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Quantitative ethnobotanical assessment of woody species in a representative watershed of west Himalaya, India

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Abstract

The study attempts quantitative assessment of the use value of traditionally used woody species in a representative mid-Himalayan watershed of west Himalaya. Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in the fringe villages of altitudinally diverse forested area of the watershed covering different age group respondents. A total of 34 woody species (27 trees and 7 shrubs) belonging to 25 families were identified as useful in the watershed, and their availability varied considerably across the altitudes. The relative frequency citation and use value for each identified species were analysed. Further, vegetation surveys were conducted in nearby forests to assess the availability of identified useful species. Outcomes of this study can be used to develop an effective augmentation plan for the community forests within the watershed and other Himalayan forests.

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Source: KSLCDI Project-2015

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Director, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, for providing facilities and encouragement to undertake this work. We acknowledge partial funding for the study under In-House Project-7, GBPNIHESD and the Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (sponsored by GIZ-ICIMOD).

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  1. G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, Uttarakhand, India

    Bhaskar Ch. Joshi, Ranbeer S. Rawal, K. Chandra Sekar & Aseesh Pandey

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  1. Bhaskar Ch. Joshi
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  2. Ranbeer S. Rawal
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  3. K. Chandra Sekar
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  4. Aseesh Pandey
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Correspondence to Bhaskar Ch. Joshi.

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Joshi, B.C., Rawal, R.S., Chandra Sekar, K. et al. Quantitative ethnobotanical assessment of woody species in a representative watershed of west Himalaya, India. Energ. Ecol. Environ. 4, 56–64 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40974-019-00114-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40974-019-00114-9

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