PJB-2017-772
QUANTITATIVE APPROACH TO EXPLORE FOLK ETHNOBOTANICAL KNOWLEDGE OF WILD PLANTS AMONG REMOTE AREA PEOPLE OF WATALA, DISTRICT BHIMBER, AZAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR
MUHAMMAD AJAIB
Abstract
The quantitative ethnobotanical studies were conducted first time in the Watala, District Bhimber, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan to document ethnobotanical knowledge of wild plant species. The aim of the study was to prepare an inventory of wild plants in the study area and to record the methods by which plants are used by local people of Watala. The ethnobotanical information including therapeutic properties of medicinal plants was collected from local inhabitants and herbalists using open ended and semi-structured questionnaires. A total of 79 respondents were interviewed out of which 47 male, 18 female of age aprox. 25-65 or < 66 years and 14 kids of age aprox. 15 years. A total of 92 plants species belonging to 83 genera and 37 families were recorded. The data were recorded into a table comprising an inventory of plants, parts used and traditional uses. Different ethnobotanical indices, i.e. frequency of citation (FC) ranges from 59 to 11, relative frequencies of citation (RFC) ranges from 0.75 to 0.14 and use value (UV) ranges from 0.82 to 0.15 were calculated for each of the recorded medicinal plant. Different plant parts are using in a different way in herbal medicines depending upon the civilizing knowledge and accessibility of those parts to local inhabitants. In the present study leaves were the most commonly used plant part utilized in the herbal preparations i.e. 31% followed by whole plant (21%), root (10%), fruit & seed (8,8%), wood (7%), bark (6%), stem (5%), flowers (3%) and legume (1%). Fodder was the most frequent (25%) form of preparation, followed by decoction (23.92%),extract (19.56%), paste & powder (18.48, 18.48%),fuel (17.39%), juice (11.96%), palatable (9.78%), vegetable (8.69%), poultice (5.44%) and gum (4.35%). The most dominant family of the area was Poaceae having 15 spp. Xanthium strumarium, Sida cordifolia, Ziziphus jujuba, Boerhavia procumbens, Lolium temulentum, Pupalia lappacea, Euphorbia prostrata, Dalbergia sissoo and Justicia adhatoda were the most valuable plants with the highest frequency of citation (FC), relative frequencies of citation (RFC) and use value (UV). Local people using many types of local plants to cure different diseases like diabetes, dysentery, asthma, kidney infection, constipation, gastric ulcer, bronchial diseases, gonorrhea, scabies, irritation and many types of skin disease. Due to dominance of therophytic life form (Poaceae) the study area shows biotic interference especially grazing pressure. Hence, the study area, i.e. Watala, District Bhimber needs protection against biotic interference.
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