An ethnobotanical survey of wild food plants used by the local communities of Kumrat Valley in District Upper Dir, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Local people of the Kumrat Valley, district Upper Dir in Northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan rely on wild food plants (WFP) for nutrition, medicine, and monetary value. The present study aimed to accomplish a detailed investigation of local wild food plants and their therapeutic importance to identify innovative organic food products that show potential for local marketing through their use prevalence and monetary value. Methods: Semi-structured interviews and group discussion, were conducted from May to September 2019. In the field survey, 78 local participants were selected using random sampling. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using Use Value (UV), Informant Agreement Ratio (IAR), and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC). Results: A total of 50 species of wild food plants and 2 fungal species of 30 botanical families and 40 genera were encountered. Family Rosaceae dominated with the highest species number (6 species), followed by Moraceae and Leguminosae. With respect to life forms, herbs constituted (60%), trees (30%), and shrubs (30%). Ripe fruits (43%) were the most frequently used part of wild foods. Conclusions: Important species may serve to guide development initiatives aimed at sustainable and culturally local projects. Traditional knowledge can be used for the synthesis of new allopathic medicines. Keywords: Ethnobotany; Wild food plant; Medicinal uses; Kumrat Valley; Upper Dir