Cross-Cultural Ecological Knowledge related to the use of plant biodiversity in the traditional health care systems in Biligiriranga-Swamy Temple Tiger Reserve, Karnataka

Abstract

The present study was carried out in Biligiriranga-Swamy Temple Tiger Reserve (BRTTR), a hill range situated in the south eastern (Western Ghats) part of Karnataka, bordering Tamilnadu, India. An indigenous tribal community known as Soligas rely on nature and natural resources for livelihood. Soligas follow unique traditional cultural practices especially in the usage of medicinal plants for treating various ailments and diseases. The BRTTR is also inhabited by non tribal people and their settlements are mostly found at the foothills of this unique hill range. Our study was aimed at understanding the importance of medicinal plant species in the traditional medicine systems followed by tribal and non-tribal people. The cross cultural knowledge regarding medicinal plants possessed by different communities has so far been poorly documented. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to document the cross-cultural ethnic knowledge of the people living in the same geographical area. We have found 50 plant species used in the traditional medicine systems by both the tribal (Soliga) and non-tribal communities. However, the modes of preparation with different ingredients for treating various ailments are not similar among the people of the region. Among the 50 species about 26 leaf species, and 24 plants root plants are used in the traditional health care systems, while a very few ailments are treated with 2 tuber species, 2 latex species and 1 flower species. Due to variety of factors, so the people continue to use diffrent plant specieis for treating various ailments. Among the plants recorded from the region, nearly 12% are used for curing cold and cough, skin infections, while less than 2.67% of the total plants documented are used for curing major diseases like malaria, Blood pressure. The results indicate that the people inhabited in and around BRTTR have unique ecological knowledge using plant biodiversity in traditional health care system. Limited literature is available on cross cultural ecological knowledge of the people living in similar geographical and ecological settings.