Diversity, distribution, indigenous uses and conservation of medicinal and aromatic plants in Changthang landscape of Ladakh, Trans Himalaya

The paper enumerates 95 plant species of medicinal importance used by the inhabitants of the villages around the Changthang plateau of Ladakh Union Territory, India. Leaves (27 spp.), shoots (23 spp.), flowers and root (19 spp., each) were utilized in majority cases. Maximum species were used for gastrointestinal diseases followed by cold, cough, flu, fever & headache. Twenty species have been recorded threatened from the Changthang landscape. Habitat degradation, over exploitation and changing environmental conditions have been observed main drivers for decreasing the diversity and populations of medicinal plants in the landscape. Therefore, there is urgent need of formulation of appropriate in-situ and ex-situ conservation and management strategy for preservation of rich medicinal and aromatic plants of the Changthang landscape of the Ladakh Union Territory.