Indigenous knowledge and use of lichens by the lichenophilic communities of the Nepal Himalaya

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4635687
AutoresShiva Devkota (0000-0002-5290-1113, Tribhuvan University, autor de correspondencia), Ram Prasad Chaudhary (0000-0002-1839-0727, Tribhuvan University), Silke Werth (0000-0002-4981-7850, University of Graz), Christoph Scheidegger (0000-0003-3713-5331, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research)
Año2017
Volumen13
Número1
Páginas15-15
Fecha de publicación2017-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1746-4269 • E-ISSN: 1746-4269
EditorialSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1186/s13002-017-0142-2
PMID28222809
OpenAlexW2590002942
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas9
Referencias citadas46

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to document the prevailing indigenous knowledge and various uses of lichens among the lichenophilic communities in the hills and mountainous settlements of Nepal. METHODS: Ethnic uses were recorded during twelve field trips, each of roughly 15 days in three consecutive years, through direct questionnaires administered to 190 respondents. Lichen samples were identified applying microscopic observation and thin layer chromatography (TLC). Voucher specimens of identified species are deposited at TUCH (Tribhuvan University Central Herbarium) in Nepal. RESULTS: Lichens are being used in several ways by different communities of Nepal. We recorded the ethnic use of seven species of lichens belonging to four families (Parmeliaceae, Physciaceae, Ramalinaceae and Usneaceae) and six genera (Heterodermia, Everniastrum, Parmotrema, Ramalina, Thamnolia and Usnea) among the Limbu, Sherpa, Lama, Gurung, Rai, Dalit, Tamang, Chhetri and Brahman communities. The present study revealed six use values namely; Medicinal value (MV), food value (FV), ritual and spiritual value (RSV), aesthetic and decorative value (ADV), bedding value (BV) and ethno-veterinary value (EVV) from different parts of Nepal. Three lichen species, Everniastrum cirrhatum, E. nepalense and Parmotrema cetratum were consumed by the Limbu and Rai communities. The Limbu and Sherpa ethnic groups are regarded as most lichenophilic communities while respondents from Brahman, Chhetri and Tamang communities showed less interest in lichen uses. CONCLUSIONS: The present study contributes to document traditional knowledge on various uses of lichens among nine communities with three different cultural background, inhabitants of eight different altitudinal levels of Nepal. Regarding the six values as identified from this research, significant difference (p = <0.05) were found along altitudinal gradients or locations of the settlements, cultural groups and ethnicity of the respondents

Biology · Geography · Herbarium · Indigenous · Lichen · Parmeliaceae · Socioeconomics · Sociology · Traditional knowledge · Botany and Plant Ecology Studies · Ethnobotanical and Medicinal Plants Studies · Heavy Metals in Plants · Lichen and fungal ecology · Ecology