Consequences of climate change on medicinal plants in the Western Himalayas with special reference to Johar valley, Uttarakhand: A systematic review

The functioning of ecosystems, wellness for humans, and ecological diversity all have been severely endangered under the multifaceted worldwide catastrophe known as climate change. The consequences are particularly evident throughout regions like the westernmost Himalayas, specifically the Johar Valley in Uttarakhand, India, where medicinal plant species are particularly susceptible. Especially in remote areas that have restricted availability of conventional medical services, these plants serve as vital for primary healthcare and local economic development. However, the accessibility and efficiency of those species are currently being jeopardized by an amalgamation of climate-induced shifts in patterns of precipitation and temperature, as well as increasing human-induced factors such as degradation of habitat, excessive harvesting, and sociocultural disruptions. Insights from reviewed studies examining how climate change influences Western Himalayan ethno-medicinal vegetation, with a special focus on the Johar Valley, are systematically assembled in this review. The process of counting votes was implemented in a mixed semi-quantitative approach to determine discord, gaps in research, and points of consensus throughout research. However, the original research insights from the Johar Valley are also being incorporated in this review paper. Under heightened stresses from the environment, outcomes repeatedly demonstrate altered phytochemical patterns and decreasing biomass production among significant species. The plants' medicinal properties, as well as traditional wisdom structures and economics that depend upon them, are both at threat due to these shifts. A conspicuous shortcoming in climate-adaptive gauges that correspond to the biological products and social-cultural circumstances of the region in question persists, despite some constrained conservation endeavors. Integrative conservation models that integrate traditional ecological expertise (TEK) with climate-resilient approaches to management are of paramount importance, as this review illustrates clearly. Promoting climate-resilient expanding techniques, establishing frameworks for monitoring medicinal plants, and supporting community-based conservation are some of the policy concepts. An outline for future investigation and legislative action that would encourage the long-term utilization and safeguarding of medicinal plant diversity in the Western Himalayan ecosystem is presented by this study, which reveals important trends and challenges.