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April to June 2024 Article ID: NSS8743 Impact Factor:8.05 Cite Score:148 Download: 15 DOI: https://doi.org/ View PDf
Biocultural Conservation of Plants Through the Lens of Tribal Knowledge in India
Dr. Ragini Sikarwar
Assistant Professor (Botany) Govt. Home Science PG Lead College, Narmadapuram (M.P.)
Abstract: India is a
biodiversity hotspot with various plant species with huge ecological and
medicinal properties. Biocultural conservation and knowledge amongst tribes are
closely related, since they have been important to date for the preservation of
species. In this paper, the connection between biocultural conservation and
knowledge among tribes has been discussed to indicate how indigenous practices,
through sustainable use and preservation, of plant resources, bring significant
benefits to the whole process. Ethnobotanical research shows that traditional
practices are important for maintaining biodiversity and preventing exploitation.
Loss of the traditional knowledge because of modernization and environmental
degradation hinders conservation efforts. Solutions-possibly community-based
conservation programs, documentation of tribal knowledge, and legal
protections-must be enacted to help integrate the "traditional" into
modern environmental management strategies. In the approach, then, not only
will biodiversity be supported but also the cultural heritages of indigenous
communities will be underlined in the successful sustenance of a people-nature
coexistence.
Keywords :Biocultural
conservation, Tribal knowledge, Ethnobotany, Plant
conservation, Biodiversity, Indigenous communities, Sustainable
practices,Medicinal plants.