Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOADISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online) INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE IN RELATION TO CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF FOREST BIODIVERSITY OF ASSAM P. HAZARIKA*, NILAKSHI KAKATI AND R.K. KALITA, Universal Impact BIOPROSPECTING AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE Factor 0.9285:2012; DIVISION, RAIN FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE, 1.2210:2013 P.O. BOX 136, SOTAI, A.T. ROAD, JORHAT-785001 (ASSAM). Index Copernicus ICV 2011: 5.09 Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] ICV 2012: 6.42 ICV 2013: 15.8 ABSTRACT: NAAS Rating Indigenous knowledges (IKs) on biodiversity are outcome of symbiosis of 2012 : 1.3; 2013-2014:2.69 indigenous people with forests and their habitat while utilizing the forest bioresources and complementary phenomena essentially valued for Received on: 25th February 2015 development human civilization. Various tribes and communities of Assam have their own indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) and indigenous cultural Revised on: 24th April 2015 practices due to their constant and intimate association with rich forest biodiversity relate to its diverse forest types including wet evergreen to tropical Accepted on: 26th April 2015 rain forest & dry deciduous forest to riparian forests. A systematic study was done for IKs documentation regarding conservation and management of forest Published on: 01st May 2015 biodiversity of Assam to facilitate national development efforts. The study revealed that IKs are instrumental in identifying and locating forest resources Volume No. Online & Print for management which are useful for conservation of forest biodiversity and 63 (2015) ensuring promotion of sustainable practices with varieties of traditional value- Page No. added products. Homesteads and patch vegetations near to villages may be 64 to 93 considered as important ex-situ conservation sites of the state’s biodiversity. Life Sciences Leaflets About 373 plant species of 109 families are recorded in the homesteads of 27 is an international villages, which were being domesticated from the natural forests and utilized open access print & e for food, fodder, medicinal, spices, aromatic and essential oil, fibers, dyes, journal, peer reviewed, worldwide abstract beverage, pesticides yielding species, timber, fuelwood, handicraft items, listed, published every ornamental and aesthetic etc. Some biodiversity have unique importance as month with ISSN, RNI they are rare, endangered and endemic. The study also identified indigenous Free- membership, downloads and access. knowledge in their activities, skills and strategies for cultivation, management, http://lifesciencesleaflets.ning.com/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 64 Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOADISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online) processing of bioresources, value addition and beliefs in cultural and ritual practices of the communities of Assam with respect to forest biodiversity. KEY WORDS: Biodiversity, Bioresources, Indigenous forest knowledge, conservation and management. INTRODUCTION: Indigenous knowledge (IK) of a community has keen relation to the biodiversity of that habitat as IKs develop ultimately depending on the species and ecosystems of the habitat through their actions and interactions with time. People throughout the world have traditional resource management systems including protection, production and conservation practices that validated overtime. According to the report of Secretary-General, United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) , 4th session in 2004, defined traditional forest knowledge as “a cumulative body of knowledge, practice and belief, handed down through generations by cultural transmission and evolving by adaptive processes, about the relationship between living beings (including humans) with one another and with their forest environment”. Thus, traditional forest knowledge (TFK) and biodiversity are complementary phenomena and essential to human development. Since time immemorial, indigenous people exhibit a symbiotic relationship between habitat and culture (Arizpe,1996; Berkes et. al., 2003; Jain, 1998; Ramakrishnan, 2001 ) and have co- evolved with their environment, modify it, but actively maintaining it in a diverse and productive state based on their indigenous knowledge, socio-cultural practices and/or religious belief since antiquity (Ramakrishnan,1998). Interstingly, forest is the living treasure of biodiversity as well as bioresources and renewable in nature.In past, the people rest of our country, considered Assam as forest and people of Assam are behaved as 'Jungholi' (forest dwellers). Its rich forest biodiversity owing to diverse forest types including wet evergreen to tropical rain forest and dry deciduous forest to riparian forests. The state is also under one of the mega biodiversity hot-spots of the world. It has more than 21 major tribes and 35 other tribes which still maintain their tradition with their own indigenous traditional knowledge and indigenous cultural practices adapting with the surrounding forest biodiversity. People use to earn their food, medicines, dyes, tanning agents, tools, utensils, clothing and construction materials form wild plants and forest resources. While going for grathering livelihoods the communities have experienced with time a considerable amount of knowledge through their traditional mode of survey, collection and usage due to their constant and intimate association with the forest and also use to maintain them. In the present scenario, the communities in the rural area of Assam are still dependent on forest products to meet their livelihood. Meanwhile, the protection and preservation of traditional forest knowledge is become a mounting battle for most of the communities due to rising exploitation pressures on indigenous forest resources, global cultural homogenization and many other challenges. However, documentation of http://lifesciencesleaflets.ning.com/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 65 Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOADISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online) indigenous or traditional forest knowledge in Assam is very limited. Several publications involving the survey and documentation of such IKs have appeared on traditional agroforestry (Hazarika et. al.,, 2003), homegarden (Barooah & Pathak, 2009; Das & Das, 2005, Hazarika et. al.,, 2008), biofencing (Borkataki, et. al., 2008), traditional medicine (Borthakur, 1997; Kalita & Deb, 2002;Hazarika & Pandey, 2010;Hazarika, et. al., 2008;Hajra & Baishya, 1997; Pandey et. al., 1996; Sajem and Gosai2006; Sikdar and Dutta ,2008 and Singh et. al., 1996). Most of these works are confided in traditional and folk medicines of different tribes of Assam. However, specific work for documenting traditional forest knowledge (TFK) related to conservation and management of forest plant biodiversity of the region may be scanty. The aim of this preliminary study is to investigate indigenous/traditional knowledge with respect to forest plant biodiversity and their management practices generated by the people of Assam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Assam is located in between 240 44' N to 270 45'N latitude and 890 41' E to 960 02' E Longitude. The study area have been selected to describe indigenous forest knowledge common to entire Assam with a specific focus on practices that have beneficial impacts on the forests in the region.The study was conducted during 2005- 2011 in twenty-sevenvillages of six districts of Assam viz.1. Alengmora Gaon, Jorhat, 2. Bhugpur Gaon, 3. Gubinpur Gaon, 4. Madhupur Gaon, Holongapar, Mariani, 5. Veleuguri Adarsha Goan, Marioni, 6. Hudamua Gaon, Meleng 7. Sotai Bhokat Gaon, Sotai ; 8. Koliapani Adarsha Gaon, Teok, 9. Kalbari Adarsha Mising Gaon, 10. Nam Deori Gaon, 11. Upor Deori Gaon, 12. Meleng Puroni Gaon, 13. Kachari Gaon, Titabor; 14. Balijan Gaon, Titabor and 15. Karhal Gaon, Hilikha, Titabor, of Jorhat District; 16. Borbam Chutia Goan, Amguri, 17. Dhonekhowa Gaon, Gaurisagor and 18. Borshila Gayan Gaon of Sivasagar District; 19.Halluwa Gaon and 20.Dhekial Gaon of Golaghat District; 21.Khuman Village, 22. Nagathal Village, 23.Lohar bond Village and 24. Khirabad Forest Village of Cachar District; and 25.Karikhai forest village of Karimganj District; 26.Pawoi Village and 27.Golai Village, Margherita of Tinsukia District of Assam (Fig. 1). The temperature varies between 7 °C to 350C and the district receives rainfall of maximum 305 cm and minimum 178 cm. per annum with the northwest monsoon contributing a major share. Forty homesteads from each of the twenty seven villages of 0.3-1 acre or more area, a total of 1080homesteads were selected randomly for the study. At least one patch forest available near to each of the villages was also studied for record plant species. The survey was carried out following method as described by Jain (1981). The distribution of plant species were recorded and identified with the help of regional and local floras. Questionnaires and other interviews were also used to gather data.A multi-method approach to gather information on traditional methods of silviculture, management and conservation techniques and plant species utilization aspects are collected from a variety of different fields. Plant http://lifesciencesleaflets.ning.com/ PEER-REVIEWED Page | 66 Life Sciences Leaflets FREE DOWNLOADISSN 2277-4297(Print)0976–1098(Online) species recorded in the homesteads and their vicinity either cultivated or natural were categorically studied under timber and non-timber forest species (NTFPs). Non-timber forest species were again studied as food (i.e, fruits, roots stem, leaves & vegetables),