GL-B02

Conservation Priority for Medicinal Plants with Particular Reference Chhattisgarh State, India

M L Naik

Consahant, NCNR, P. RSU. Raipur, 492010

Corresponding author email: mlnaik1943@ gmail com

[Received 21 January 2016]

Abstract: A medicinal plant is a plant that has similar properties as conventional pharmaceutical drugs or has heals promoting properties. With this definition it is difficult to name a plant which has no medicinal property. It is easy to al plant medicinal than to call it as non-medicinal. However, to make the list shorter, plants, more commonly used as medicni plant in any region are listed as the medicinal plant, without mentioning any plat to be non-medicinal. A large, populatin glohally is still dependent on plants for remedies. Despite laws and conventions to regulate the collection of medicinal plam generally, the collection is un-sustainable. Priority for conservation of a species is fixed on the basis of threat level to te species Correct identification of the plant is the primary requirement to plan for its conservation. Many of the plants, used by the local healers, are known only by the local name, some of which are still awaiting correct identification. Further, the locd name for the same plant differs from place to place as well as different plants are known by the same common name a different places. These all complicate the decision to fix priority for the conservation of the plants. IUCN is making continel efforts to decide threat level of the organisms. Detailed criteria have been formulated to place an organism at different thre level. However, many of the organisms, without proper evaluation as well as due to over ambition are being placed in higher threat categories, while many of the organisms, deserving to be included in to higher threat categories, are belig neglected. Such tendencies are diverting the attention from conserving the genuinely deserving organism. Chhattisgarh sa area is covered more than 40 percent with forest with some virgin forests. Periphery of the state has no any significant bumu to prevent migration of the species. Consequently, so far, no plant species has been confirmed to be endemic to the Some of the species like Saraca asoka were once widely distributed within the area of the state but presently have reduced to only a few specimens, Euphorbia fasiformis, Streptocaulon sylvestre. Morinda citrifolia and Cordia mcleodi me of the most rare plants of the state, but no one, so far, has reported these plants under any of the IUCN endangered categories.Plants of Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve have been listed including a list of vulnerable plant species. However, the list includes some of the plants like: Lygodium flexuosum, Boswellia serrata, Celastrus paniculata, Terminale h. and Piner longum, which deserve to be placed into categories, even lower than the near threatened category of the e Such overambitious reporting. categorizing non-eligible plants in to vulnerable or higher categories of threat can mislest atention from fixing priority to conserve the genuinely deserving species. Nair and Shastry in their 3 vol. book, published the Botanical Survey of India have not mentioned any of the plants, reported to be vulnerable from Amarkantak. A braa of forest land is being converted in to cultivated land, legally through the Forest Right Act, 2006 as well as illegally also, A pood number of alien invasive species have invaded the area of Chhattisgarh state. Both these factors are causing loss of the habitat to forest species, resulting in to augmenting the problems for conserving the threatened species. A new threat emerging in the state towards the forests as well as the crop land, in the form of feral cows. Cow, once enjoyed feral life will not return to home. Carnivores, large enough to prey upon the cows have disappeared from the wild, in India no any pervon can dare to kill the cows. This feral population is increasing, free from any threat. Long term impact of this newly emerging threat, towards the forests and crops, has not been realized, so far. List of species for conservation priority, especially those identified as medicinal plant and reported to be declining, should be prepared. This list should be prepared for different areas, but for the species which occur or were occurring naturally in the area. An index should be prepared to fix priority for conservation. This index should be prepared with a detailed investigation. One method could be: derive the index through interviews from the local healers. Put some numerical value to the information provided by the local healers. Information should be collected on the number of preparations; the plant is being used as well as the number of healers using the plant Based on these information an index could be derived for different species of medicinal plants, being used locally. Such a step is relevant because, so far, no conservation plant has been prepared for the endangered plants of Chhattisgarh State.

Keywords: Conservation, Medicinal plants, Chhattisgarh