BIOTIC INTERFERENCE AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS IN DHULE AND NANDURBAR DISTRICTS (MAHARASHTRA: INDIA): A REVIEW

The erstwhile Dhule district is presently divided into two districts viz., Dhule and Nandurbar in Maharashtra state (India). The ethnobotanical observations during botanization in the region yielded noteworthy information on local biodiversity. As many as 34 plant species pertaining to 28 genera and 21 angiospermic families appeared under exploitation. These are being used tremendously for various purposes. Their underground parts, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds or entire plants are being exhausted for daily human needs in these districts. Their use-reports are analysed as such: underground parts (08), leaves (05), flowers (02), fruits (07), seeds (03), entire plants (01), fibre (01), for fodder (03) and timber (07). The figures in parenthesis denoted for number of species. If this trend of over-exploitation is not checked in time, these taxa may deplete further in nature. Thought of sustainability was inherent in Indian culture but with time, human population is forced towards over-exploitation for various reasons. An awareness of native people is the need of hour to save biodiversity loss in these districts.