Diversity, Quantitative availability and Livelihood Support of Wild Edible Plants in a Part of Tehri Garhwal Region, Uttarakhand

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Date
2016-06
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College of Forestry, Ranichauri, V.C.S.G. Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry.
Abstract
Wild edible plants (WEPs) refer to species that are neither cultivated nor domesticated, but available from their natural habitats and used as sources of food. WEPs are gathered for food, nutrition and livelihoods by different cultures around the world. A total of 675 and 334 WEPs were identified from Indian Himalayan region and West Himalaya (UK) respectively. The present study was conducted in 10 villages of Chamba and Narendranagar blocks of Tehri Garhwal. The WEPs diversity, quantitative availability of prominent WEPs and livelihood support of WEPs was assessed. Diversity of WEPs was firstly assessed by literature surveys than field conformation was carried out by laying belt transects of 100mX5m in local forests and villages. The Quantitative availability and edible parts yield of prominent WEPs were estimated by following Bhatt et al. (2000). WEPs livelihood support was obtained by conducting survey in villages, markets and small scale industries with the help of semi-structured and structured questionnaires, informal talks and open ended interviews. A total of 25% of households was surveyed in each selected villages of the study region. In the present inventory of literature 351 WEPs in different life forms where recorded, of that the 69 WEPs were conformed in field. One species belongs to Pteridophyta (Diplazium esculentum), two species are belong to Fungi (Lactarius hygrophoroides and Lactarius subpurpureus), and all others to Angiospermae. Out of 69 WEPs documented, 29 WEPs are native to Himalayan region. Family Rosaceae had maximum number of WEPs (9 out of 69) and in different life forms, 23 trees, 22 shrubs, 17 herb, 4 climbers, 2 fungi and 1 fern had recorded. Most importantly, fruits were found to be frequently used part accounting for 42%, leaves 20%, flowers and seed/grains with 6% each, shoots 7%, flower buds and tuber with 4% each, nut with 3% and others 8% (bark, fungi, nut, root, whole plant). WEPs plants were gathered from varied habitats of natural forests, agricultural fields to human disturbed areas such as roadsides and wastelands in which maximum number of species were found in the human disturbed areas such as roadsides (34 species), 16 species were represented in >3 habitats and remaining restricted to <3 habitats. In the study region, a gradual decrease of knowledge of wild edible food, its collection and consumption in younger generation. Among the 48 species frequently used as wild edible in the study region, 10 species were selected as most preferred species by the respondents such as D. esculentum, R. arboreum, M. esculenta, B. asiatica, R. ellipticus, F. auriculata, B. variegata, P. emblica, U. dioca and R. hastatus. Out of 69 species 10 species had market value and 4 value added products of 9 WEPs were readily available in the market. Out of 69 WEPs documented 20 WEPs have multipurpose use in the rural community of study region. The quantitative analysis of R. arboreum and Myrica esculenta in three mixed Forest types; Ecotone of Pinus roxburghii and Cedrus deodara, mixed Pinus roxburghii and Mixed Quercus leucotrichophora revealed that the density of R. arboreum and M. esculenta ranges between 123.33-206.66 and 76-146 individuals/ha, frequency ranges between 90-70% and 56.66-76.66, Abundance ranges between 1.60-2.29 and 1.31-1.91 and IVI ranges between 62.46-98.65 and 39.22-62.66 respectively. Edible part yield in both the species were maximum in upper GBH class compared to lower GBH class and in both the species. The mean flower and fruit yield per tree varied significantly depending on the GBH class and along with habitat (LSD 1.66; P < 0.05 and LSD 15.01; P < 0.05 respectively). Natural resources with potential economic significance are crucial in maintaining subsistence lifestyles of traditional mountain societies. The ability of a given wild bioresources to continue meeting both subsistence and market needs however, largely depends upon sustainable harvesting and appropriate management practices for their conservation. The wild edibles of the area need to be promoted as a horticultural crop and the farmers/local people need to be encouraged to develop/establish nurseries of these wild edibles. Efforts are required for value addition and create awareness about their high nutritive and medicinal value as a health food drink among rural, urban and semi-urban consumers for solving malnutrition on one hand and economic development on the other. The information on such plants may help adding variety to the monotonous diet so that requirements of minerals and vitamins etc. are easily met and help in publicizing the hitherto less known resources of wild fruits to many naturalists, visitors, tourists, mountaineers, researchers and local population.
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