Survey of Economically Important Flora of District Bahawalnagar for Sustainable Harvesting

Abstract

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal and other economically important flora used by native people in Bahawalnagar was carried out from April 2020 to December 2020. To compile and document medicinally and economically important plants in accordance with traditional practices in the area, the aim of this study was to conduct ethnobotanical investigations in the area. A total of 54 informants, including 9 hakims (herbal doctors) and 3 pansars (medicinal plant traders), were randomly selected from the study sites. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semistructured questionnaires, field observations, interviews and group discussions. During the course of the study, plant species belonging to 32 families were collected in the study area. Cucurbitaceae has 6 plant species, and Fabaceae and Poaceae  have 4 plant species. The most frequently used plant parts were the leaves (39%), followed by fruits (43%). The most widely treated diseases were abdominal problems followed by general body pain. In the study area, agricultural expansion, firewood collection, timber production, and construction pose major threats to plants in general and medicinal plants in particular. The cultivation of medicinal plants is not common in the region. The management and conservation of medicinal plants has been made possible in part by indigenous practices, diverse cultural customs, and seasonally restricted plant collection. As a result people should be given the opportunity to grow medicinal plants at home in their gardens. The local people should be encouraged to be involved in the sustainable utilization and management of plant resources, as well as creating awareness by educating them on how to do so.

Muhammad Anwar

Department of Environmental Sciences, Islamic International University, Islamabad, Pakistan