Question

Mention the significance of Ethno-botany. (12 marks question)

Answer 1

HEY DEAR ...

Ethno botanical knowledge is very ancient. It provides information regarding the traditional uses of plant wealth which can be utilized in integrated tribal development. The ethno botanical studies throw light on certain unknown useful plants and new uses of many known plants which can be exploited for developing new sources for some plant products and agro based industries such as, food processing, fibres and floss, cordage and basketry, extraction of edible and nonedible oils, gum, resins, tannin, dye extraction for the upliftment of tribal communities.

With the opening of new vistas of ethno botany, the scope of this natural science has now greatly increased both in terms of its theoretical contribution towards the understanding of plant- human relationship and the practical knowledge of tribal people in medicine, agriculture, health and industry.

The tribals depend mostly on forest flora for meeting their day to day needs and primary health care. They collect and utilize many wild plants for food, medicines, fibres, oils, gums, tannins and dyes from the ambient vegetation of their localities. The agricultural practices are not technological y advanced and most tribal groups in north-east part of India resort to shiffing cultivation widely known as jhum.

There are community land, clan land and individual land and the individual users of land have right of possessing inherited land. Jhuming or shifting cultivation involves felling of forest trees, clearing of shrubs and undergrowth in limited area and turning of soil for sowing crops.

The cleared land is used for agriculture for short time and when the fertility of the soil decreases, the area is abandoned by tribals and then they shift to new area and clear the forest vegetation for agricultural purpose. Jhuming has caused deforestation and soil erosion. Thus the existing land use and its unscientific management have aggravated the problems of soil erosion, floods, depletion of water resources and overall productivity.

Therefore, it has now become essential for botanists, agricultural scientists, anthropologists and government agencies to take stock of the problems of the tribal communities and make coordinated efforts in this direction. It requires proper management of settlements of tribal population because the migration of tribal communities compels them for shifting cultivation.


HOPE , IT HELPS ...