Ethnobotanical studies: Importance and conservation strategies

Abstract

Plants have given not only for fundamental human needs but also for medical therapy from the beginning of humanity. Their significance, as well as any potential instrumental implications for phytodiversity conservation and modern medicine development, is well acknowledged. Various diseases are becoming more prevalent in many developing countries, and their financial costs are enormous. The majority of people in traditional communities rely on plant-based medications, and traditional health care workers are the primary source of health care. Ethnobotany has long been important in the development of innovative medications, and it is becoming increasingly important in the development of strategies and measures for residual forest conservation and recovery. This rich plant information had been passed down over the generations by tribal people in many sections of the land through word of mouth. Such research is essential to investigate local plants for emerging pharmaceutical enterprises and to strengthen the plant-people relationship in both cultural and ecological contexts to achieve intergenerational equity. This chapter discusses several such studies that have been conducted around the world, as well as on the Indian continent and various conservation measures that can be used to pass on this knowledge of wealth from generation to generation.