Ethnobotany is the study of ethnic plants of particular people living in particular place. It accommodates list, details and description of all those studied plants regarding with their various uses. Tharu people belong to one of the indigenous communities especially in Terai region of Nepal. Tharu people have been using these plant resources since 18th century. This study aims to identify ethnic plants of Tharu community of eastern Nepal and their uses in their daily lives.  Enumeration of useful plants from Tharu ethnic community was conducted in four villages of Ramdhuni municipality of Sunsari district. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) and household sampling technique were used for data collection. Plant specimens were collected and information regarding it was obtained from local Dhamis, Jhankris, farmers and old age people. This study reported thirty-seven useful plant species under 25 families. In total 37 species, 25 were recorded as medicinal plant, used to treat pneumonia, menstrual disorder, stones, piles, skin disease etc. Other plant species were used for food, fodder, timber, fiber and ceremonial/ religious activities. Most plant species (78.3%) were having multiple use value, and kept under more than one use category and few species (21.7%) with single use category. Trees (27.02%) and herbs (27.02%), both were dominant over grass, shrubs, climbers and creepers. This study has revealed that many plants species are being used by Tharu community of Eastern Nepal as their ethnic plants for medicine, food, fodder, ornament, material etc which needs to be more explored. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 8(2): 223-230

No abstract

A floristic study of an area is very crucial to determine the status of plant species of particular area or geographical region, as it reflects the whole plant diversity of that area. Our study aimed at identifying the floristic composition of Daman-Simbhanjyang area which included flowering plants, gymnosperms, pteridophytes and bryophytes at wild habitat. The present study has recorded altogether 189 plant species under 163 genera and 90 families. Out of 189 plant species (114 Dicots and 20 Monocots), 134 phanerogams were recorded under 112 genera and 55 families. Asteraceae was found to be the richest family with 14 species among dicots and Orchidaceae (8 spp.) among monocots. Moreover, 30 species of pteridophytes and 22 species of bryophytes were recorded under 28 genera from 15 families and 20 genera from 17 families respectively. However, only three species of gymnosperm were recorded under 3 genera and 3 families at wild habitat. Therefore, the present study has concluded Daman-Simbhanjyang area to be rich in plant species diversity which encompasses many high valued plant species that needs to be conserved and used in sustainable manner. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 10(2): 112-123.

Community forest user groups (CFUGs) have been receiving different ecosystem services and facilities from the community forest, which are very crucial in their daily life activities. The present study is aimed at identifying the facilities and services received from the different plant species in the Janachana Community Forest, Rautahat district, Nepal. Altogether, 84 members of community forest groups participated in an interview using a semi-structured questionnaire. In total, 65 plants were identified in the study area for use as medicine, firewood, fodder, bedding, food, and other purposes. However, most plants were used as fodder for livestock. Altogether, fifty-eight plant species (89%) were used for multiple purposes (more than one use) and seven (11%) species were used for single purpose. Among the reported plant species, thirty species were used for medicinal purposes. Seeds and leaves were common parts of the plant used as medicine. Most of the plants were used to treat gastritis, cough, and blood clots, which seem to have high prevalence inthe study area. These results imply the various benefits taken by the CFUGs from the community forest in their daily life.

The purpose of this study was to record existing information and perception of local people on invasive alien plant species IAPs in the rural areas of lowland, eastern Nepal (Ramdhuni Municipality, Sunsari District). A semi-structured questionnaire survey and interview were carried out to document whether the people were known or unknown to the IAPs followed by harmful or beneficial effects of IAPs and control measures to minimize the spread of IAPs. We found that only 6.25% of respondents knew about the IAPs and there was significant difference between the percentage of respondents who were known or unknown to IAPs. There was a significant positive correlation between the respondents' ages and the number of plants they described. Local people have been using IAPs for food, medicine, and fodder for a long time. However, some IAPs also have detrimental effects in forest and agriculture.