Lesser-known Conservation Efforts of the Medicinal plants in Uttarakhand: An overview

Uttarakhand state is the part of the Indo-western Himalayas. Government-owned natural forest habitats are the source of about 90% of medicinal and aromatic plants. More than 1642 species of prospective medicinal plants are documented in the state distributed in subtropical, temperate, sub-alpine, and alpine climatic zones. Nearly 700 species of medicinal plants are used in the traditional system of medicines in Uttarakhand. The total area under the state forest department is 24,415 sq. km, and the forest managed by local communities through Van Panchayat is 5449 sq. Km. Increasing demand for plant-based or herbal medicines has resulted in the huge depletion of such plants and has promoted the illegal trade and unsustainable harvesting of medicinal plants. Local and poor communities are dependent on these natural resources to meet their traditional healthcare system and livelihood. The medicinal plant wealth of the state has received significant attention and it has been mentioned even in mythological epics. In this chapter, we would discuss the role of Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs) as In-situ conservation methods and the importance of Nakshatra Vatika, Rashi Vatiaka, and Navgrah Vatika as methods of lesser-known conservation efforts of the medicinal plants for promoting awareness of conservation of medicinal plants.