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<p>The nomadic shepherd tribes of the northwestern Himalayan region are renowned for their migratory lifestyle, traveling alongside their herds of sheep and goats. They typically engage in seasonal migrations within the northwestern Himalayas, moving from high-altitude areas to lower hills to shield their livestock from extreme seasonal conditions. As they dwell in remote regions during these migrations, far from accessible medical facilities, they heavily rely on specific plant species for ethnoveterinary treatments. The current research aimed to document the contemporary oral ethnoveterinary knowledge of Gaddi shepherds living in the Bharmour subdivision of Chamba district. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant field observation and close interaction with sixty participants, having knowledgeable about livestock matters and the utilization of traditional remedies, were surveyed, and their detailed responses were documented. To analyze the data, three distinct quantitative indexes were employed: the Use Value (UV), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), and Fidelity Level (FL%). <i>Mentha longifolia</i> L. exhibited the highest use value for ethnoveterinary practices, recorded at 0.77, while <i>Eugenia caryophyllata</i> Thunb., used for treating endoparasites, displayed the lowest value at 0.20. Among the plants, <i>Bauhinia vahlii</i> Wight &amp; Arn., <i>Bauhinia variegata</i> L., <i>Brassica rapa</i> L., <i>Cassia tora</i> L., <i>Calendula officinalis</i> Hohen., <i>Eugenia caryophyllata</i> Thunb., <i>Micromeria biflora</i> Benth., <i>Thymus linearis</i> Benth., and <i>Solanum viarum</i> Dunal. showed the highest fidelity level (100%), while <i>Cassia fistula</i> L., used for treating fever, exhibited the lowest fidelity level at 14.28%. In terms of informant consensus factor (ICF), endoparasitic treatment had the highest score (0.98), while anorexia had the lowest score (0.92) among ethnoveterinary practices. The findings of the study highlight the practical importance of traditional plant-based therapies in providing accessible and low-cost livestock healthcare for remote pastoral communities and the scientific importance of preserving this indigenous knowledge for future pharmacological validation and sustainable utilization of Himalayan medicinal flora.</p>

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Utilization of plant resources by migratory gaddi shepherds: applying traditional knowledge for animal health care in Northwestern Himalayas

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年12月12日

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  • Sonu Devi,
  • Rohit Bishist,
  • Bhupender Dutt,
  • Shriya Gupta,
  • Krishan Lal Gautam,
  • Kamal Kishore,
  • Rishav Sharma,
  • Rushal Dogra,
  • Iqbal Singh

摘要

The nomadic shepherd tribes of the northwestern Himalayan region are renowned for their migratory lifestyle, traveling alongside their herds of sheep and goats. They typically engage in seasonal migrations within the northwestern Himalayas, moving from high-altitude areas to lower hills to shield their livestock from extreme seasonal conditions. As they dwell in remote regions during these migrations, far from accessible medical facilities, they heavily rely on specific plant species for ethnoveterinary treatments. The current research aimed to document the contemporary oral ethnoveterinary knowledge of Gaddi shepherds living in the Bharmour subdivision of Chamba district. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant field observation and close interaction with sixty participants, having knowledgeable about livestock matters and the utilization of traditional remedies, were surveyed, and their detailed responses were documented. To analyze the data, three distinct quantitative indexes were employed: the Use Value (UV), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), and Fidelity Level (FL%). Mentha longifolia L. exhibited the highest use value for ethnoveterinary practices, recorded at 0.77, while Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb., used for treating endoparasites, displayed the lowest value at 0.20. Among the plants, Bauhinia vahlii Wight & Arn., Bauhinia variegata L., Brassica rapa L., Cassia tora L., Calendula officinalis Hohen., Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb., Micromeria biflora Benth., Thymus linearis Benth., and Solanum viarum Dunal. showed the highest fidelity level (100%), while Cassia fistula L., used for treating fever, exhibited the lowest fidelity level at 14.28%. In terms of informant consensus factor (ICF), endoparasitic treatment had the highest score (0.98), while anorexia had the lowest score (0.92) among ethnoveterinary practices. The findings of the study highlight the practical importance of traditional plant-based therapies in providing accessible and low-cost livestock healthcare for remote pastoral communities and the scientific importance of preserving this indigenous knowledge for future pharmacological validation and sustainable utilization of Himalayan medicinal flora.