Sacred Groves in Western Himalaya, India: Community-Managed Nature Refuges for Conservation of Biodiversity and Culture Sushma Singh, Jahangeer A. Bhat, Zubair A. Malik, Mudasir Youssouf, Rainer W. Bussmann and Ripu M. Kunwar Databases and Inventories had ethno-medicinal importance. A few rare and threatened animal species were also reported that Abstract included Naemorhedus gora (Himalayan goral, near threatened, NT) reported from SG2 and SG3; Background: Dedication of forests to a god or Panthera pardus (leopard, vulnerable, Vu) and Ursus goddess is a potent example of an indigenous thibetanus (black bear, critically endangered, CR) conservation practice, devised by native inhabitants both reported from all the three SGs. to put an end to the unrestricted utilization of community forests. The present paper describes a case study of three little known Sacred Groves (SGs) Correspondence from the Western Himalayas. SGs are communally protected forest fragments with significant religious Sushma Singh connotations. Jahangeer A. Bhat Zubair A. Malik* Methods: A preliminary survey was conducted in and Mudasir Youssouf around these SGs to evaluate the status of Rainer W. Bussmann biodiversity, different myths and beliefs associated Ripu M. Kunwar with them and their role in the biodiversity Department of Botany, Govt. HSS Harduturoo, conservation. After establishing oral prior informed Anantnag Jammu and Kashmir-192201 consent, data was gathered from the local *Corresponding author: participants especially from elderly people through [email protected] semi-structured questionnaires. Approximately 30% of the total households in each SG were interviewed. Ethnobotany Research & Applications Two different sampling methods (random sampling 18:15 (2019) and snowball sampling) were used for selection of informants from two different communities. The Conclusion: SGs are not only the important information collected included the general repositories of ethno-medicinal plant species, but information regarding the SGs and the associated also act as corridors for animal migration in deity, nearby human occupancy, floral and faunal anthropogenic landscapes. However, in recent diversity and the ethnomedicinal property of different times, the SGs are threatened by uncontrolled and plants. unplanned developmental activities, as well as invasive species, land use change, population Results: A total of 78 plant species (including 37 growth and sociocultural change. Therefore, the trees, 27 shrubs and 14 herbs) belonging to 58 specific guidelines to protect these sacred areas and genera and 41 families were reported from the three promote traditional knowledge about conservation sacred groves. About 91% of these plant species are pressing. Published: 01 May 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.15.1-21 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 2 पथc रपाडस8 (तSदआु , भेOय, व)ु और उसिु8 :टबेटेनस Keywords: Sacred Grove, Ethnobotany, Traditional Beliefs, Biodiversity Conservation, Deity, Western (काला भाल,ू गंभीर प से लNु तIाय, सीआर तीन Himalaya. पव कंु जोॱसे रपोट8 कए गए। नकष8: पव कंु ज न के व ल एथनो-औषधीय पौध सार क जाJतय7 के मह]वपूण 8 भंडार हc, बिgक प&ृ ठभ*ू म: एक देव या देवी के लए जंगल7 का मानवजJनत परqTय मS पशु वास के लए समप8ण एक वदेशी संर<ण अयास का एक गलयारे के प मS भी काय8 करते हc। हालांक, शितशाल उदाहरण है, जो समदु ाय के वन7 के हाल के दन7 मS, पव कंु जोॱको अJनयंRत और अIJतबंधत उपयोग को समाNत करने के लए मूल अनयोिजत वकास गतवधय के साथ-साथ नवासय7 वारा तैयार कया गया है। I:तुत प आामक जाJतय7, भ*ू म उपयोग परवत8न, मS पिTचमी हमालय के तीन छोटे ात पव जनसंया वOृ Lध और समाजशा:Rीय परवत8न से कंु जोॱ के एक अययन का वण8न कया गया है। खतरा है। इस*लए, इन पव <े7 क सुर<ा और पव कंु ज मह]वपणू 8 धा*म8क धारणाओं के साथ संर<ण के बारे मS पारंपरक ान को बढ़ावा देने सांदाJयक प से संरa<त वन टुकड़ े हc। के लए वशट दशा-Jनदjश दबाव डाल रहे हc। काय8IणालB: जैव ववधता क िथत, उनके साथ जड़ु े वभeन मथक7 और वTवास7 और जैव कंु जी शद: पव कंु ज, नवृ ंशीय ववधता संर<ण मS उनकd भू*मका का मgू यांकन , , - करने के लए इन पव कंु जोॱ मS और उसके वन:पJतशा:R पारपरक मत जैव ZवZवधता आसपास एक ारं*भक सवj<ण कया गया था। संरण, ईवर, पिचमी हमालय मौlखक पवू 8 सूLचत सहमत क थापना के बाद, थानीय IJतभाLगय7 से वशेष प से बजु गु 8 लोग Background Sacred Groves (SGs) are communally protected से अध8-संरLचत ITनावल के मा\यम से आँकड़े forest fragments with notable religious connotations. एकR कए गए थे। I]येक पव कंु ज मS कु ल घर7 They are regarded as “Sacred Natural Sites” by के लगभग 30 IJतशत का सा<ा]कार लया गया IUCN (Oviedo et al. 2005) and have been prioritized for biodiversity conservation and ecological services था। दो अलग-अलग समदु ाय7 से सूचक के चयन at local landscapes. These community lands are के लए दो अलग-अलग नमून7 के तरBक7 considered a storehouse of local biodiversity. They are hailed for richness of endemic species, ( ) याqिrछक और नोबॉल का उपयोग कया गया। ecological services and subsistence economy (Jamir एकR क गई जानकारB मS पव कंु ज और संबंधत & Pandey 2003, Kandari et al. 2014, Negi 2010, Singh et al. 2017). Because of limited human activity देवता, आस-पास क मानव अधभोग, पु&प और due to socio-cultural taboos and prohibitions, the SG जीव ववधता और वभeन पौध क नवृ ंशीय frequently accounts old-growth forests, many संपZu के बारे मS सामाeय जानकारB सिvमलत थी। ecologically and socio-culturally valuable plant species (Malik et al. 2016, Ray et al. 2010). Thus, the : ‰‹ परणाम तीन पव कंु जोॱ से कु ल पौध क SGs are now being frequently accessed and जाJतयाँ (३‰ पेड़, २‰ झा|ड़याँ और १४ जड़ी- assessed for integrating ecological research, conservation policy, traditional management and ) ‹ बूVटयाँ शा*मल हc मS ५ वंश और ४१ परवार local livelihood (Singh et al. 2017). शा*मल हc। इन पौध क जाJतय7 मS से लगभग SGs have gained much significance in recent times, ९१ IJतशत का नैJतक-औषधीय मह]व था। कु छ particularly after the ratification of the “Convention on दलु भ8 और खतरे वाल जानवर7 क जाJतयां भी Biological Diversity (CBD)”. SGs are considered to be an excellent example of community-based nature बताई गई थीं िजनमS शा*मल हc नएमोहjदसू गोरा conservation and can prove helpful in acquiring the (हमालयन गोरल, खतरे के पास, ऍन ट) पव goals of CBD, community-based conservation being one of the main agendas of CBD. The significance of कं ज „ और पव कं ज … से रपोट8 क गई; ु ु SGs in socio-religious life as well as livelihood Published: 01 May 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.15.1-21 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 3 security has benefitted the local communities long- Material and Methods term and are substantiated by numerous local Study area customs, folklore, social and religious taboos The present study was carried out in three little (Anthwal et al. 2010, Kandari et al. 2014, Negi 2010). known sacred groves (Nagdev, Chanderbadni, and SGs are reported from many countries all over the Surkanda) from the Western Himalaya located in two world, but their present occurrence is mostly districts of Uttarakhand (Figure 1, Table 1). restricted in Africa and Asia (Hughes & Chandran Nagdev SG (SG1) is located in Pauri district and 1998). In India, they are known by different names, managed by Pauri Forest Division of Uttarakhand e.g. as ‘Kovil kadu’ in Tamil Nadu (Amirthalingam, Forest Department (Table 1 and Figure 1). Nagdev 1998), ‘Sarnas’ in Bihar and Bengal, ‘Devarakadu’ in Temple is a Hindu shrine dedicated to Nag Dev (the Karnataka, ‘Lai Umang’ in Manipur ‘Kavu’ in Kerala, serpent god) and is located amidst the dense “Oran” in Rajasthan, ‘Devari’ in Maharastra, Bani’ in vegetation of Pinus wallichiana A. B. Jacks and Jammu, ‘Asthan’ in Kashmir, ‘Dev Van’ in Himachal Rhododendron arboreum Smith. The total forest Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand area of Nagdev Range is 6,641 ha of which 337 ha (Ormsby & Bhagwat 2010) and ‘Mandu’ in Nepal belongs to Nagdev Block (Rawat et al. 2014) and (Kunwar 2018). India has more than 4,000 sacred 42.9 ha to Nagdev temple forest (SG1). Nagdev SG groves that cover about 39,000 ha of forests is surrounded by two villages, Kewras and Chopra (Malhotra et al. 2007). Although sacred groves are which are located at about 2 kms north from the seen in many parts of India, Uttarakhand state in Nagdev (SG1). The other two SGs, Chanderbadni Western Himalaya is a unique landscape known for (SG2) and Surkanda (SG3) are located in Tehri sustaining this tradition. Termed as Dev-bhumi or district of Uttarakhand (Figure 1 and Table 1). "land of gods", Uttarakhand is rich in biodiversity and Chanderbadni SG is dedicated to the goddess a number of SGs have been established for its Durga. SG2 is one of the 52 Siddhapeeths in India. conservation.