Ethnobotanical survey of lesser-known economic plants in the Chamba region of the Western Himalaya, Uttarakhand, India

Background: The Chamba region of the Western Himalaya in Uttarakhand, India, is enriched with traditional knowledge and is a treasure house of various significant ethnomedicinal plants. Although few plant species have been explored, yet most of these plants are still unexplored and undocumented, based on lesser-known economic plants and sustainable development perspectives. This scarcity of information about conservation strategies and management plans poses serious hazards to the economic potential of ethnomedicine, a valuable treasure trove of plants. Globally this study is crucial because it addresses broader issues like biodiversity loss, climate change, malnutrition, and the need for sustainable resources. The ambition of this research is to document the lesser-known economic plants through an ethnobotanical survey and investigate the factors contributing to these economic plants being unpopular. The study creates awareness, therefore, encouraging self-employment and revenue production through the cultivation of lesser-known economic plants in the area. Methods: An ethnobotanical investigation was carried out in 8 representative villages in the Chamba region (namely Arakot, Chopariyal Gaon, Dharsal Gaon, Dobhal, Pursol, Weer, Dargi, and Saundkoti), where traditional practices are most common among all the local inhabitants. The frequent periodical field trips were made up to three times a month during the flowering and fruiting season. Various methods were utilized (questionnaires, personal observation, meetings, group discussions, and distinct interviews) to acquire information about lesser-known economic plants from local inhabitants, including 124 key informants (86 females and 38 males). The data interpretation is done through quantitative analysis indices like use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF), and fidelity level (FI). The various questions were used to find out the reason behind the lesser-known economic plants and awareness for self-employment and revenue production through the cultivation of lesser-known economic plants. Results: This study documented that 40 medicinal plant species represented 37 genera and 24 families. Out of these, 35 plants were categorised as 'lesser-known economic plants,' while 5 were classified as ‘very lesser-known economic plants.' The local inhabitants utilised various plant parts, including roots (19.15%), leaves (38.29%), flowers (19.15%), fruits (7.44%), whole plant (1.07%), seeds (6.38%), barks (4.25%), stem (1.07%), twig (1.07%), and latex (2.13%), for both ethnomedicinal and economic purposes. The modes of preparation included extract (30%), decoction (17.5%), paste (17.5%), infusion (2.5%), powder (5%), juice (10%) and others (17.5%). The study also found that herbs accounted for 60% (24 species), and shrubs for 35% (14 species), with one tree and one climber each making up 2.5% of the total species documented. Conclusions: This present study documented traditional knowledge and uncovered various reasons for the lesser-known status of economic plants. This invaluable conventional knowledge can be used to educate local communities, create significant self-employment opportunities, boost revenue production, and improve livelihoods through the cultivation of lesser-known economic plants and the conservation of plant diversity. Keywords: Lesser-known economic plants, Western Himalaya, Local communities, Traditional knowledge, Self-employment, Income generation, Cultivation, Livelihoods