Ethnobotanical studies on plant species used by Van Gujjars of Sahaspur block of Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

The present study is ethnobotanical documentation of the Van Gujjar community of the Sehaspur block, Dehradun district, Uttarakhand, India. A total of 64 plant species were recorded belonging to 60 genera and 36 families. Among the selected study sites, Karwapani recorded the highest species (39 species), followed by Kotda (17 species), Jammunwala (15 species), and Phulsani (13 species), whereas no ethnobotanical plant species were documented from the Pondha site. The recorded plant species are traditionally used for healthcare, food, fodder, fuel wood, timber, household purposes, and livestock management, which shows the strong dependence of the communities on local plant resources. The present findings show a significant role of indigenous knowledge in maintaining livelihoods and conserving plant biodiversity. The absence of ethnobotanical uses of plant species at the Pondha site suggests that urbanization and changing socio-economic conditions might be influencing the traditional knowledge systems. The study underlines the need to systematically document, conserve, and preserve ethnobotanical resources and indigenous knowledge to support biodiversity conservation and safeguard this rich cultural heritage for future generations.