Development of NTFPs Sector for Income Generation and Environmental Conservation

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) are amongst the key global commodities and an important component of international trade. They are important in livelihoods of rural people all over the Himalayan region for meeting food, medicine, construction materials, and income needs of subsistence communities. The sector needs focused developmental planning that can bring substantial economic and environmental benefit in the Uttarakhand state. Based on an extensive analysis of three important categories of NTFPs, viz. medicinal plants, edible wild plants, and bamboo this paper highlights potential of this sector for food security, income generation and environmental conservation by adopting a pro-people approach in Uttarakhand state. Suggestions have been provided for improving the existing framework and programmes that can maximize economic, social, cultural and ecological benefits.

Gathering Nutritious Edible Wild Plants Based on Societies Indigenous Knowledge from Sempolan, Jember Regency

Indonesia, as a mega biodiversity country, has various types of wild plants. Sempolan Village, part of Jember Regency, has fertile land to support the growth of a wild plant. This research investigates wild plants used as food sources by indigenous peoples in Plalangan, Sempolan Village. This study also conducts data on how wild plants were cooked, served, and enriched by nutrition notice. The method is qualitative descriptive analysis obtained from observation, interview, documentation, and literature study. So, research results found 26 species and grouped them into 19 families. In addition, the locality of these species is in yards, fields, and roadsides. The habitus identified is an herb (77%), tree (11%), shrub (8%), and liana (4%). Those foods categorize into 1) carbohydrates sources, 2) vegetables, and 3) fresh fruits. The carbohydrate sources mostly served as a side dish, compote, and flour by stewing and frying. The vegetables include 18 species served as complements of the main menu, which cooked for soup, curry, stir fry, ointment, and pothok. Fresh fruits comprise of 4 species were directly consume or make a salad. Furthermore, all food resources contain essential nutrients like vitamins, macro and micro minerals, and phytochemicals that are important for society's growth and healthy lives. Finally, Information on wild plants as a food source will increase food diversification as well as dishes.

Ethnobotanical study of edible wild plants in Ensaro district, Amhara regional state, Ethiopia

Background: Ethiopia is one of the biodiversity-rich countries in Africa. Most rural communities are highly dependent on forest products including edible wild plants. Thus, many plant taxa are under greater threats before they are documented and their nutritional values are evaluated. This study was carried out to document edible wild plants and associated indigenous practices, and the correlations with socio-demographic variables on edible wild plants in Ensaro district, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. It also examined the habitats and major threatening factors of edible wild plants.Methods: The study was conducted from September to December 2020 in Ensaro district, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews was made with 98 community members regarding edible wild plant species, parts used, harvesting and consumption time, preparation methods, supplementary uses, life forms, habitats and threatening factors. The socioeconomics characteristics of the study participants was also documented. Excel and R-package were employed for statistical analysis. Analysis of Variance (P < 0.05) was used to observe the correlation of socio-demographic and socioeconomic characteristics with indigenous knowledge of respondents on edible wild plants.Results: Forty-three edible wild plants recorded in this study area. Fabaceae and Moraceae families were the most popular edible wild plant species in the study area. Shrubs were the dominant life forms of recorded plants (37%). Ripe fruits (72%) were the most commonly used plant parts. Indigenous knowledge of respondent on edible wild plants positively correlated with socio-demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents. There was no knowledge difference between genders. The number of species, genera and families of edible wild plants were higher in mid-land agro-ecology than in lowland and highland agro-ecologies of the study area. The distribution of edible wild plants found to be less in the highland agroecology. Edible wild plants in the study mainly found in shrub land areas which are highly threatened by fuelwood collection.Conclusion: Forty-three edible wild plants recorded in the study area. The community consumes edible wild plants during normal and famine periods. Edible wild plants such as Snowdenia polystachya (Muja), Eleusine coracana (Degelie or wanga), Urtica simensis(Sama) and Medicago polymorpha (Amaqito) are not used during normal period and young people do not know them even how to use them. In addition, edible wild plants are under greater pressure due to farmland expansion in the study area. This has led to the reduction of edible wild plants and associated indigenous knowledge.

Wild Edible Plants of Nutritional and Medicinal Significance to the Tribes of Palghar, Maharashtra, India

Wild edible plants (WEP) are an important component from the perspective of tribal diet. There are various traditional practices and beliefs in relation to the use of wild edibles among various tribal communities in Maharashtra. In this study, the WEP found in Jawhar block of Palghar district and detailed information on the local usage for medicine or food purpose has been documented. With this, the traditional methods of preparation, collection and storage of these edible wild plants has also been documented. The present paper presents a total of 162 species of WEP, out of which almost 74% are consumed as food, 14% possess medicinal significance while 12% of the species exhibit both dietary and medicinal significance. This type of study could contribute in recording the traditional heritage of food culture and generate awareness about the importance of wild edible species. Documentation of these wild plant species can help in commercialization and domestication of the wild varieties and their entry into urban marketplaces to generate higher revenue for the farmers. Wild edibles could prove to be a remedy to food scarcity, a source of nutritional security and improve the economy in tribal areas.

Spatial Distribution of Local Forest Products at the End of the 19th Century: A Case Study of Former Villages in Iwate Prefecture

Recent research in Japan has investigated how local people historically utilized natural resources, using geographic information systems (GIS). These works have helped to clarify the role of forest provisioning services in the past, and have shown how modern landscapes were formed. The aim of this study was to elucidate the utilization of plant resources in forest landscapes of both fields and mountains, in the late 19th century in Iwate Prefecture, located in northeastern Japan. This study focused on a different area and a larger scale than previous studies, and included information from 642 villages. This study specifically focused on what kinds of forest products were historically used and shipped, which species were used, and how these uses were distributed around the prefecture. A combination of historical documents and GIS mapping, named MANDARA, was employed. The primary historical document was “The topography of Iwate Prefecture” that was published from 1876 to 1885, and recorded the products used in each village. A wide range of forest products were recorded, which contained both edible and inedible plants further split into 10 primary categories: edible wild plants, mushrooms, nuts and berries, medical herbs, timber, agricultural and construction materials, fuel, tree sap, bark, and others. Many villages also produced various secondary processed goods. Fifty-two species were specified as forest products, which included some estimation, and were composed of 19 herbaceous and 23 arboreal species. GIS mapping of each village indicated that firewood and charcoal were shipped to towns located in southern Iwate, from around Kesen County. People might trade these fuel woods on markets. On the other hand, chestnut (Castanea crenata S. et Z.) and acorn were produced in the low-density populated area all around Iwate.

NUTRIENT AND BIOACTIVE SUBSTANCE CONTENTS OF EDIBLE PLANTS GROWN NATURALLY IN SALIPAZARI (SAMSUN)

This study was carried out for the determination of nutrient and bioactive substance contents of edible wild plants consumed as vegetables in Samsun's Salıpazarı district during September 2014 and August 2016 period. In the selected villages from identified locations, 11 species that naturally grow and are consumed as vegetables such as Alcea apterocarpa Boiss., Rumex crispus L., Urtica dioica L., Trachystemon orientalis L., Oenanthe pimpinelloides L., Smilax excelsa L., Capsella bursa-pastoris L., Aegopodium podagraria L., Arum italicum Miller, Ornithogalum sigmoideum Freyn et. Sint. and Amaranthus retroflexus L. have been identified. Protein, proline, free amino acid, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, lipid peroxidation level (MDA), glucose, sucrose, total soluble carbohydrate, chlorophyll, total carotenoids, β-carotene, lycopene, flavonoids, and anthocyanins contents of these plants were determined as 32.79–106.40 mg/g dry weight (DW), 5.71–47.66 µmol/g DW, 29.62–61.75 µg/g DW, 82.75–240.06 IU/mg protein, 106.36–531.05 µmol/g DW, 31.96–87.24 mg/100 g DW, 10.97–25.49 mg/100 g DW, 174.3–422.2 mg/100 g DW, 7.79–25.96 mg/100 g DW, 102.01–436.93 µg/100 g DW, 115.86–459.64 µg/100 g DW, 6.38–30.28 mg/100 g DW and 10.17–21.52 mg/100 g DW, respectively. As a result of the analyses, it was determined that there were significant differences (P < 0.01) in terms of all parameters examined among species.