Research Article, J Biodivers Manage Forestry Vol: 3 Issue: 1
Diversity and Regeneration Aspects of Medicinal Plants at Devimane, Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka, Central Western Ghats
G. R. Rao1,2, G. Krishnakumar2, Sumesh N. Dudani1, M. D. Subash Chandran1 and T. V. Ramachandra1* | |
1Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore – 560 012, Karnataka, India | |
2Department of Applied Botany, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri – 574 199, Karnataka, India | |
Corresponding author : Dr. Ramachandra TV Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore – 560 012, Karnataka, India Tel: 91-080-22933099 E-Mail: cestvr@ces.iisc.ernet.in, energy@ces.iisc.ernet.in |
|
Received: August 22, 2013 Accepted: March 29, 2014 Published: April 04, 2014 | |
Citation: Rao GR, Krishnakumar G, Dudani SN, Chandran MDS, Ramachandra TV (2014) Diversity and Regeneration Aspects of Medicinal Plants at Devimane, Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka, Central Western Ghats. J Biodivers Manage Forestry 3:1. doi:10.4172/2327-4417.1000122 |
Abstract
Diversity and Regeneration Aspects of Medicinal Plants at Devimane, Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka, Central Western Ghats
Plants form an important source of traditional medicines for a major portion of population living in the tropical countries, since time immemorial. The Western Ghats of India is ranked among the 34 global biodiversity hotspots and is a storehouse of exemplarily rich biodiversity including numerous medicinal plants. However, excessive anthropogenic pressures on this ecosystem have resulted in severe depletion of natural resources and hence, this study was taken up to highlight the medicinal plant diversity and their regeneration aspects in Devimane area of Uttara Kannada district in Karnataka. Forest survey was carried out using a transect-based quadrat method revealing the presence of 348 plant species and about 40% of them are endemic to the Western Ghats-SriLanka region.