Background: Medicinal plants (MP) are the primary source of health care in developing countries like Nepal. Specially, indigenous people depend on MP species for their basic livelihood. In this study, we aimed to document MP species and assess their indigenous use among Magar (Kham) community in Western Nepal.Methods: A list of MP species was prepared through empirical ethnobotanical study and their indigenous use was assessed using a set of questionnaires. The data collected was generalized for MP species diversity, use categories, and life forms. Informant consensus factor (Fic), Use Frequency (UF) and Use Value (UV) were used to find the cultural importance of MP species. Results: We recorded 82 MP species, belonging to 45 families and 75 genera of which nine species cited in Magar (Kham) community are ethnobotanically new to Nepal. Informant consensus factor value was found to be high (1) for eight ailment categories; cancer, warts, pneumonia, dandruff, frightening, anesthetic, skin disease, eye irritation and leeches. Based on use value index, the most important ethnomedicinal species were Bergenia ciliata, Swertia chirayta, Acorus calamus and Aconitum gammiei. Conclusions: This study provides complete document of indigenous uses of MP species among Magar (Kham) community of Thabang Rural Municipality (RM), Rolpa district. Nine MP species were reported with new uses for the first time in Nepal. There is further possibility of recording of new use reports in other villages adjoining to the present studied Magar Kham community. The species with high cultural values must be tested further for their pharmacological properties.

Background: Chyangthapu-Phalaicha located in the northeastern Panchthar District, is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalaya. The area is dominated by the Kirat indigenous community. The present study was conducted to document the knowledge of the ethnomedicinal uses and practices that exist in the area before the associated socio-cultural knowledge on biological diversity is lost. Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires. Stakeholders meetings were organized for assessing the conservation issues in the sub-corridor. The importance of medicinal plant species was assessed using quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, relative importance, fidelity level and Rahman’s similarity index. Results: Altogether, 140 medicinal plant species from 68 families and 127 genera were reported, which were used to treat 12 health disorders categories. The dominant families were Asteraceae and Fabaceae which contributed eight species each. Fifty-five percent of the total medicinal plant species comprised of herbs. The most frequently used plant parts were underground parts (33%) and leaf (15%). The most common remedies preparation method was extract. Oral administration was the most common therapeutic mode (60%). Maximum informant consensus factor (0.96) was calculated for gastrointestinal disorders. The highest relative frequency of citation and fidelity level was observed for Swertia chirayita (0.83 and 100% respectively). Artemisia dubia depicted the highest relative importance (91.67). A thorough review of previous literature and analysis of field data revealed new therapeutic use reports for 41 ailments associated with 52 plant species. The Rahman similarity index was high with the studies in neighbouring areas, while it was low with the geographically distant studies. Conclusions: The ethnomedicinal study of the Chyangthapu-Phalaicha biological sub-corridor in the Kangchenjunga Landscape indicates that the area supports significant medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. The varied use of reported medicinal plants in the area indicates the need for their domestication, processing and phytochemical investigation, especially for those with high ethnobotanical indices.

Panchase Protected Forest (PPF), situated at the junction of three districts Kaski, Syangjaand Parbat with an elevation range of 900-2517m representing mid hills of Nepal. This study was carried out with an aim of documenting the flowering plant diversity of the Panchase Protected Forest, Kaski district, comprising three VDCs, Bhadaure Tamage, Chapakot and Pumdi Bhumdi. General survey, covering all seasons was organized (from June 2014 to May2015) for collecting the plant species. Published literatures and herbarium specimens were also consulted for documenting the species. Identification of the collected specimens was made through consulting relevant literatures, herbarium specimens and expert consultation. A total of 613 species belonging to 393 genera and 111 families have been documented from this area. The dominant family was Orchidaceae (49 genera and 125 species) followed by Poaceae (25 spp.), Asteraceae (25 spp.) and others. Six endemic plants, Begonia flagellaris (Begoniaceae), Eria pokharensis, Gastrochilus nepalensis, Oberonia nepalensis, Odontochilusnandae and Panisea panchaseensis (Orchidaceae) were also reported. Similarly, presentresearch revealed two taxa as new record for flora of Nepal, Dischidia bengalensis Colebr. (Apocynaceae) and Phreatia elegans Lindl. (Orchidaceae). The present findings suggest that PPF is one of the hotspot for floral diversity representing mid hills of Nepal and this pristine habitat for orchid should be developed as ‘Orchid Sanctuary’.

Background: Chyangthapu-Phalaicha located in the northeastern Panchthar District, is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalaya. The present study was conducted to document the knowledge of the ethnomedicinal uses and practices that exist in the area before the associated socio-cultural knowledge on biological diversity is lost.Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires. The importance of medicinal plant species was assessed using quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, relative importance, fidelity level and Rahman's similarity index.Results: Altogether, 140 medicinal plant species from 68 families and 127 genera were reported, which were used to treat 12 health disorder categories. The dominant families were Asteraceae and Fabaceae which contributed eight species each. Maximum informant consensus factor (0.96) was calculated for gastrointestinal disorders. The highest relative frequency of citation and fidelity level was observed for Swertia chirayita (0.83 and 100% respectively). Artemisia dubia depicted the highest relative importance (91.67). A thorough review of previous literature and analysis of field data revealed new therapeutic use reports for 41 ailments associated with 52 plant species. The Rahman's similarity index showed a high use similarity with the studies in neighbouring areas and a low similarity with the geographically distant studies.Conclusions: These findings show that the area supports significant medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. The varied use of reported medicinal plants in the area indicates the need for phytochemical investigation, especially for those with high ethnobotanical indices.

Background: Chyangthapu-Phalaicha located in the northeastern Panchthar District, is a biodiversity hotspot in the Eastern Himalaya. The area is dominated by the Kirat indigenous community. The present study was conducted to document the knowledge of the ethnomedicinal uses and practices that exist in the area before the associated socio-cultural knowledge on biological diversity is lost. Methods: Ethnomedicinal data were collected through three focus group discussions and 47 key informant interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. The importance of medicinal plant species was assessed using quantitative indices such as informant consensus factor, relative frequency of citation, relative importance, fidelity level and Rahman’s similarity index. Results: Altogether, 140 medicinal plant species from 68 families and 127 genera were reported, which were used to treat 12 diseases categories. The dominant families were Asteraceae and Fabaceae which contributed eight species each. Fifty-five percent of the total medicinal plant species comprised of herbs. The most frequently used plant parts were underground parts (33%) and leaf (15%). The most common remedies preparation method was extract. Oral administration was the most common therapeutic mode (60%). Maximum informant consensus factor (0.96) was calculated for gastrointestinal diseases. The highest relative frequency of citation and fidelity level was observed for Swertia chirayita (0.83 and 100% respectively). Artemisia dubia depicted the highest relative importance (91.67). A thorough review of previous literature and analysis of field data revealed 90 new therapeutic use reports for 42 ailments belonging to 64 plant species.Conclusions: The ethnomedicinal study of the Chyangthapu-Phalaicha biological sub-corridor in the Kangchenjunga Landscape indicates that the area supports significant medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. The varied use of reported medicinal plants in the area indicates the need for their cultivation, processing and phytochemical investigation, especially for those with high ethnobotanical indices.

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Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) and blue pine (P. wallichiana) are two dominant tree species in the mid-hill forests of Nepal that also contribute significantly to the country’s total forest area. The associated vegetation pattern in pine forests is influenced by environmental and edaphic factors. The objective of this study was to determine the correlation between soil chemical properties and the composition of associated plant species of two pine forests in the Kailash Sacred Landscape, Nepal. We used the quadrat sampling method to collect vegetation and soil data. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine the relationship between soil chemical properties. Generalized Linear model (GLM) to assess the effect of soil properties on species richness, and Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) for species composition. Our analysis showed that soil pH was negatively correlated with soil chemical properties and species richness of associated species. There was a high number of associated plant species in the blue pine forest than in chir pine forest. Associated plant species generally prefer high nitrogen and phosphorus content. Between the two pine forest types, there was a higher number of associated plant species in the blue pine forest than in chir pine forest. The study showed that two closely related pine forests differ in associated plant species diversity and richness. Soil nutrients play an important role in determining the species richness and composition but may not be the only factors affecting these patterns. Pine forests play an important role in the socio-economy from the national to community levels while the associated plant species have more significant functions in the livelihoods of local communities.