Abstract
Sacred Groves are tracts of virgin forests, left untouched and protected by local people, because of culture and religious beliefs. These tracts are remnants of the once-dominant flora, reservoirs of the rich biodiversity, and the last refuge for preserving the rich indigenous culture and traditions. For these reasons, the biological and leaf spectra, as well as the conservation status of the current sacred grove vegetation, Maa Mongalmoyee Than (MMT) in Jhargram district of West Bengal, India, have been studied. The results of floristic studies showed 217 MMT's angiosperm species, belonging to 196 genera, distributed under 59 families of 27 orders. Furthermore, Poales (13.82%) and Fabaceae (12.44%) are the dominant order and family, respectively, in terms of species population. Meanwhile, the biological spectrum showed the grove enjoys a "thero-chamaephyte" phytoclimate form, as well as a comparatively undisturbed status, being a sacred grove. Also, the preservation of germplasm within the grove is based on traditional belief in the social system.
Highlights
According to Khan et al (2008), a classic example of culturally responsive communitybased natural small-scale resource management, are sacred groves
This study showed the sacred grove harboured a total of 217 plant species (Table 2), [179 dicots (82.49%) and 38 monocots (17.51%)], belonging to196 genera [163 dicots (83.16%) and 33 monocots (16.84%)], 59 families [52 dicots (88.14%) and 7 monocots (11.86%)], and 27 orders [22 dicots (81.48%) and 5 monocots (18.52%)]
This study shows the possibility of using the Raunkiaer strategy to evaluate the major differences between the populations of angiosperm plants, associations in the forested landscape or biome, the percentage of flora species resulting from the established ecological parameters and environmental gradients
Summary
According to Khan et al (2008), a classic example of culturally responsive communitybased natural small-scale resource management, are sacred groves. These are small patches of forests devoted to deities and ancestral spirits, with socio-cultural, spiritual and political significance for the indigenous communities caring for them. India has the highest number of sacred groves in the entire world, estimated at over 100000 (Khan et al, 2008), as a result of high ethno-cultural diversity. These groves occur in many regions, with a variety of cultural practices (Rath & Ormsby, 2020). Temperatures are as high as 46°C, during the hot, dry days of May and June, and as low as 8°C in the chilly nights of December a b c d e
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