Author(s): Srijana Joshi*
An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in ten selected Nallahs of Khunjerab National Park, Pakistan to document the distribution and record of indigenous knowledge about medicinal plants. Field visits were conducted during the period of June-July and Aug-Sept. Ecological information about medicinal plants was collected by using purposeful sampling. The ethnobotanical information was collected from 50 knowledgeable local people and health practitioners by using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires.
A total of 59 species belonging to 45 genera and 31 families have been found to be used by the local people for curing various diseases. The most important medicinal plants of the study area belong to the family Asteraceae, followed by Rosaceae, Brassicaceae and Polygonaceae. About 30 types of ailments were treated with various parts of the 59 medicinal plant species. For treating ailments, the use of the aerial part was highest (52.54%), followed by leaves (11.86%) and flowers and roots (10.16%). Due to poor collection and storage, overgrazing and anthropogenic activities, medicinal plants of this area are on the verge of extinction. Thus, there is an urgent need to provide awareness regarding the sustainable utilization and management of medicinal plants, with a special focus on those that are used widely and traded outside the region. Overall, this study provides useful baseline information on medicinal plant distribution and traditional knowledge, which could play a vital role in the conservation of medicinal plants and for sustaining ecosystem functioning. Further study on phyto-chemicals of the medicinal plants will promote their use for wider purposes.
