Ethnobotany of medicinal plants of Leepa valley (Azad Kashmir)
Ethnobotany of medicinal plants of Leepa valley (Azad Kashmir)
Ch. Muhammad Muslim and Sohail Sikander
ABSTRACT
Natural regeneration of medicinal plants is adversely affected by a number of climatic and edaphic factors (earthquake). Drug plants occurring at higher elevations acquire perennial nature due to short growing season of 4 to 6 months and hence require a prolong growth periods of 6 to 10 years depending upon plant species concerned. Disturbance in the regeneration pattern is also affected by heavy grazing and intensive felling of trees in particular area. Due to increase in population and simultaneously of animals the grazing pressure has increased tremendously and thus unpalatable or even poisonous plants though not eaten but are trampled so heavily that regeneration and survival of the plant become extremely difficult. Therefore, there is a need of coordination and cooperation amongst various agencies such as Forest Department, farmers, traders and pharmaceutical firms interested in the utilization of these medicinal plants of pharmacopoeial importance and to initiate regeneration work in Leepa valley, Azad Kashmir. For this purpose, in-situ conservation area and gene bank must be established of higher elevation medicinal plants like Saussurea lappa, Podophyllum emodi, Atropa acuminata, Rheum emodi, Angelica glauca, Adiantum capillus, Dioscorea deltoidea, Digitalis spp., Berberis lycium, Geranium wallichianum, Berginia ciliata, Solanum nigrum etc., for supply of quality seed and planting stock for other areas. Medicinal plants are a valuable natural resource and regarded as future of safe drugs. Sustainable management of this renewable natural resource is an important issue which needs to be discussed at national level. Because it not only provides basic raw material for the preparation of a number of allopathic medicines, but also more than 70% of the population residing in rural and remote hilly areas rely on plant-lore and traditional system of medicine for their primary health care.
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June 2010
Vol. 60, Iss. 2
