Ethno-Medico Botanical Survey in Annapurna Conservation Area

Table of Contents

Chapter One
1.1 General background
1.2 Objectives

Chapter Two
2.1 LiteratureReview

Chapter Three
3.1 Plant collection and identification
3.2 Rural appraisal

Chapter Four
4.1 Results

Chapter Five
5.1 Conclusions and Recommendations

References

Photograph

Chapter One

1.1 General background

Annapurna conservation area is located between the latitude 28`11` to 28`45` and longitude 83`25` to 84`30`. The altitude of the ACAP from 1000 M to 8678 M and occupies the total are 7629 sq. km. It is geographically land locked between Tibetan frontier on the north, Pokhara valley on the south, Marsyangdi river on the east, Kaligandagi river on the west. Ten ethic group are found in ACAP region. The major ethic group of this region are Gurung, Magar, Botia, Thakali, Manangis etc. The total population found in ACAP is 1,05,424. In which 51420 male and 54004 female. The total households in 22,225 and hose holds size 4.74. The population density of this region is 13.82 sq. km.

The land uses of ACAP region are as follows

Forest = 14.4%

Shrub = 2.8%

Cultivated land = 3.2%

Grazing = 3.23%

Barren land = 78.88%

Other = 0.48 %

(Source: A Journal of ACAP)

ACAP is famous not only for its unique physiographic and climatic condition but also for its ethnic and cultural diversity. Various ethnic groups existing in this regions have their own traditions and cultures as well as their own ethnic medicinal practice.

Sub-tropical, temperate, sub-alpine and alpine climates are found in ACAP region which have created different ecological habitats favoring more than 1233 species of plants, 102 species of mammals, 488 species of Birds, 40 species of reptiles, 23 species of amphibians.

Our main destination areas are Birethanti, Ghandruk, Chhomrong, Sinuwa, Machhapuchhre base Camp and Annapurna Base Camp. The local people of these areas are especially based on the Hotel Business Programme. The Southern part Birethanti, Ghandruk, Chhomrong, where the villagers are also based on the agriculture and livestock development.

Indigenous peoples rely on them for food, medicines, fuel, dye, gum, resin, fiber and other products.

A person who makes the medicines from medicinal herbs is called "Bayada" (traditional doctors). These traditional doctors have been using medicinal plant in making medicines and providing community health care for centuries. The uses of herbs at home is not only cheaper for an economic point of view, but also responsible for fewer side effects than in the case with chemical antibiotics.

Ethno medical studies to document and exploration variety of plants and their role in primary health care in ACAP regions are very scarce. Therefore there is an urgent need to explore different parts of this section for gathering maximum ethno medicinal information and to identify a large number of medicinal plants that have been in local use for generations.

Ethnobotany deals with the study of the relationship between people and plants and most commonly refers to the study of how people of a partic­ular culture and region make use of indigenous plants. The term 'ethnobotany' was first use by Harsberger (1896) who defined it as the study of plants used by primitive and aborginal people. Schulter (1962) defined ethnobotany as the study of relationship that exists between people of primi­tive societies and their plant environment. The main aim of ethnobotany is to document the knowledge about plants that had come through generations and use the knowledge for the benefit of the society. Historically plants used in traditional medicine by the indigenous populations across the world have produced some of the most useful modern day pharmaceuticals.

This study therefore aims to explore and document the variety of plants and their role in health care of people of ACAP region.

1.2 Objectives

The overall objective of the study is to document the indigenous knowledge's of medicinal plants used by the various ethnic group in their community. The specific objectives are:

- to document the ethnic medicinal use of plant species and
- to estimate the stocking of major plants used in ethnic medicine

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