Edible plants of tropical forests among tribal communities of Madhya Pradesh
R K Pandey* & Satvant Kaur Saini
Forest Ecology & Environment Division, State Forest Research Institute, Polipathar, Jabalpur 482008, Madhya Pradesh Received 16 February 2006; revised 25 July 2006
In Madhya Pradesh, Baiga and Gond tribes are identified as the main collectors and users of forest resources among the forest dwellers. These non-wood forest products (NTFPs) have immense potential to meet the daily requirement of tribal communities and also a source of raw material supply to small pharmaceutical industries. The forest resources of Baiga dominated forest areas of Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh contribute more than 60 % of their annual income. Baiga communities collect the maximum forest resources for their subsistence among forest dwelling communities in the world.
Many people living in and around forests are unaware of the potential of these resources for income generation because they lack access to information on processing possibilities. Local people and institutional stakeholders resulting into depletion of resources in natural forests ignore sustainable harvesting of forest resources. An attempt has been made to assess the status of economically important utilizable forest resources in their natural habitats of tropical forests of tropical forests of Dindori and Mandla districts.
Key words: Non-wood forest products, Forest dwellers, Tropical forests, Sustainable harvesting, Edible plants, Baiga tribe, Gond tribe
IPC Int. Cl.8: A61K36/00, A01G1/00, A01G17/00, A47G19/00, A23L1/00, A23L1/06, A23L2/02
In the recent past, the fast depletion of NTFPs from natural forest ecosystem has been a major concern of managers, policy makers and forest dependent people at large being direct impact on conservation, ecological perpetuation and socio-economic problems. Due to over increasing pressure on forests and forest resources, degradation of forests continued unabated in potentially rich forest ecosystem, where majority of the tribal people depend upon these resources for their subsistence. The pace of forest degradation combined with increased commercial exploitation of resources has caused serious ecological impact on utilizable forest resources even for their existence in-situ. Tropical forests are considered as the treasure house of valuable wild medicinal and aromatic plant species and conserving a wide range of wild genetic resources. NTFPs, which are primarily collected by tribal women are worth more than Rs. 21 billion (US $ 700 million) annually1-
2. In India, NTFPs contribute about 40 % of total official forest resources and provide 55 % of forest- based employment. Nearly, 500 million people living in and around forests in India rely on NTFPs as a critical component for their sustenance. In a study made in Baiga dominated forest areas of Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh envisaged that the forest
resources contribute more than 60 % of annual income of forest dependent tribal people3. Export earnings from NTFPs on average account for 60-70 % of total export earning from forest products2. Natural forests also supplement the food requirement of rural / tribal people. These wild foods are not only dietary staples but more generally provide nutritionally valuable supplements as they are rich in protein, sugar, starch, vitamins, minerals, etc. Some edible products are highly priced for their delicacies, medicinal values and industrial uses. As such, these are in great demand in the urban centers also. Increase in demand in the urban areas had retrogressive effects on the survival of these wild species, yielding the edible products. In order to get maximum yield and to avoid hard labour in gathering these products from forests, these trees are being ruthlessly felled4.
The forests of Madhya Pradesh are the home of wide array of floral diversity, which have multifarious uses as food, medicine, timber, etc. Most of the forest resources categorized as non-timber forest products (NTFPs), have high commercial value primarily collected by tribal people from the natural forests.
Due to increased demand of these valuable resources, local people are forced for commercial exploitation without considering the consequences of destructive harvesting from the natural forest ecosystem. In the absence of sustainable management practices NTFPs
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*Corresponding author
are under threat even for their existence in tropical forest ecosystem. National Forest Policy (1988) provides the avenues for local forest dependent people for the management of these resources under JFM.
But due to lack of awareness and skill development among local people, who are real users, these valuable resources are not getting proper attention for conservation and sustainable management so far. The present study is a part of the case study on conservation and sustainable management of NTFPs by involving local user communities in tribal dominated pockets of Mandla and Dindori forest divisions. A large number of plant species of various plant categories i.e. trees, shrubs, herbs and climbers have been identified and reported as edible food species by several workers but information regarding their status in natural forests is meager. In the present study, attempts have been made to make a systematic assessment of the status of utilizable NTFPs in tribal dominated tropical forests of Madhya Pradesh.
Methodology
The study was conducted in the Baiga and Gond dominated forest localities of Mandla and Dindori districts. Mandla district lies between latitude 22° 13′
30′′ to 23º 13′ 30′′ N and 79º 48′15′′ to 80º 57′ 15′′ E longitude and Dindori division lies between 22º 27′ to 23º 22′ N latitude and 80º 31′ to 81º 44′ E longitude.
Forests of the area represent tropical moist deciduous forests dominated by Sal (Shorea robusta) to tropical dry deciduous mixed forest5. The study was confined to the forest area allotted to FPCs (Forest Protection Committees) under Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme of forest department in the state. For the assessment of status of utilizable forest resources in Baiga and Gond dominated forests Kalpi and Dobha FPCs in Mandla and Kodwari and Sarastal FPCs in Dindori division were selected as the study sites.
Inventorization of forest resources growing in the forests of each FPCs were made. To assess the prevailing status of utilizable forest resources, standard ecological method has been employed6. For collection of qualitative and quantitative data of forest resources, line transect method was adopted for systematic survey. Transects of 20 m width in North–
South direction were laid at 200 m intervals. In each transect, at every 200 m interval, quadrates of 50 m×20 m size were laid out. All tree species, above 20 cm gbh, encountered were recorded. Similarly, 5 quadrates of 10 m×10 m size were used for enumeration of shrubs, climbers and saplings. For the
assessment of ground herbs, 9 quadrates of 1 m×1m sizes were laid out and all encountered plant species were counted and recorded. Collected data were further processed to obtain the analytical value (Tables 1-5) by adopting standard ecological methods7-8.
Result and discussion
The status of utilizable and commercially exploitable NTFPs are in the precarious condition and under threat as far as the conservation and sustainable management is concerned. In Kodwari and Sarastal FPCs of Dindori dividion, Dioscorea daemona Roxb, Costus speciosus (J.Koeing) Sm, Curcuma angustifolia Roxb, Plumbago zeylanica L, Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. , Nyctanthus arbor-tristis L, Sterculia urens Roxb, Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb, Catunaregam spinosa (Thunb) Titvengodum, Embelia basaal (Roem. & Schull) A.DC., etc. have reached to threatened status in the prevailing plant communities of the area. Moreover, natural regeneration of these species is also very poor and prone to disappear from natural forests (Table 4 & 5).
Similarly, most of the species, which are under threat in the forests of selected FPCs Dobha (Baiga dominated forest area) and Kalpi (Gond dominated forest area) of tribal district Mandla (Tables 2 & 3), are observed to be in critical status with low value of density and frequency % in prevailing ecological conditions of forest ecosystem due to degradation.
The species, which are being exploited regularly, viz.
Chlorophytum tuberosum (Roxb.) Baker, Asparagus racemosus Willd, Plumbago zeylanica L, Curcuma angustifolia Roxb., Dioscorea daemona Roxb., Gloriosa superba L., Leea asiatica (L.) Ridsdale, Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC., Trichosanthes bracteata (Lamk) Voigt., etc. among herb and Bauhinia vahlii Wight & arn, Phyllocephalum indicum (Less) Kirkman, Helicteres isora, Catunaregam spinosa (Thunb) Tiruvengadum, Catunaregam nilotica (stapf) Tiruvengadum, Buchnanin lanzan Spreng, Phyllanthus emblica L, Litsea glutinosa (Lour)
Table1 — Rehabilitated forest area (RDF) allotted to FPCs of the study sites
Division FPC Dependent community
RDF Area of FPCs (ha) West Mandla Kalpi Gond 701.32 West Mandla Dobha Baiga 215.50 Dindori Kodwari Baiga 558.60 Dindori Sarastal Gond 415.00
Table 2 — Status of utilizable forest resources of herb category in West Mandla forest division Kalpi FPC Dobha FPC Plant name
Local name Av. D/ha Freq. % Av. D/ha Freq. %
Achyranthus aspera L. Chirchita 929 5.26 4316 15.79 Adiantum capillus-veneris L. Adiantum 3997 31.58 18261 81.58 Arisaema tortuosum (Wallich) Schott Jangli Suran 174 7.89 3282 36.84 Asparagas racemosus Willd Satawari 405 15.79 87 5.26
Butea superba Roxb. Bhadrosi bela - - 116 5.26
Cassia tora L. Chakoda 347 5.26 16932 34.21
Celastrus paniculatus Willd Malkangini 11368 76.32 521 7.89 Chlorophytum tuberosum (Roxb.) Baker Safed musli 671 2.63 555 5.26 Cissampelos pareira L. Vishkhapri 5526 52.63 1671 28.95 Costus speciosa (J. Koeing) Sm. Keokand 1163 26.32 Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. Kalimusli 22066 97.37 4808 36.84
Curcuma angustifolia Roxb. Teekhur - - 921 7.89
Curcuma aromatica Salisb Van haldi 3132 63.16 15379 89.47 Dioscorea bulbifera L. Kadukand 21276 97.37 17939 100
Dioscorea daemona Roxb. Baichandi - - 492 23.68
Dioscorea oppositifolia L. Girchikand 8434 36.84 5626 60.53 Dioscorea bellophylla (Prain) Voigt ex Haines. Kaniha kand - - 2589 21.05 Elephantopus scaber L. Elephantopus 9603 44.74 5929 21.05 Girardinia diversifolia (Link) Friss Faskanandan - - 1553 13.16
Gloriosa superba L. Kalihari 724 10.53 405 7.89
Hemidesmus indicus (L.)R.Br. Anantmool 12582 86.84 1016 10.53 Leea asiatica (L.) Ridsdale Hansiadhapar 3008 7.89 87 7.89 Marsdenia tenacissima (Roxb.) Moon. Chanahur 347 5.26 29 2.63 Cucumis callosus (Rottl.) Cogn J. Kacharia - - 755 13.16 Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. Kewanch 550 18.42 1450 18.42 Phyllanthus amara Schumach & Thonn. Bhui aonla 11645 47.37 9016 28.95
Sida acuta L. Khareti 816 7.89 715 13.16
Smilax zeylanica L. Ramdatun 2403 63.16 1421 28.95 Trichosanthes bracteata (Lamk) Voigt Kahira - - 289 10.53 Urginea indica (Roxb) Kunth Sudarshan 116 7.89 174 7.89 Ventilago denticulata Willd Keonti 2679 28.95 434 7.89 Vitis tomentosa Hyne ex Roth Dotto 1653 31.58 3639 60.53
Vitis carnosa (Lamk) Doker bela - - 1239 26.32
Table 3 — Status of utilizable forest resources of herb category in Dindori forest division
Kodwari FPC Sarastal FPC
Plant name Local name
Av. D/ha Frequency % Av D/ ha Frequency % Achyranthus aspera L Chirchita 20635 69.23 2664 14.89 Adiantum capillus-veneris L. Adiantum 25946 92.31 9002 40.43 Arisaema tortuosum (Wallich) Schott J. Suran 550 23.08 796 21.28 Asparagus racemosus Willd Satawari - - 1006 38.30 Atylosia volubilis (Blanco), Gamble. Van moong 338 7.69 1081 12.77 Barleria cristata L. Panpatiya 7885 46.15 634 8.51 Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn. Mohline bela 1877 19.23 - -
Cassia tora L. Chakoda 2700 11.54 543 6.38
Celastrus paniculatus Willd Malkangini 2688 19.23 2523 21.28 Phyllocephalum indicum (Less) Kirkman Van jeera - - 8968 48.94 Chlorophytum tuberosum (Roxb.) Baker. Safed musli 512 7.69 847 10.64 Curculigo orchioides Gaertn. Kalimusli 11023 76.92 21802 93.62 Curcuma aromatica Salisb. Ganji kand 42 3.85 6274 78.72
Contd —
Table 3 — Status of utilizable forest resources of herb category in Dindori forest division — Contd
Kodwari FPC Sarastal FPC
Plant name Local name
Av. D/ha Frequency % Av D/ ha Frequency % Dioscorea bulbifera L. Kadukand 5023 61.54 5200 48.94 Dioscorea oppositifolia L. Girchi kand 931 23.08 1130 10.64 Elephantopus scaber L. Elephantopus 21135 53.85 14728 55.32 Embelia basaal (Roem. & Schult). Baibering 592 11.54 23 2.13 Girardienia diversifolia (Link) Friis. Faska nandan 381 3.85
Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R.Br. Anant mool 381 7.69
Leea asiatica (L.) Ridsdale. Hansia dhapar - - 679 27.66 Marsdenia tenacissima (Roxb.) Moon. Chanahur 212 11.54 447 8.51 Cucumis callosus (Rottl.) cogn. Kacharia 5681 88.46 234 8.51 Nyctanthes arbor – tristis L. Siharu 296 7.69 66 4.26 Phyllanthus amara Schumach & Thonn. Bhuin aonla 28669 76.92 15006 59.57 Plumbago zeylanica L. Chitrak 8581 42.31 234 12.77 Randia dumetorum (Retz.) Poir Mainhar 85 3.85 304 12.77
Smilax zeylanica L. Ramdatun 296 19.23 164 4.26
Solanum violaceun. Ortega. Bhatkateya 85 7.69
Spilanthes paniculata Wall ex.DC. Akarkara - - 164 4.26 Urginea indica (Roxb.) Kunth. Sudarshan 423 7.69
Ventilago denticulata Willd Keonti bela 169 7.69 Vitis carnosa (Lamk) Doker bela 762 26.92 Vitis tomentosa Hyne ex Roth Dotto bela 169 7.69
Table 4 — Status of utilizable trees, shrubs and woody climbers in west Mandla forest division
Kalpi Dobha
Plant name Local name
D/ha Frequency % D/ha Frequency % Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa Bel 1.46 12.20 0.54 5.41
Bombax ceiba L. Semal 0.24 2.44
Buchanania lanzan Spreng Achar 1.95 14.63 0.54 5.41 Carissa opaca Stapf ex Haines Karonda 170 82.5
Cassia fistula L. Rela 0.49 4.88
Curcuma angustifolia Roxb. Teekhur 55.56 5.56
Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb. Tendu 11.46 53.66 12.7 43.24 Embelia basaal (Roem. & Schull) A.DC. Baibidang 1.11 2.78 Phyllanthus emblica L. Aonla 1.22 12.20 0.27 2.7
Gloriosa superba L. Kalihari 1.00 2.50
Helicteres isora L. Ainthi 3.39 11.11
Litsea glutinosa. (Lour) Robinson. Maida 0.31 2.78 Madhuca longifolia (Roxb.) Mahua 8.05 51.22 0.27 2.7 Nyctanthus arbor-tritis (L.) Khirsari - - 9.44 22.22 Pongamia pinnata Pierre. Karanj 2.20 12.20
Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. Beeja 0.49 4.88 0.56 2.78 Catunaregam nilotica (Stapf.) Tirvengadum Mainhar 0.49 4.88 1.08 5.41 Catunaregam spinosa (Thunb) Tirvengadum Bhedi 1.95 17.07 2.43 10.81 Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken. Kosum 2.20 17.07 1.35 10.81 Semecarpus anacardium L.F. Bhelwa 5.61 36.59 - - Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels. Jamun 2.68 9.76 2.7 16.22
Sterculia urens Roxb. Kullu - - 1.67 5.56
Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC) Wight & Arn Koha 2.5 7.5 3.24 10.81 Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn) Roxb. Bahera 0.73 7.32 7.78 16.67 Terminalia chebula Retz. Harra 3.66 19.51 2.97 24.32 Ventilago denticulata Willd. Keonti - - 0.27 2.7 Woodfordia fruticosa L. Kurz. Surteli 18.5 35 4.11 5.56 Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk. Ber 0.24 2.44 1.67 5.56
Table 5 — Status of utilizable trees, shrubs and woody climbers in Dindori forest division
Kodwari Sarastal
Plant name Local name
D/ha Frequency % D/ha Frequency %
Asparagus racemosus Willd Satawari - - 31.25 35.42 Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn. Mohline 5.76 26.90 4.58 29.20
Bombax ceiba L. Semal 9.17 29.17
Boswellia serrata Roxb. ex Colebr Saleha 1.53 11.50 - - Buchanania lanzan Spreng Achar 74.62 100.00 11.25 25
Cassia fistula L. Rela 8.84 57.70 6.46 37.5
Dendrocalamus strictus (Roxb.) Nees. Bamboo 7.69 3.85 - - Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb. Tendu 46.54 80.80 3.33 25 Embelia basaal. (Roem & Schull) A.DC. Baibidang - - 83.04 85.42 Phyllanthus emblica L. Aonla 44.23 96.20 84.29 89.58 Hollarhaena pubescens (Buch. Ham) Wall ex. g. Don Kodha 6.53 42.30 5.63 37.5 Leea asiatica (L.) Ridsdale. Hansia dhapar - - 0.42 2.08 Nyctanthus arbor-tris-tis Khirsari 2.31 3.85 0.21 2.1
Plumbago zeylanica L. Chitrak 3.85 7.69 - -
Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. Beeja - - 2.5 4.17
Catunaregam nilotica (Stapf.) Tirvengadum Mainhar - - 3.33 10.42 Schleichera oleosa (Lour.) Oken. Kosum 1.15 11.50 1.25 12.5
Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels. Jamun 4.38 27.1
Solanum violaceum Ortega Bhatkateya 2.31 11.54 - - Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC) Wight & Arn Koha - - 0.21 2.1 Terminalia bellerica (Gaertn) Roxb. Bahera - - 0.63 6.3 Terminalia chebula Retz. Harra 12.31 61.50 32.25 66.67 Woodfordia fruticosa L.Kurz. Surteli - - 1.67 8.33
Robinson, Madhuca longifolia Roxb., Sterculia urens Roxb., Schleichera oleosa (Lour) Oken., Terminalia arjuna (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn,Terminalia bellerica (Gaertn) Roxb., Embelia basaal (Roem. &
Schull) A.DC., Semecarpus anacardium L.F., Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb.etc among shrub and tree categories are under threat due to very poor regeneration in-situ. Regeneration of these species is found to be insignificant as far as the sustainable harvesting is concerned. Most of the Dioscorea species already been categorized as endangered species, are struggling for their existence in the studied forest ecosystem. Dioscorea daemona Roxb, which is commercially important for their tubers and good source of edible food of tribal people (Baiga) is disappearing from natural forests (Table 2). Embelia basaal (Roem & Schull) A.DC. Nyctanthus arbor- tristis L, Leea asiatica (L.) Ridsdale, Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn, Woodfordia fruticosa L.Kurtz, etc. of shrub category are recorded in the very low profile in the study area (Table 5). Similarly, the utilizable plant species of tree category are also facing the same fate for their regeneration in the study area. Regeneration of most of the tree species of commercial value, viz.
Madhuca longifolia Roxb, Buchnania lanzan Spreng, Phyllanthus embelica L., Sterculia urens Roxb., Catunaregam nilotica (Stapf) Tirvengodum, Aegle marmelos L., Hollarrhaena pubescens (Buch. Ham) Wall. ex. G.Don., etc. was found to be absent.
Gradual disappearance of valuable resources from natural forests with changing face of forest structure is an alarming state of future forest (Tables 3-5).
These valuable forest resources need immediate attention for conservation and sustainable management in-situ.
The forest resources have been considered as opportunities for improvement of rural economical conditions and linked to NTFPs in many ways. These forest resources are not only the source to secure livelihood and subsistence but also generate employment for a wide range of dependent tribal communities. Further more, in a study conducted by FAO it has been reported that these wild foods are a part of rural people’s diet not only during periods of food shortage but also on a daily basis. This daily consumption of wild products, which contributes to overall nutritional well being of tribals9. A major challenge related to the NTFPs is the limited effort of
development of technology of sustainable harvesting in in-situ conditions in tropical forests of the country.
Increased demand of NTFPs from forest led the people to disregard traditional harvesting practices, which support sustainable management. The collaborative integrated approach is inevitable to conserve and sustainably manage these resources by involving local people (member of FPCs) with improved skill and capabilities not only to secure livelihood of dependent people but also to conserve vulnerable wild genetic resources in-situ. Some of the issues, which need immediate attention are to develop users friendly sustainable harvesting technique, congenial market networking with value addition of collected forest resources, and development of skill and capabilities of users communities for conservation and sustainable management of utilizable forest resources with integrated management approach with institutional stakeholders i.e. forest department, Gram panchayat, etc. who are also the owner agencies for management and development of forest based rural economy.
Acknowledgement
Authors are thankful to Dr P Shukla IFS Director, State Forest Research Institute Jabalpur, for providing basic facilities and encouragement during the course
of study. Financial assistance of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, Government of India for providing Research Associateship to junior author is highly acknowledged. Authors are also thankful to the rural and tribal communities for providing openhearted co-operation at field level.
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