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Ethnobotanical Leaflets 13: 651-64, 2009. Plant diversity and Ethnobotanical notes on tree
species of Syabru Village, Ananda Raj
Joshi and Kunjani Joshi* Former Director General, SACEP, *Department of Botany, Patan Campus, Email: joshi_ananda@yahoo.com; kunjanijoshi@hotmail.com Issued Abstract In the course of the survey of the useful plants of Keywords: Plant biodiversity, ethnobotanical uses, indigenous
knowledge, habitats. Introduction In
the recent years, more attention is given to sustainable use and integrated
management of the economically
important species due to an
increasing recognition of their contribution to fulfill basic needs of the people, household
economies, food security and conservation of natural resources. In Study Areas and Methods After reconnaissance of some villages of the Central Development
Region, Syabru Table 1. Physical and Socio-economic characteristic
features.
Several field trips in
and around the study areas were undertaken
with a view to collect plant
species of ethnobotanical value and document the indigenous practices.
The information was gathered using
various techniques such as open and structured interview, and discussion
with local informants, such
traditional healers / “jhankri”, and experienced village elders
including midwives and by direct
observations on the way different plant materials were being collected and used (Joshi and Edington, 1990).
Voucher specimens are deposited in the SchEMS, Pokhara University, Kathmandu, Nepal. Results and Dicussion Plant Biodiversity The study areas are endowed with rich and varied biodiversity with
various ecosystems i.e. forest, scrub,
grassland, waterbodies etc. Diverse geomorphology, climatic variations
and vegetation have made the forests
and adjoining areas flourish with diverse species. The forest types of Syabru and the adjoining areas is
charecterized by pine forest, alder forest and pine- broad leaved forest. Pine (Pinus wallichiina) is an important
dominant tree in the pine forests and
pine–broad leaved forests with other associated species i.e. Alnus nepalensis, Lyonia ovalifolia, Quercus spp., Rhododendron arboreum, Pyrus pashia, Princepia utilis,
Berbaris asiatica, Mahonia nepalensis,
Artemisia indica. In Alder forest Alnus nepalensis, Quercus lanata,
Lyonia ovalifolia, Rhododendron
arboreum, Princepia utilis are dominant trees with some shrubs i.e. Mahonia nepalensis, Dodecadenia grandiflora,
Berberis chitria, Buddleja asiatica, Viburnum
cylindricum, Gauitheria fragrantissima and some herbs, such as Achyranthes bidentata, Allium wallichii, Artemisia indica, Cannabis
sativa (Table 2). Species composition of trees in the forest types and production of wood in the forest
areas are presented in Table 2 and 3
respectively. Table 2. Dominent species composition of trees in Syabru.
Table 3. Production of
wood in the forest areas of Syabru. Tree (.10cm diam)
Shrubs (<10cm diam.)
The wood productivity estimates obtained at Syabru (11.06 m/ha/annum)
fall within the range 10-30m quoted by Joshi (1988) for forests
in the hills of Nepal (Table 3). The fact that the village estimates are at the lower end of
this range is probably related to substantial reduction in forest cover caused by over-exploitation. Ethnobotanical
uses During the field survey, ethnobotanical information of 25 species of
medicinal plants belonging to 17
families have been collected from various habitats of the study areas. Table
4 lists the plants recorded as being
used in Syabru village and adjoining areas. The species are arranged alphabetically with family, local names, habitat and uses. Table 4. Ethnobotanical
uses of the trees of Syabru.
The results of the
present study revealed that trees and their parts are widely used for various
purposes as fuelwood, timber,
medicines, rawmaterials etc. Fuelwood In the study village, wood cut from the forest is the principal source
of domestic energy for cooking and
heating. The preferred species for
fuel wood by local people are given in Table 5. Table 5. Fuelwood preferences expressed by
respondents fron 24 househols at Syabru.
Fuelwood Consumption Patterns in the study area are as follows: (a)
fuelwood used by village residents (b)
fuelwood used by tourist trekkers or on their behalf (e.g.
where teahouse provide food and regreshments) (c)
fuelwood cut on the
village land by outsiders who subsequently export it for consumption elsewhere. Estimate for the annual consumption of fuelwood from
the study village is set out in Table
6. It will be seen that the
trekkers use greater fuelwood (22 metric tons/annum) due to Syabru is a overnight stoping place for treeker between
national park and Dhuche (Joshi, 1988). The other feature to notice is that wood was also
being harvested on village land by people who had come in from surrounding villages and were
subsequently carrying loads of wood
from Syabru (18 metric
tons/annum) out of the area. Table 6. Wood production and consumption
for Syabru village (value expressed
as mt/ per year).
The most striking feature of the relationship between wood production
and consumption is the excess of
consumption over production in the small wood category the both villages. Small wood includes the branches of trees and
shrubs, the truks of small wood probably has a varietyb of causes. It can be easily cut using the
traditional nepali tools i.e. khurpi or Knief, it can be conveniently tied into bundles, and
subsequently, it is easily fed into the apertures of clay stoves or between the legs of tripod type stoves.
If one is to look for environmental consequences of this over-use of small wood, one of these appear
to be the suppression of tree regeneration. In counts of regenerating trees in the 25 m survey
plots, it was found that few seedlings survived to a height greater than 100 cm. presumably the
main reason was that at this hight the samplings became usable as fuelwood and were cut and
removed (Joshi, 1988). Timber for house
construction, furnitures and household utensils Nepalese village houses have
a supporting framework of wooden uprights with additional pillars, to support a balcony if this is
included in the design. At Syabru the roof also usually consists of flat wooden slabs or shingles.
When asked about the amount of wood used for
building purposes with the local people, no reliable information were
available from the study area.
However, Mauch (1976) and Joshi (1988) have
made a calculation of building-timber use per person for hill village in Though the hardwoods are
generally favoured for constructional purposes of their greater durability and relative freedom from fungal
and insect attack, pine is more widely used at the Syabru village because of the greater
availability. Other preferred species
for house frames are Alnus nepalensis, Castanopsis indica, Castanopsis tribuloides, Melia azedarach,
Myrsine capitellata, Quarcus glauca and Q.
semicarpifolia. Wood of Pinus
wallichiana and Schima wallichii are usually chosen for window
shutters, doors and ladders. Wood is also used in the manufacture of household furnitures including storage boxes, chairs,
stools, table and beds. Species used
for these purpose include Abies
spectabilis, Bombax cebia, Castanopsis indica, C. tribuloides, Myrsine capitellata, Myrsine
semiserrata, Pinus wallichiana, Quercus
glauca, Q. lanata, and Q.
semicarpifolia. For fencing, favoured species included Alnus nepalensis, Lyonia ovalifolia and Rhododendron arboreum.
Rhododendron arboretum finds a particular use in the manufacture of such household items as
wooden paddles, spoons and bowls. Medicine The
present study revealed that gastro intestinal disorders and stomach ache,
dematological illness and cuts, wounds
and headache are the major diseases
and illness in the study area. The
local people use the plants and their parts for the treatment of these alignments
following the traditional practices.
During the treatment of the diseases, various
forms of preparation are used . Among the documented species, 7
species were used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, 2 for fever, cough, headache, 7 for
dermatological illness, 1 for genito-urinary complaints, 3 for respiratory aliments, 2 for dental
problems, and 2 for others (Table 2). Food Wild foods are collected by local people from a wide
variety of habitats i.e. forest, scrub,
edges of cultivated areas and waste lands. The major food plants are Myrica esculenta, Castanopsis spp., Pyrus pashia, Prunus nepaulensis, Lindra pulcherrima. The local
communities have also excellent
knowledge about the poisnous plants of
the study area Fodder 18
tree species are recorded as being used as fodder plants in these
villages. Among them, local people
prefer Castanopsis indica, Castanopsis
tribuloides, Myrsine capittata, Myrsine
semiserata, Quercus glaunca, Quercus lananta, Q. semiserrata and Salix babylonica.. The people of the villages have comprehensive knowledge about fodder plants,
as they are in constant association
and dependence on these resources for integrated agriculture development. Rawmaterials Various plant and parts of the plants
are used as rawmaterials for the manufacture or preparation of commodities. The major
products and uses as follows: Dye At Syabru
the main dye used is a dark brown dye derived from the bark of Schima wallichii. The dye are used for coloring wool and for
painting designs (usually with a stick) on baskets, mats, and cloth. Handals of agricultural tools Species
especially favoured for the handles of tools and agricultural implements
include Melia azedarach and Pyrus pashia., Manufacture of soap and wax Pinus wallichiana is an important source of resin
and turpentine in the study area. Resin is
used in the manufacture of soap, grease, and waxes and is exported for
these purpose to Trisuli and Insectisides and Fish poison The
village people use a variety of plant materials to deter flies in the houses
and to protect stored grain from
insect damage. Leaves of Lyonia ovalifolia or dried fruits,
leaves, bark of Melia azaderach are placed in the mouth of grain bags and in the
tops of open-air storage bins (bhakari),
to discourage the entry of grain-feeding beetles and moths. Plant
extracts are widely used in the studied village for capturing fish. Crushed
leaves of Lyonia
ovalifolia or immature leaves of Rhododendron arboreum are introduced
into streams and river with the aim of
stupefying fish. The affected fish float to the surface and are removed from the water usually with a piece of
cloth stretched across a branched stick. Similarly fruits of Melia
azaderach or bark and fruits of
Schima wallichii are also used as fish poison. Strategies for Sustainable Management Despite
the formulation and adoption of various policies, plans, strategies and implementation of progrommes for the conservation of the species and
their habitats, there is a growing
consensus among the conservationists that
the conservation of bio-resources, especially of
plant biodiversity is entering into a stage of crisis, since there
has been hardly any attempt to conserve these resources in an integrated
manner (Joshi and Joshi, 1998). Therefore, the following strategies should be implemented
in order to conserve and sustainable
use of trees in particular and other
plant diversity in general in an environmentally sound way. 1. Inventory, Documentation of the species
and research Though
the inventory of plant biodiversity has initiated in different
biogeographical areas, many parts of
the country are still remained unexplored. Hence, it is
strongly recommended that major
thrust should be given to an intensive
inventory and documentation of the useful
trees as well as other species
and their products. The research related to chemical screening should also be initiated to analyse
chemical contents and their implications on health, food and plant products. 2. Documentation
of ethnobotanical uses, Traditional knowledge and practices Regarding the ethnobotanical
information, there is still a paucity of quantitative data about the traditional uses, effectiveness,
sideeffects and traditional techniques.
The rural people have excellent
ethnobotanical knowledge which they have developed due to constant association with the forest ecosystems. These existing
valuable information are needed to be
documented before lost or
disappeared. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that emphasis should be
given to the action activities for the documentation of indigenous
uses, traditional knowledge and
practices following in quatitative
methods. 3. Conservation of useful species
and their habitats
At present urbanization trend is rapidly spreading even in the forest
and waste land. Deforestation and habitat destruction due
to land use change would pose a
serious threat to the useful species
and habitats. Hence, efforts should be directed to formulate and
implement appropriate conservation
strategies and programs for habitat management and sustainable uses of the plants and their products taking
consideration of the needs of the people. Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to the inhabitants of the study areas for
their kind cooperation and help during
the field survey. Thanks are due to
Dr. John F. Edington, University of Wales, U.K. for his guidance and suggestion, and Dr. S. K.
Jain, Founder and Ex-Director, Institute of
Ethnobiology, Lucknow, India, Profs. P.K. Jha, R. P. chaudhary and K.
K. Shrestha, Central Department of
Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal for constant encouragement. References Bhattarai, N. K. 1992. Medical ethnobotany in the Karnali Zone, Nepal. Economic Botany 46 : 257-261. Joshi
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communities in the Central Development
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A.R. and Joshi, Kunjani 2000.
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Fodder Plants of hilly areas of
Bagmati and Langtang Watershed of Joshi, A. R. and Joshi, Kunjani 2005. Non-Timber
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A.R. and Joshi, Kunjani 2005. Ethnobotany
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