Diversity and use of wild and non-cultivated edible plants in the Western Himalaya

Abstract

BackgroundLocal people in the Himalayan region use a wide range of wild and non-cultivated edible plants (WNEPs) for food, spice, medicinal, and cultural purposes. However, their availability, use, status and contribution to livelihood security are poorly documented, and they have been generally overlooked in recent agro-biodiversity conservation and management programmes. The study aimed to investigate WNEP diversity and current status in a part of the Kailash Sacred Landscape—a transboundary landscape shared by Nepal, India and PR China—in terms of collection, use, management and conservation initiatives.MethodsMultiple methodologies and tools were used for data collection. A series of participatory tools (45 key informant interviews, 10 focus group discussions, a crop diversity fair, direct observation of species through a transect walk and rapid market assessments) was followed by a household survey (195 respondents) and complemented by a literature review.ResultsThe study recorded 99 WNEPs belonging to 59 families of which 96 were angiosperms, one gymnosperm and two pteridophytes. Species were used for food, spice, medicine, rituals and income generation. Thirty-five species had multiple uses, including these: 40 species were used for fruit and 31 for vegetables. WNEPs contribute significantly to daily food requirements, especially the vegetables. The use value of Dryopteris cochleata was found highest (0.98) among frequently used vegetable species. The values of informant consensus factor were found maximum for worms in the stomach (0.99) and minimum for skin disease treatment (0.67). Nearly 85% of households depended exclusively on WNEPs for at least more than a month per year. Results on the importance and use of different species, gender roles in WNEP activities and conservation approaches are presented.ConclusionsPeople living in the Kailash Sacred Landscape depend significantly on WNEPs, and this is especially critical in times of food shortage. The WNEPs have considerable potential as an important supplement to cultivated food crops. Farmers prioritise species with multiple use values and popular vegetables. However, there are numerous challenges and interventions needed to ensure conservation and management of species and their continued availability to support food security and local livelihoods.

Cross-cultural comparison of plant use knowledge in Baitadi and Darchula districts, Nepal Himalaya

“…The situation was provoked by people drinking contaminated water, eating improperly stored and spoiled foods, and conditions of poor nutrition. The highest number of taxa and use reports for treatment of stomach disorders in Darchula District was also observed by Aryal et al [ 29 ]. Since our study area is a food deficit [ 123 ] and 72% participants had food deficiency > 6 months year −1 , the tradition of wild plant collection, use, and management was a common strategy to combat poverty paired with geo-ecological constraints and sacredness of the landscape, resulting in insignificant difference between the groups of people with food deficiencies.…”

“…Of the five high IASc (> 0.5) species, F. religiosa , P. cerasoides , and Q. lanata are abundant at nearby settlements. The high consensus value species were not only being frequently used in the study area, they were also reported as highly useful in other villages of study districts [ 29 , 99 , 101 , 118 ]. Of the total eight species with high IASc (> 0.5), four were for medicinal purposes and four were for non-medicinal (livelihood and ritual) purposes.…”

“…Since our study area is a food deficit [ 123 ] and 72% participants had food deficiency > 6 months year −1 , the tradition of wild plant collection, use, and management was a common strategy to combat poverty paired with geo-ecological constraints and sacredness of the landscape, resulting in insignificant difference between the groups of people with food deficiencies. The role of plant collection in Darchula and Baitadi districts in complementing food availability was appreciated [ 29 ]. The low consensus of plant use between Baitadi and Darchula districts could be due to both cultural divergence, varied accessibility, and physiographic heterogeneity.…”

“…This activated contemporary sociocultural and economic transformation, as certain kinds of traditional knowledge began to decline and socio-acculturation and outmigration led people to pursue different economic opportunities to meet new survival challenges [ 37 , 40 ]. Thus, the traditional subsistence economy in the far-western Nepal Himalaya has experienced a substantial change in recent decades [ 11 , 29 , 35 , 99 ] while certain kinds of traditional knowledge in the research area began to decline in recent decades, including that around human-plant relationships.…”

“…The knowledge and practice associated with the collection and uses of plants vary within any culture, because of the abundance and quality of species, geography of the region, origin of the plants, residence of the people, social status, and relationships within the community [ 9 , 19 – 22 ]. Cultural factors are sometimes mediated through local classification systems [ 23 ], language [ 24 , 25 ], human cognition, cultural history [ 26 , 27 ], beliefs, religion [ 28 , 29 ], taboos, social networks, and access to information [ 19 , 30 ]. Different subsets of sociocultural factors such as settlement, population, family size, gender, age, ethnicity, education, economy, occupation, and possession also influence knowledge of plant use [ 3 , 7 , 31 – 35 ].…”