Phytosociological and Ethnobotanical Aspects of Selected Sacred Groves in Different Agroclimatic Zones of Pune District, India

Nature conservation is an ancient tradition in India. Sacred groves have existed for thousands of years and have been performing the ecological role by supporting the local biodiversity. Sacred groves are threatened due to lack of conservation priority and thus need attention for conservation. Phytosociological analyses coupled with ethnobotanical studies can contribute to baseline data for conservation planning. Present study attempts to understand phytosociological and ethnobotanical aspects of sacred groves situated in different agroclimatic zones of Pune District. Field visits to five sacred grove sites and semi-structured interviews with local experienced knowledgeable individuals were conducted for data collection. Each sacred grove is a unique ecosystem and displays its unique characteristic biodiversity profile. All the studied sacred grove sites showed presence of different endemic and IUCN RET plant species. Sacred groves are rich in wild edible and medicinally important plant species and the local communities have folklore associated with them. Sacred groves need to be protected for their important role in cultural and environmental wellbeing.

Mukul Mahabaleshwarkar*1,3, Nivedita Ghayal1-2 and Supriya Mahabaleshwarkar3 Click here to download file

Research Article | Published online : 30-Mar-2023