Ethnobotanical Studies in the Conservation of Plant Biodiversity for Sustainable Development

This book, “Ethnobotanical Studies in the Conservation of Plant Biodiversity for Sustainable
Development,” written by Dr. G. V. Gopal, a retired Professor from the Department of
Science Education and Mathematics and a Dean of Instructions in the Regional Institute of
Education, a southern NCERT Unit, Karnataka, India delves into the critical role of
traditional knowledge regarding plant usage by local communities as a cornerstone for
effective biodiversity conservation strategies. By exploring the intricate relationships
between people and plants across diverse ecosystems, this work highlights the potential of
ethnobotanical research to inform sustainable development practices, ensuring the
preservation of vital plant species while respecting the cultural heritage of indigenous
populations.
The study of the association, interaction, and interrelationships of ethnic human societies
with the surrounding flora is termed ‘ethnobotany’ or aboriginal botany. Ethnobotany has
more recently been defined as the study of the interrelationship of plant environment and
primitive societies.
Ethnobotany is a multidisciplinary science involving the traditional use of plants by human
beings. Billions of people in the world rely chiefly on herbal medicines. The great majority
of medicinal and aromatic plants used locally or entering into trade and herbal industries
comes from wild sources and constitutes the source of livelihoods of millions of people.
Ethnobotanical information and knowledge are believed to have contributed to the
development of close to 30% of modern medicines. In recent years, the increasing demand
for herbal medicines in industrialized countries is being fueled by a growing consumer
interest in natural products. As international trade in medicinal and aromatic plants has grown
to a multibillion-dollar industry, local harvesting patterns have shifted from subsistence local
collection to commercial mining. The continued growth in the global raw-material market has
contributed to this trend. Assessment of the conservation status involves consideration of
different threat factors including biological and socioeconomic issues such as destructive
harvesting, habitat change, species extinction and loss of livelihoods of locals that have
contributed towards disturbing trends in species loss. The conservation and management
measures adopted so far have proved to be grossly inadequate. Tangible improvements in the
livelihoods of local communities and inculcation of conservation values in the minds of
people may be more sustainable measures for long-term conservation diversity and associated
ethnobotanical knowledge systems.