Harmony in nature: understanding the cultural and ecological aspects of plant use in Ladakh
Abstract Background Traditional knowledge (TK) in Ladakh encapsulates a repository of experimental wisdom cultivated over millennia. Despite this cultural wealth, dwindling interest among the younger generations in the region’s age-old practices underscores the urgency to document TK. The current st...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-024-00670-3 |
| _version_ | 1797259070486347776 |
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| author | Kunzes Angmo Bhupendra S. Adhikari Rainer W. Bussmann Gopal S. Rawat |
| author_facet | Kunzes Angmo Bhupendra S. Adhikari Rainer W. Bussmann Gopal S. Rawat |
| author_sort | Kunzes Angmo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Traditional knowledge (TK) in Ladakh encapsulates a repository of experimental wisdom cultivated over millennia. Despite this cultural wealth, dwindling interest among the younger generations in the region’s age-old practices underscores the urgency to document TK. The current study investigates the diverse usage of plants in Surru, Wakha and Lower Indus valleys of Western Ladakh exploring the influence of socioeconomic and ecological factors. Methods A stratified random sample approach was adopted to select 540 respondents for gathering information of useful plants through interviews and questionnaires. Participant observation, questionnaires, open-ended and semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. Free listing was done to create an extensive list of plants and their uses. Ethnobotanical metrics such as relative frequency of citation (RFC), relative importance index (RI), cultural value (CV) index and cultural importance (CI) index were computed to assess species applicability. Additionally, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to discern significant differences in knowledge levels based on valleys, gender, education and religion using TK as a response variable. Results Altogether, we recorded 246 plant species under various ethnobotanical uses from Western Ladakh. These include medicinal (126), fodder (124), wild ornamentals (86), food (81), fuel wood (54), dye (20), religious (31) and others (34). Novel plant reports include Berberis brandisiana Ahrendt and Dactylorhiza kafiriana Renz. The dominant plant family is Asteraceae with 35 species. Suru valley exhibits the highest number of cited plants followed by Wakha-chu and Lower Indus valleys (192, 168 and 152 species, respectively). Conclusion Disparities in plant use understanding are evident among different groups, prompting further investigation through intercultural comparisons. Plants such as Arnebia euchroma, Juniperus semiglobosa, and Artemisia species emerge with cultural importance. Gender, valley affiliation, religious background and the remoteness of a village all influence local plant knowledge. These variations are linked to socioeconomic disparities among communities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:03:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4819e4f078184d7aa3404bf38a0334ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1746-4269 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:03:35Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-4819e4f078184d7aa3404bf38a0334ee2024-03-17T12:35:34ZengBMCJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine1746-42692024-03-0120111810.1186/s13002-024-00670-3Harmony in nature: understanding the cultural and ecological aspects of plant use in LadakhKunzes Angmo0Bhupendra S. Adhikari1Rainer W. Bussmann2Gopal S. Rawat3High Mountain Arid Agriculture Research Institute, SKUAST-KWildlife Institute of IndiaDepartment of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany, Ilia State UniversityWildlife Institute of IndiaAbstract Background Traditional knowledge (TK) in Ladakh encapsulates a repository of experimental wisdom cultivated over millennia. Despite this cultural wealth, dwindling interest among the younger generations in the region’s age-old practices underscores the urgency to document TK. The current study investigates the diverse usage of plants in Surru, Wakha and Lower Indus valleys of Western Ladakh exploring the influence of socioeconomic and ecological factors. Methods A stratified random sample approach was adopted to select 540 respondents for gathering information of useful plants through interviews and questionnaires. Participant observation, questionnaires, open-ended and semi-structured interviews were conducted for data collection. Free listing was done to create an extensive list of plants and their uses. Ethnobotanical metrics such as relative frequency of citation (RFC), relative importance index (RI), cultural value (CV) index and cultural importance (CI) index were computed to assess species applicability. Additionally, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized to discern significant differences in knowledge levels based on valleys, gender, education and religion using TK as a response variable. Results Altogether, we recorded 246 plant species under various ethnobotanical uses from Western Ladakh. These include medicinal (126), fodder (124), wild ornamentals (86), food (81), fuel wood (54), dye (20), religious (31) and others (34). Novel plant reports include Berberis brandisiana Ahrendt and Dactylorhiza kafiriana Renz. The dominant plant family is Asteraceae with 35 species. Suru valley exhibits the highest number of cited plants followed by Wakha-chu and Lower Indus valleys (192, 168 and 152 species, respectively). Conclusion Disparities in plant use understanding are evident among different groups, prompting further investigation through intercultural comparisons. Plants such as Arnebia euchroma, Juniperus semiglobosa, and Artemisia species emerge with cultural importance. Gender, valley affiliation, religious background and the remoteness of a village all influence local plant knowledge. These variations are linked to socioeconomic disparities among communities.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-024-00670-3AmchiCultural value indexEthnobotanyMultidimensional scalingSuru valleyEthnobotanical indices |
| spellingShingle | Kunzes Angmo Bhupendra S. Adhikari Rainer W. Bussmann Gopal S. Rawat Harmony in nature: understanding the cultural and ecological aspects of plant use in Ladakh Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine Amchi Cultural value index Ethnobotany Multidimensional scaling Suru valley Ethnobotanical indices |
| title | Harmony in nature: understanding the cultural and ecological aspects of plant use in Ladakh |
| title_full | Harmony in nature: understanding the cultural and ecological aspects of plant use in Ladakh |
| title_fullStr | Harmony in nature: understanding the cultural and ecological aspects of plant use in Ladakh |
| title_full_unstemmed | Harmony in nature: understanding the cultural and ecological aspects of plant use in Ladakh |
| title_short | Harmony in nature: understanding the cultural and ecological aspects of plant use in Ladakh |
| title_sort | harmony in nature understanding the cultural and ecological aspects of plant use in ladakh |
| topic | Amchi Cultural value index Ethnobotany Multidimensional scaling Suru valley Ethnobotanical indices |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-024-00670-3 |
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