The role of Garo tribes of Meghalaya (India) in the conservation and management of medicinal plants diversity used in treating livestock diseases

Abstract

The Garo tribe of Meghalaya, India have rich local health traditions and large numbers of traditional healers have been practicing herbal medicines for many years. The present study aims at quantifying the plant species used for ethno-veterinary purposes and to identify their conservation status. Out of 90 informants 22 were traditional healers and 68 were farmers. A total of 75 ethnoveterinary medicinal plant species belonging to 71 genera and 49 families were documented and identified for treating 24 different livestock ailment. Most of the medicinal plants (83%) were collected from the wild and leaves were the most frequently used (58%) parts for formulation of drugs; oral application is most frequently employed (56%), followed by the dermal application which accounts for 31%. The medicinal plants collected are mostly trees (31%), followed by herbs (25%). The study indicates that some species are rare or endangered and their use is therefore unsustainable. The strategies for effective conservation of endangered medicinal plant are discussed here.