medicinal plant Aconitum spicatum (Briihl) Stapf in central Nepal - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Sustainability of harvest of commercially threatened medicinal plant Aconitum spicatum (Briihl) Stapf in central Nepal

Deep Jyoti Chapagain1, Henrik Meilby2 and Suresh Kumar Ghimire1

1Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal 2Department of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO), University of Copenhagen,

Denmark

Dynamic Borderlands:Livelihoods,Communities and Flows

Kathmandu,12-14 December 2016

Introduction

 Nepal harbors >2,000 species of non timber forest products (NTFPs) of which 90% are medicinal & aromatic plants (MAPs)  More than 100 species of MAPs are traded commercially  MAPs have been identified as one of the 19 goods and services by Nepal Trade Integration Strategy, 2010 as having export potential  Nepal is also a member of WTO since 2004

(source:ANSAB 2010)

Ophiocordyceps sinensis Fritillaria cirrhosa Aconitum spicatum

MAPs & Trade relationship

Medicinal and Aromatic plants Economic Prosperity

• Foreign trade and exchange
• Income and employment
• Livelihood improvement of people

Trade

Source: IUCN

 33 MAPs identified by the government

• f Nepal for commercial farming

Major threats and challenges on sustainable uses of MAPs

 Illegal harvesting and trade  Premature and overharvesting  Inadequate awareness about the species

biology and sustainability

 Over grazing and other human

disturbances

 Lack of science-based management

• As a result, population of many species
• f MAPs declining, reproduction and

growth rate reduced, and community composition and ecosystem is also changing

Aconite (Aconitum spicatum)

Status: Vulnerable species Habit: Perennial herb Parts use: Tubers Habitat: Moist places at 3000-4300 m Regeneration: Tubers and seeds. Use: Highly poisonous, medicinal Local medicinal use – Cuts and wounds fever, headache, lung and intestine infections and cough Allopathic Use :Analgesic and antipyretic Prioritized by the government of Nepal for economic development Trade: In decreasing order and approx 100% of the harvested tuber is traded to India Study MAP species

Source: Olsen 2005,TGGN 2016

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 1998/99 2014/2015 23.13 26.99 66.71 11.38 Traded Aconite in Ton Year

Trade trend of Aconite

• A. heterophyllum
• A. spicatum

Objectives

Broader objective: To develop a sustainable harvesting model and management guidelines of Aconitum spicatum Specifically: To assess the effect of harvesting on biological characters of Aconitum spicatum along an elevation gradient in central Nepal

Study site

Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA)

Source: ACAP 2014

Population Dynamics

• 5. Population

monitoring and habitat assessment Survival, recruitment. Enrichment planting, biomass estimation and habitat assessment

• 3. Harvest simulation

each subplot randomly assigned into harvest treatment of 0, 25, 50, 75 &100%

• 2. Permanent plot

establishment 3 transects (2 x 18 m) in 3 populations (3200, 3600 and 3900 m); each divided into nine subplots (2 x 2 m)

• 4. Stage classification

and tagging Sd, Jv, Adv and Adr are tagged

• 1. Reconnaissance

Survey Local harvesters consulted, study area identified and mapped

Materials and method

Sampling design (Aconitum Spicatum): (belt transect)

Some snaps of field work

Result & Discussion

• 0.2

0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 3200 3400 3600 3800 4000 4200

Density/square meter Elevation in meter

Seedling Juvenile Ad vegetative Flowering (Adr)

 Density in all stages was found highest between 3600 and 3800m.

 Variation of Life history traits along the elevation gradient

Result contd..

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 3200 3600 3900 Elevation (m)

Total under ground dry weight

50 100 150 200 250 3200 3600 3900 Elevation (m)

Average leaf area

20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 3200 3600 3900 Elevation(m)

Plant height

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 3200 3600 3900 Elevation (m)

• No. of Aborted Rep part

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 3200 3600 3900 Elevation (m)

Total Reproductive Part

Effect of Harvest on seedling and adult density:

Result contd..

• 100
• 80
• 60
• 40
• 20

0% 25% 50% 75%

• 100
• 80
• 60
• 40
• 20

0% 25% 50% 75%

Seedling density Reproductive adult density

% change (2015-2016)

% change (2015-2016) Harvesting level Harvesting level Harvesting has negative impact on the seedling and flowering density.

Effect of harvest on total reproductive output:

Result contd..

• 40
• 30
• 20
• 10

10

0% 25% 50% 75%

% change (2015-2016) Harvesting level

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 0% 25% 50% 75%

2015 2016

• Rep. parts per individual

Harvest has negative impact on total reproductive output of the individual.

Recommendations

 Pants growing in different altitude exhibit variations in a number of

vegetative and reproductive characters

 Fitness of Aconitum spicatum decreases with increasing elevation

 Harvesting greatly effect reproductive output and density of adults and

seedlings

Conclusions

• A general awareness is needed to be

created among the collectors and the local people about the population biology and conservation value of the species.

• Management should focus on increasing seedling recruitment and reducing

damage to the reproductive adults so as to maintain long term viability of available resource base.

Acknowledgements

 Transiting to green growth Nepal-DANIDA project for the

financial support

 Rufford Small grant (RSG) for financial support  Department of National Parks & Wildlife Conservation  Annapurna Conservation Area Project, National Trust for

Nature Conservation

 Local people of the Annapurna Conservation Area

 Thank you

Thank You!!!