Foods from the wild: Local knowledge, use pattern and distribution in Western Nepal

Abstract

Locally harvested wild edible plants (WEPs) provide food as well as cash income for indigenous peoples and local communities, and they are of great importance in ensuring local food security. However, their uses and availability are poorly documented. This study aimed to enumerate WEP diversity and status of WEPs in a part of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Sikles region, where the population is dominated by the Gurung community. Ethnobotanical data were collected using guided field walks, semi-structured interviews, and field observation. The informant consensus method was employed and group discussions were conducted for triangulation of the information. Free listing and identification tests were performed to assess the knowledge of the informants. Both descriptive statistics and quantitative ethnobotanical methods were used for data analysis. A total of 72 wild food species belonging to 46 families and 61 genera were reported from the study area. Asparagaceae and Rosaceae were the dominant families, and herbs were the dominant life form. Fruits (34 species) were the most frequently used plant parts, followed by young shoots (16 species). Most edible plants were consumed in summer and during rainy seasons. While the age and type of informants had an influence on the number of enumerated plants, gender did not. Key informants and people aged 30–45 reported more species than other groups of respondents. Most of the knowledge about the use of WEPs was acquired from parents and relatives. The consumption of these plants was attributed to diversifying cuisine, spicing staple food, nutri-medicinal values, and cultural practices. People perceived the availability of WEPs to be gradually decreasing. However, WEPs are still abundant and diverse in the study area, and knowledge on their use is well-preserved. These resources provide food and nutrients to local people and can also be a source of cash income. Therefore, the documented information on WEPs may serve as baseline data for further studies on nutritional values and provide guidelines for safe collection. The results also revealed that many wild species are under growing pressure from various anthropogenic factors, suggesting effective community engagement is required for their conservation.

Ethnobotanical study of wild edible fruits in eastern Bhutan

“…Notably, age groups had a significant association with indigenous knowledge of WEFs. In this regard, we found high indigenous knowledge among middle-aged people in their 40s and 50s compared to younger and older age groups, which are consistent with studies done in Pakistan and Nepal [ 39 , 62 ]. However, it contradicts the findings of Uprety et al [ 21 ] where younger people were more knowledgeable than the older population, and some studies in China where the oldest generation had more traditional knowledge than others [ 55 , 63 ].…”

“…On the contrary, Kang et al [ 67 ] concluded that men were more knowledgeable in Central China. Similarly, studies from Nepal and Argentina also reported that men identified more fruit species than women [ 62 , 68 ]. These three studies were conducted in communities with rich forest cover where it was always the men who ventured further into the forest.…”

Ethnomedicinal plants used by the local people of Changunarayan Municipality, Bhaktapur, Nepal

“…Documenting traditional knowledge and practices is also crucial for establishing medicinal plant management and conservation programs (Njoroge et al 2004). Plant resources are still being used in many regions of Nepal to fulfill subsistence requirements or to market as edible fruits, vegetables, fodder, medicinal herbs, and raw materials for home construction and domestic products, according to a large number of ethnobotanical studies published in Nepal (Manandhar 1989, Bhattarai et al 2006, Rokaya et al 2010, Uprety et al 2010, Bhattarai 2018, Kunwar et al 2018, Pradhan et al 2020, Mallik et al 2020, Khakurel et al 2021.…”

Ethnomycological study of wild edible and medicinal mushrooms in district Jammu, J&K (UT), India

“…Garibay-Orijel et al [ 71 ], who reviewed 80 ethnomycological studies, also reported a greater role of women worldwide in mushroom collection, processing, and marketing. However, some studies carried out in Poland [ 58 , 72 ], China [ 61 ], and Africa [ 73 – 75 ] have reported that men are significantly more knowledgeable regarding WEM than women as they can move deep into the forest without any fear [ 76 ], whereas few others [ 77 , 78 ] say that, there is no significant difference between the genders vis - a - vis knowledge of WEM.…”