A network of natural forest sites, particularly rich in the diversity of medicinal plants and representing a diversity of forest types in the project states, was established to capture and conserve species of high conservation concern along with a diversity of medicinal plants. These natural sites established especially for in-situ conservation of medicinal plants were designated as medicinal plants conservation areas (MPCAs). The main purpose was to create a network of MPCAs in Karnataka to ensure long-term conservation of wild medicinal plants. These MPCAs were located in relatively undisturbed pockets of forests rich in plant diversity and spanning different vegetation types and altitudinal ranges to capture a viable population of the identified species of conservation concern. Karnataka Forest Department in collaboration with Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), Bengaluru has established 17 Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs) across different forest types in Karnataka since 1993.
Apart from a species checklist prepared for each MPCA, the absence of knowledge and information about many aspects of MPCAs has given less scope for forest managers and other relevant stakeholders to measure the impact on conserving medicinal plants and also to maintain the MPCAs in the long run. In this context, the University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology (TDU) had agreed with the Karnataka Forest Department to undertake the rapid assessment of population of conservation concern species at Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs) in Karnataka. The project report covers the field research activities undertaken to generate baseline data on medicinal plant diversity of 17 MPCAs.
This project was managed by Dr. Jagannatha Rao, R from the University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences & Technology (TDU) with the support of technical and field team in the study sites.
For more details about this project, contact Dr. Jagannnatha Rao., Centre for Conservation of Natural Resources, Email: j.rao@tdu.edu.in, Mobile: 9448936300