Plant resources have been used by humans for their wellbeing for ages. Tribal communities live in far flung areas in close proximity with forests and have a rich cultural heritage and traditional knowledge of forest resources. The present study was carried out in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir to document the traditional knowledge of plant usage and local perception towards biodiversity conservation. A total of 86 informants were selected through non-probability sampling using a convenience sampling method based on easy access, availability and relevance of informants. During the present study, a total of 92 plant species belonging to 85 genera and 57 families were recorded. Fabaceae and Rosaceae were found to be dominant families. In terms of growth forms, herbaceous species were dominant, followed by trees. Leaves were the most common parts used, followed by fruits. These plant species are used for different purposes such as medicine, edibles, fodder and dye making. A number of plant species were found to be multipurpose in use. Most of the documented plant species are collected by local people from the wild. Local people perceived that the populations of many species, such as Dolomiaea costus, Dioscorea deltoidea and Dolomiaea macrocephala, have declined in recent decades. Climate change, urbanization, deforestation, pollution, overexploitation and species invasion are some of the major threats to biodiversity perceived by the local people. Therefore, the establishment of protected areas and cultivation of wild species are recommended to safeguard forest wealth of the area. Furthermore, mass awareness and cooperation-building programs are highly recommended so that locals can enthusiastically participate in conservation and management programs.
In the changing climatic conditions, species distribution modelling is considered as a key strategy to estimate the probable influence of climatic variabilities on the habitat ranges of any species. The present study explores the potential distribution of Aconitum heterophyllum under current and future climatic scenarios. The results unfold that the distribution of this endemic species is governed significantly by bio12, i.e., Annual Precipitation. Ensemble modelling predicted that higher altitudes of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh are suitable habitats for A. heterophyllum. However, the future climatic modelling revealed that there will be a significant decrease in the suitable habitats for A. heterophyllum. Most of the shrinkage of habitats is predicted to occur within the time period of 2050, which seriously challenges their survival. The present study recommends an urgent need to frame a pertinent conservation and management policy for Aconitum heterophyllum and will act as a framework for planning such a policy.
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