Floristic diversity of the Kunjapuri sacred grove, Garhwal Himalaya, India

Abstract

The floristic diversity of the Kunjapuri sacred grove in Garhwal Himalaya was studied from 2006 to 2007. A total of 239 plant species belonging to 78 families and 207 genera were recorded. The representation of dicotyledons, monocots, and gymnosperms was 84.62%, 14.10%, and 1.28%, respectively. Asteraceae was the most dominant family with 23 genera and 24 species, followed by Poaceae (20 genera and 22 species), Lamiaceae (13 genera and 16 species), and Acanthaceae and Fabaceae (9 genera and 11 species each). In recent years, due to increasing pressures on natural resources there has been a weakening of religious beliefs, affecting the survival of sacred groves. Sacred groves, which were maintained in the form of untouched ecosystems, dedicated to a deity, are nowadays being looked upon as important sources of natural resources or revenue. Hence, they cannot survive on the basis of spiritual beliefs, unlike in the past, and there is an urgent need to implement rural participatory management practices with the help of the village community, temple authorities, and forest committees to conserve them.