Major socio-economic changes over the last few decades have reduced Indigenous peoples’ engagement in cultural practices, such as harvesting of forest resources. Nevertheless, some species remain important for culture, subsistence and livelihood, such as the chiuri tree (Diploknema butyracea (Roxb.) H. J. Lam) to the Chepang people of Central Nepal. Using the cultural keystone species framework, we conducted interviews within Chepang communities to assess the biocultural importance of the chiuri tree. It is central to the Chepang culture, and no other species could provide the same benefits. It also provides food and habitat for a number of wildlife species, including bats, which are themselves culturally important. Strictly observed tree ownership rules, as well as a cultural ban on tree cutting and branch lopping, have so far contributed to chiuri conservation. However, these rules are increasingly less adhered to. Other threats to chiuri sustainability are excessive flower foraging by bees (reducing pollen production) and bat hunting (reducing pollen transport). Further studies are needed to quantify these threats and to adjust forest and wildlife management practices so that the cultural landscape continues to provide multiple benefits to the Chepang people. Our study of the chiuri case attests to the usefulness of the cultural keystone species framework in landscape assessment for management and conservation.

Wildlife is used for a range of purposes such as food, healthcare and ornamentation. Most wildlife trade is legal, contributing to livelihood and income generation for many people including some of the world’s poorest. However, the part of wildlife harvesting and trade occurring outside the laws is considered the biggest threat to conservation after habitat loss and overexploitation. Although illegal wildlife trade has received attention from the conservation and biological perspectives, there have been few studies on the root causes and socio-economic context influencing this activity. This paper studied illegal wildlife trade in and around the Kailash Sacred Landscape (Nepal, Western Himalaya), an area bordering both India and China. The causes identified were high demand for wildlife items (mostly in China), limited other livelihood opportunities for local people, open or porous borders, weak patrolling due to limited resources, and ineffective law enforcement. Efforts to tackle illegal wildlife trade should focus on awareness raising programs, mobilization of local people to gather intelligence, increased patrolling, and transboundary cooperation. Major trade routes and junctions identified in this study could help deploy patrolling and conservation efforts where they count.

The impacts of climate change in remote communities of the Himalaya have been relatively underexplored. This study combines traditional knowledge of people from three Village Development Committees (VDCs) of three districts of the high altitudinal regions in Nepal with scientific data to document the changes in climatic patterns, natural hazards, ecological systems and agricultural practices. The respondents perceived notable changes in the local climatic conditions, the frequency of natural disasters and ecological processes. Their perception of warming over the past 15–20 years parallels the increase in mean annual temperature recorded in the Thehe VDC of the Humla district, Tukuche VDC of the Mustang district and Lelep VDC of the Taplejung district from 1973 to 2012 by 0.02°C/year, 0.04°C/year and 0.01°C/year, respectively. Most respondents perceived an increase in the frequency of floods and landslides. The recorded average frequency of natural hazards including fire, flooding, landslide and avalanche has increased significantly from 1.5?±?0.61 incidences/year for the period 1972–1991 to 10.4?±?2.91 incidences/year for the period 1992–2011. Increased occurrence of pests and insects was also noted. The results show that climate change has already affected local communities and they are responding by spontaneously developing adaptive livelihood strategies.

Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) is a cultural keystone tree species in the forests of eastern North America, providing numerous ecosystem services to Indigenous people. White pine abundance in the landscape has considerably decreased over the last few centuries due to overharvesting, suppression of surface fires, extensive management, and plantation failure. The Kitcisakik Algonquin community of western Quebec is calling for restoration and sustainable management of white pine on its ancestral territory, to ensure provision of associated ecosystem services. We present five white pine restoration and management scenarios taking into account community needs and ecological types: (1) natural regeneration of scattered white pines to produce individuals of different sizes and ages used as medicinal plants; (2) protection of supercanopy white pines used as landmarks and for providing habitat for flagship wildlife species, and younger individuals left as regeneration and future canopy trees; (3) the uniform shelterwood system to create white pine-dominated stands that provide habitat for flagship wildlife species and support cultural activities; (4) under-canopy plantations to yield mature white pine stands for timber production; (5) mixed plantations to produce forests with aesthetic qualities that provide wildlife habitat and protect biodiversity.

Objective

Chronic pain is more prevalent in indigenous populations who often prefer traditional remedies over allopathic drugs. Our objective was to investigate the traditional uses of medicinal plants from the Canadian boreal forest for the management of chronic pain syndromes.

Methods

We reviewed the most extensive database on medicinal plants used by aboriginal people of the Canadian boreal forest to investigate the plants used in the management of 3 of the most common chronic pain syndromes: arthritis/rheumatism; back pain; and headache/migraine. We also reviewed the pharmacology and phytochemistry literature to investigate concordance with indigenous knowledge.

Results

A total of 114 medicinal plant species were reported, of which 27 (23.5%) were used to treat more than 1 chronic pain syndrome. Pharmacological or phytochemical evidence to explain plant function as chronic pain remedy was available in the literature for only 38 species (33%), with several species reported to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties effective in treating chronic pain syndromes.

Conclusions

Our study showed the potential of boreal plants as alternative and complementary medicines for the treatment of chronic pain syndromes that could be enhanced by further research on efficacy and safety issues.

Objective

Chronic pain is more prevalent in indigenous populations who often prefer traditional remedies over allopathic drugs. Our objective was to investigate the traditional uses of medicinal plants from the Canadian boreal forest for the management of chronic pain syndromes.

Methods

We reviewed the most extensive database on medicinal plants used by aboriginal people of the Canadian boreal forest to investigate the plants used in the management of 3 of the most common chronic pain syndromes: arthritis/rheumatism; back pain; and headache/migraine. We also reviewed the pharmacology and phytochemistry literature to investigate concordance with indigenous knowledge.

Results

A total of 114 medicinal plant species were reported, of which 27 (23.5%) were used to treat more than 1 chronic pain syndrome. Pharmacological or phytochemical evidence to explain plant function as chronic pain remedy was available in the literature for only 38 species (33%), with several species reported to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties effective in treating chronic pain syndromes.

Conclusions

Our study showed the potential of boreal plants as alternative and complementary medicines for the treatment of chronic pain syndromes that could be enhanced by further research on efficacy and safety issues.

Ethnopharmacological relevance Gastrointestinal disorders cause morbidity and can lead to mortality, especially in the developing world where sanitation is deficient. A large part of the human population relies on medicinal plants for treating various diseases, including gastrointestinal disorders. The present review summarizes the traditional uses of medicinal plants of Nepal used to treat gastrointestinal disorders, and evaluates their bio-efficacy based on a review of the available phytochemical and pharmacological literature. Material and methods We searched different electronic databases and libraries for the literature on medicinal plants used in Nepal to treat gastrointestinal disorders. For each species, we also searched the literature for information on conservation status, as well as for phytochemical and pharmacological studies in support of the ethnobotanical information. We used principal component analysis to explore the relation among disorders and plant families, plant life forms, plant parts and preparation modes. We also performed permutation tests to determine if botanical families were used more often than expected considering their availability in the Nepali flora. Results We documented a total of 947 species belonging to 158 families and 586 genera used to treat gastrointestinal disorders in Nepal. Diarrhea was the disorder treated by the highest number of species (348), followed by stomachache (340) and dysentery (307). Among the reported species, five were endemic to Nepal, whereas 16 orchid species were protected under \{CITES\} Appendices \{II\} and III. The randomization test showed that species belonging to 14 families were used less often than expected, whereas plants belonging to 25 families were used more often than expected. The \{PCA\} scatter plot showed distinct groups of gastrointestinal disorders treated with similar plant life forms, plant parts, and/or preparation modes. We found 763 phytochemical studies on 324 species and 654 pharmacological studies on 269 species. Conclusion We showed the diversity and importance of medicinal plants used to treat gastrointestinal disorders in the traditional health care system of Nepal. As such disorders are still causing several deaths each year, it is of the utmost importance to conduct phytochemical and pharmacological studies on the most promising species. It is also crucial to increase access to traditional medicine, especially in rural areas. Threatened species need special attention for traditional herbal medicine to be exploited sustainably.

The abundance of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) has been significantly reduced across its distribution range over the past few centuries. The species’ regeneration dynamics is well documented in the centre of its range, but is poorly understood at the northern limit of continuous distribution. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified natural white pine regeneration in unmanaged mature stands, identified the most important variables influencing it, and evaluated the impact of damaging agents, namely white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola J.C. Fisch.), white pine weevil (Pissodes strobi Peck), and herbivory. We also quantified the influence of remnant stands and residual trees on the spatial distribution of regeneration in logged sites. The results reveal continuous but low recruitment in mature stands. The basal area of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Miller) had a strong negative effect on white pine regeneration. Regeneration was more abundant than expected on moister substrates, including moss, decaying wood and organic matter. White pine regeneration was noted in recently logged areas, where distance from remnant stands had a significant effect on the abundance of white pine regeneration. The northern limit of continuous distribution holds potential for white pine restoration, for example by preserving remnant white pine stands that can provide seed sources for natural regeneration in a shelterwood cut system, or in adjacent clearcut areas. This study illustrates that different management strategies should be used near northern range limits, where effects of site conditions and disturbance agents are different than in the center of a species’ range.

Le pin blanc (Pinus strobus L.) était autrefois une composante importante des forêts du nord-est de l'Amérique du Nord. La diminution marquée de l'abondance de l'espèce au cours des derniers siècles est attribuable à des changements des régimes de perturbations. Le déclin du pin blanc est source d'inquiétude pour les écologistes, les aménagistes forestiers et les peuples autochtones. La communauté algonquine de Kitcisakik est fortement concernée par le déclin du pin blanc et demande qu'une stratégie de restauration et d'aménagement durable de l'espèce soit développée pour son territoire ancestral. Dans ce contexte, cette thèse vise à développer des scénarios de restauration et d'aménagement du pin blanc à la limite nordique de répartition continue de l'espèce – correspondant au territoire ancestral de la communauté de Kitcisakik, dans l'ouest du Québec.

Comme première étape en vue de l'atteinte de cet objectif, des entrevues ont été réalisées avec des informateurs clés afin de documenter l'importance culturelle, spirituelle et écologique du pin blanc pour la communauté de Kitcisakik, ainsi que les savoirs traditionnels en lien avec cette espèce (Chapitre II). Le pin blanc était perçu comme une composante importante de la vie traditionnelle, fournissant de nombreux biens et services aux membres de la communauté. L'espèce figure dans les légendes, est utilisée comme plante médicinale, fournit un habitat à des espèces fauniques d'intérêt, et est une partie importante des paysages culturels. Le pin blanc est une espèce culturelle clé pour la communauté de Kitcisakik. Les gens de la communauté ont identifié la surexploitation des forêts de pin blanc comme raison principale du déclin de l'espèce sur leur territoire ancestral. Ils ont suggéré que des plantations mixtes pourraient être utilisées dans une stratégie de restauration culturellement adaptée.

La deuxième étape du projet visait à quantifier la régénération naturelle de pin blanc dans des peuplements matures. Les facteurs influençant l'abondance de régénération ont été identifiés, de même que les impacts de la rouille vésiculeuse (Cronartium ribicola J.C. Fisch.), du charançon (Pissodes strobi Peck) et de l'herbivorie (Chapitre III). L'influence de peuplements résiduels et de semenciers refuges sur la répartition spatiale de la régénération a également été étudiée. Les résultats révèlent un recrutement faible mais continu de pin blanc. Le sapin baumier (Abies balsamea (L.) Miller) a un impact négatif important sur la régénération en pin blanc. La régénération était plus abondante sur les substrats humides. L'impact de la rouille vésiculeuse et du charançon était beaucoup plus faible qu'escompté en fonction des cartes de risque du ministère des Ressources naturelles. La distance a un peuplement résiduel a un impact significatif sur la régénération en pin blanc dans les aires de coupe. Il est possible de restaurer le pin blanc à la limite nordique de sa répartition continue en ciblant des peuplements mésiques à humides, mais sous un couvert forestier modéré afin de minimiser les risques d'attaque par la rouille vésiculeuse.

L'étape finale du projet s'appuyait sur une revue de littérature sur la sylviculture du pin blanc pour proposer des scénarios de restauration et d'aménagement du pin blanc qui répondent aux besoins de Kitcisakik tout en tenant compte des types écologiques (végétation potentielle et conditions abiotiques) (Chapitre IV). Le scénario I concerne l'utilisation du pin blanc comme plante médicinale et s'appuie sur la régénération naturelle dans les types écologiques où le pin blanc est une composante secondaire. Le scénario II vise à maintenir ou produire des arbres géants utilisés pour l'orientation sur le territoire et comme habitat par des espèces fauniques d'intérêt. La régénération naturelle est suggérée, de même que la plantation d'individus épars dans tous les types écologiques où le pin blanc peut pousser. Le scénario III a pour objectif de générer des peuplements purs matures naturels qui serviront d'habitat pour des espèces fauniques d'intérêt, et aussi de lieux de resourcement pour les membres de la communauté. La coupe progressive d'ensemencement est suggérée dans les types écologiques (co)dominés par le pin blanc. Le scénario IV vise à produire des peuplements purs matures à des fins de production de matière ligneuse. La plantation sous couvert est suggérée dans les types écologiques dominés par les résineux. Le scénario V vise la restauration et le maintien du pin blanc comme composante du paysage à des fins esthétiques et de préservation d'habitats fauniques en ayant recours à des plantations mixtes dans des types écologiques où le pin blanc est une composante secondaire.

Les arbres et les forêts ont toujours joué un rôle important dans la culture et la spiritualité des sociétés. La compréhension de l'importance culturelle des espèces arborescentes est nécessaire pour développer des stratégies de restauration et d'aménagement socialement acceptables. Le pin blanc (Pinus strobus L.) était autrefois plus abondant dans les forêts du nord-est de l'Amérique du Nord, notamment sur le territoire ancestral de la communauté algonquine de Kitcisakik (Québec, Canada). La communauté revendique la restauration et l'aménagement durable du pin blanc sur son territoire ancestral. Un premier pas vers cet objetif a été franchi en réalisant des entrevues avec des informateurs clés de la communauté afin de documenter l'importance culturelle de l'espèce. Le pin blanc était perçu comme une composante importante de la vie traditionnelle, fournissant de nombreux biens et services. L'espèce figure dans des légendes, est utilisée comme plante médicinale, procure de l'habitat à des espèces fauniques d'intérêt, et est une constituante importante des paysages culturels. Le pin blanc est une espèce culturelle clé de la communauté algonquine de Kitcisakik. Les gens de la communauté ont identifié la surexploitation des forêts de pin blanc comme raison principale du déclin de l'espèce sur leur territoire ancestral. Ils ont suggéré que des plantations mixtes pourraient être utilisées dans une stratégie de restauration culturellement adaptée.

The boreal forest of Canada is home to several hundred thousands Aboriginal people who have been using medicinal plants in traditional health care systems for thousands of years. This knowledge, transmitted by oral tradition from generation to generation, has been eroding in recent decades due to rapid cultural change. Until now, published reviews about traditional uses of medicinal plants in boreal Canada have focused either on particular Aboriginal groups or on restricted regions. Here, we present a review of traditional uses of medicinal plants by the Aboriginal people of the entire Canadian boreal forest in order to provide comprehensive documentation, identify research gaps, and suggest perspectives for future research.

L'intérêt du secteur de la recherche et développement pour les connaissances traditionnelles est considérable. La contribution des savoirs traditionnels à la conservation et à l'aménagement est de plus en plus reconnue et des expériences terrain en ce sens sont en cours dans plusieurs pays. Le niveau de dégradation des écosystèmes justifie le besoin d'interventions de restauration. Il est de plus en plus reconnu que l'intégration des connaissances scientifiques et traditionnelles est nécessaire au succès des efforts de restauration. Cette synthèse évalue les contributions actuelles et potentielles des savoirs traditionnels à la restauration écologique. Malgré qu'un nombre croissant d'articles soient publiés à propos des connaissances traditionnelles, peu concernent la contribution à la restauration écologique. Les principales contributions des connaissances traditionnelles à la restauration écologique sont l'identification d'écosystèmes de référence, en particulier lorsque les informations historiques ne sont pas disponibles; la sélection d'espèces pour les plantations; la sélection de sites pour la restauration; la connaissance de l'historique local des pratiques d'aménagement; la gestion des espèces envahissantes; et le suivi post-restauration. Les connaissances traditionnelles et scientifiques sont complémentaires et devraient être utilisées conjointement dans les projets de restauration écologique. L'inclusion des connaissances traditionnelles peut contribuer à construire un partenariat solide pour le succès de mise en oeuvre de projets de restauration et pour en augmenter l'acceptabilité sociale, la faisabilité économique et la viabilité écologique.

A survey of plant biodiversity and ethnobotany was conducted along the Seti river banks in the Tanahun district of Western Nepal. This area, home of the Magar ethnic group, will be impacted by a major hydropower project, currently under feasibility study. The objective of the study was to document plant biodiversity and ethnobotany in order to suggest appropriate conservation and management strategies. Botanical sampling was conducted inside quadrats and along transects. A total of 221 plant species were recorded in the study area, distributed as herbs (80 species), trees (68), shrubs (28), climbers (19), pteridophytes (18), lianas (5), and epiphytes (3). Twelve of the inventoried species figure in one or more conservation categories identified by various national or international agencies. Group discussions and personal interviews allowed to find out that 43% of the species were ethnobotanically important for the local people and that most were used as medicine, food, or timber. We propose specific species for sustainable use programs based on certain criteria. The area is very important in terms of plant biodiversity and ethnobotany, and hence, immediate implementation of conservation measures is recommended to maintain the high social, ecological and economic values of the area.

Background: By revealing historical and present plant use, ethnobotany contributes to drug discovery and socioeconomic development. Nepal is a natural storehouse of medicinal plants. Although several ethnobotanical studies were conducted in the country, many areas remain unexplored. Furthermore, few studies have compared indigenous plant use with reported phytochemical and pharmacological properties.

Methods: Ethnopharmacological data was collected in the Rasuwa district of Central Nepal by conducting interviews and focus group discussions with local people. The informant consensus factor (FIC) was calculated in order to estimate use variability of medicinal plants. Bio-efficacy was assessed by comparing indigenous plant use with phytochemical and pharmacological properties determined from a review of the available literature. Criteria were used to identify high priority medicinal plant species.

Results: A total of 60 medicinal formulations from 56 plant species were documented. Medicinal plants were used to treat various diseases and disorders, with the highest number of species being used for gastro-intestinal problems, followed by fever and headache. Herbs were the primary source of medicinal plants (57% of the species), followed by trees (23%). The average FIC value for all ailment categories was 0.82, indicating a high level of informant agreement compared to similar studies conducted elsewhere. High FIC values were obtained for ophthalmological problems, tooth ache, kidney problems, and menstrual disorders, indicating that the species traditionally used to treat these ailments are worth searching for bioactive compounds: Astilbe rivularis, Berberis asiatica, Hippophae salicifolia, Juniperus recurva, and Swertia multicaulis. A 90% correspondence was found between local plant use and reported plant chemical composition and pharmacological properties for the 30 species for which information was available. Sixteen medicinal plants were ranked as priority species, 13 of which having also been prioritized in a country-wide governmental classification.

Conclusions: The Tamang people possess rich ethnopharmacological knowledge. This study allowed to identify many high value and high priority medicinal plant species, indicating high potential for economic development through sustainable collection and trade.