Title: Biodiversity conservation through totem, taboo and magico-religious beliefs in the eastern Himalaya of India: an ethno botanical study

Authors: Pradeep Chaudhry; Ganguva Murtem

Addresses: Indian Institute of Forest Management, P.O. Box No. 357, Nehru Nagar, Bhopal, 462003, India ' State Forest Research Institute, Chimpu, Van Vihar, Itanagar, 791113, India

Abstract: The present article deals with the documentation of plant species used by local tribes of one of the biggest districts in eastern Himalayan region of India for totem, taboo, avoidance and magico-religious purposes. In total, 72 plant species belonging to 28 families were recorded in the study area of Upper Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh. Dioscoreaceae, Poaceae and Araceae were the dominant families with 15, 7 and 6 plant species respectively. Some local issues like encroachments, forest fires, over exploitation, habitat destruction, lack of plantation and regeneration activities in time and invasion of exotic plant species, which require the State Government's immediate attention for overall conservation of forests of the region, have been discussed in the article.

Keywords: plant species; Hill Miri tribe; Nyshi tribe; Tagin tribe; Galo tribe; Arunachal Pradesh; biodiversity conservation; India; ethno-botanical study; local tribes; Himalayas; forest conservation.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2016.080239

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2016 Vol.17 No.3/4, pp.261 - 285

Received: 12 May 2016
Accepted: 06 Aug 2016
Published online: 08 Nov 2016 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article