Abstract
Plant species are not only used as fodder or forage but also contribute substantially in the treatment of various health disorders, particularly in livestock. This study is the first quantitative ethnobotanical effort on ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plants conducted in the Upper Neelum Valley of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan. Information pertaining to cure different ailments of animals were collected from 126 informants through semi-structured interviews, group discussion and field walks. In order to identify the plant species used and their preferred habitats, elderly and experienced members of the tribes, locally known 'Budhair' (aged), were interviewed and sometimes accompanied in the field. The data was further analyzed through ethnobotanical indices. In all, 39 plant species, belonging to 31 genera and 21 families were documented which were used by the indigenous communities of Kashmir Himalaya for curing 21 different diseases of 7 different types of livestock. The highest number of ethno-medicinal plants were contributed by the Polygonaceae family, followed by Crassulaceae, Asteraceae and other families. Roots were the most used part of the plant for preparing ethnoveterinary medicines, followed by the aerial parts. The highest frequency of citation (41) and relative frequency of citation (7.32) was recorded for Saussurea lappa, followed by Rumex acetosa (37/6.61), Rumex nepalensis (36/6.43), Thymus linearis (28/5.0) and Angelica cyclocarpa (28/5.0). The highest use value was recorded for Saussurea lappa (0.33), followed by Rumex acetosa (0.29), Rumex nepalensis (0.29), Thymus linearis and Angelica cyclocarpa (0.22 each). The current study has made an important contribution towards the preservation of indigenous plants-based knowledge from extinction. The phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of the plants with high use value can be a potential source of novel drugs to treat health problems of animals and humans.
Highlights
Medicinal plants have been used across the globe since ages due to their efficacy, availability as well as cultural beliefs
Our results have identified several important plants including Saussurea lappa, Aconogonon molle, Angelica cyclocarpa, Rumex acetosa, Geranium wallichianum Rumex nepalensis, Angelica glauca and Thymus linearis, having relatively higher use values in the region
Indigenous communities in Neelum Valley are dependent on medicinal plants for ethnoveterinary use
Summary
Study areaNatural geomorphological features of Pakistan ranges from the snowcapped peaks of Himalaya and other mountain ranges in the north, the sandy beaches and mangrove swamps in south; allowing different landscapes and climates with variety of flora and fauna. The study area lies at an altitude of 2000 meters to 4000 meters. Most of the study area is on high altitude. Neelum Valley is home to different ethnic groups like Mughal, Chaudhry, Butt, Pire, Wani, Syed, Malik, Turks, Khawaja, Rajput, etc. These groups migrated from different areas and are settled in Neelum Valley. The most distinctive features of district Neelum are its mountain ranges, natural lakes, waterfalls and valleys. Documentation was carried out in three subvalleys of the district Neelum i.e., Surgan, Shounther and Guraize Valley and in a most populated town area Kel (Fig 1: Map of the study area)
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