Himalayan Ethnobotanical Exploration: An Overview of Selected Studies of Kangra District in Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Ethnobotany gives an understanding of interrelationships between people and plants. It deals with the documentation of the indigenous traditional knowledge of plants possessed by ethnic people and primitive communities who also are the custodians of this knowledge. They practice the traditional way of treatment for various ailments. Now, this knowledge holds both cultural as well as scientific value. The ethnobotanical knowledge also provides the source for the discovery of many drugs. Usage of Himalayan plant species for food and medicine has been well known for a long time. This knowledge is depleting rapidly in recent times due to globalization and modernization. This investigation provides ethnobotanical information from selected studies that truly focuses on the traditional medicinal plants used by the local people of the Kangra district. Information for the present study was collected through publications available on the ethnobotanical studies of the area. These studies provide relevant literature and inventories of useful plants. As the search for natural products and new drugs from plants is an important element, it becomes important to create awareness about biodiversity conservation as well as their role in healthcare. Measures are needed to support biodiversity prospecting and for conserving useful plants which are harvested only from the wild. Paying special attention to sustainable use of the ethnomedicinal plants found in the area may help lessen the impact of harvesting specific plant resources.