):

Dian Spear ◽

Llewellyn C. Foxcroft ◽

Hugo Bezuidenhout ◽

Melodie A. McGeoch

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Population Density ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Alien Species ◽

Human Population ◽

Human Population Density

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Yucatec Mayan medicinal plants: evaluation based on indigenous uses

Journal of Ethnopharmacology ◽

10.1016/s0378-8741(01)00355-5 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 79 (1) ◽

pp. 43-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 58

Author(s):

Anita Ankli ◽

Michael Heinrich ◽

Peter Bork ◽

Lutz Wolfram ◽

Peter Bauerfeind ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Indigenous Uses

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Illegal use of natural resources in federal protected areas of the Brazilian Amazon

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.3902 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. e3902 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Érico E. Kauano ◽

Jose M.C. Silva ◽

Fernanda Michalski

Keyword(s):

Population Density ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Explanatory Power ◽

Brazilian Amazon ◽

Additive Models ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Use Of Resources ◽

Illegal Activities

Background The Brazilian Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest regions and plays a key role in biodiversity conservation as well as climate adaptation and mitigation. The government has created a network of protected areas (PAs) to ensure long-term conservation of the region. However, despite the importance of and positive advances in the establishment of PAs, natural resource depletion in the Brazilian Amazon is pervasive. Methods We evaluated a total of 4,243 official law enforcement records generated between 2010 and 2015 to understand the geographical distribution of the illegal use of resources in federal PAs in the Brazilian Amazon. We classified illegal activities into ten categories and used generalized additive models (GAMs) to evaluate the relationship between illegal use of natural resources inside PAs with management type, age of PAs, population density, and accessibility. Results We found 27 types of illegal use of natural resources that were grouped into 10 categories of illegal activities. Most infractions were related to suppression and degradation of vegetation (37.40%), followed by illegal fishing (27.30%) and hunting activities (18.20%). The explanatory power of the GAMs was low for all categories of illegal activity, with a maximum explained variation of 41.2% for illegal activities as a whole, and a minimum of 14.6% for hunting activities. Discussion These findings demonstrate that even though PAs are fundamental for nature conservation in the Brazilian Amazon, the pressures and threats posed by human activities include a broad range of illegal uses of natural resources. Population density up to 50 km from a PA is a key variable, influencing illegal activities. These threats endanger long-term conservation and many efforts are still needed to maintain PAs that are large enough and sufficiently intact to maintain ecosystem functions and protect biodiversity.

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