The Intersection of Traditional Medicine and Wetland Conservation: an Ethnobotanical Study of Surha Tal (Uttar Pradesh, India)

Abstract

This study explores the ethnomedicinal knowledge and practices of the Gonds and Kharwar ethnic groups, focusing on their utilization of wetland plants in the Surha Tal region, Uttar Pradesh, India. The field surveys involved semistructured interviews with 32 traditional healers and 64 general informants to collect primary data on useful plant names, harvested parts, preparation methods, and treated diseases. For quantitative analysis, the following indices were employed: Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), and Fidelity Level (FL).: The study documented 96 medicinal plants from 42 families. The study indicated a marked predominance of the Asteraceae family, with herbs (65%) as the most used plant form and foliage as the primary phytomedicine component. The study emphasizes the significant reliance on traditional medicine within the community, as evidenced by high ICF values across various ailment categories with strong agreement on plant use for digestive diseases (ICF = 0.94) and diabetes (ICF = 0.93). Additionally, the research identifies key species, such as Aegle marmelos (L.) Corrêa and Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels is the most important medicinal species based on UV and RFC, while Ricinus communis L., with the highest Fidelity Level (FL) of 99.43%, is used for treating constipation. The study reveals a concerning decline in traditional knowledge transmission among younger generations. The findings advocate for the conservation of ethnomedicinal knowledge to ensure its sustainable utilization for future generations and explore key medicinal species for pharmacological applications.