Sacred Groves of Arunachal Pradesh: Traditional Way of Biodiversity Conservation in Eastern Himalaya of India

Abstract

Sacred Groves of Arunachal Pradesh: Traditional Way of Biodiversity Conservation in Eastern Himalaya of India Due to its varied edaphic, climatic and geographic conditions, India is blessed with a rich biodiversity. Sacred groves form a significant part of the India’s floral and faunal diversity and are found in many parts of the country particularly where indigenous communities live for centuries. They act as an ideal centre for ecosystem services generation due to their varied and rich biodiversity. The sacredness, religious culture, beliefs and taboos play a significant role in promoting conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity of the region where sacred groves are found. Due to the materialistic culture of the society during recent years, considerable changes have taken place in people’s attitudes towards these centers of biodiversity conservation. The current paper highlights current status of some of the significant sacred groves located in Arunachal Pradesh state of India. Ways to protect and preserve these biodiversity assets have been discussed in the paper.