Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Floral Diversity of the Sacred Groves in Gangajalghati, Bikna and Onda Blocks of Bankura District, West Bengal, India


Affiliations
1 Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, West Bengal, India
2 Zoological Survey of India, North Eastern Regional Centre, Fruit Garden, Risa Colony, Shillong- 793003, Meghalaya, India
3 Department of Botany, Bankim Sardar College, P.O- Tangrakhali, South 24 Parganas, Pin- 743329, West Bengal, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Forested patches with single tree to diverse forms of flora protected by the local people with some customary myths and taboos associated are called sacred groves (SGs). Removal of biological resources is strictly restricted from these isolated patches and thus SGs are playing a significant role in the conservation of biodiversity. Present communication reports on such sacred groves of Blocks Gangajalghati, Bikna and Onda in Bankura district of West Bengal from where 37 SGs are reported. Altogether, these 37 SGs hold a total of 46 plant species belonging to 24 families with various functional values. Of them, 24 are medicinally important, 13 produce timber, 3 are ornamental trees, 2 shade trees, 9 produce edible fruits, 2 are sacred trees and 20 species belong to the non-timber product (NTP) genre.

Keywords

Sacred Groves (SGs), Conservation, Gangajalghati, Bikna, Onda, NTP.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Angiosperm Phylogeny Group. 2016. “An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG IV” (PDF), Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 181(1): 1–20.
  • Anthwal, A., Sharma, R. C. and Sharma, A. 2006. Sacred Groves: Traditional way of conserving plant diversity in Garhwal Himalaya, Uttaranchal. The Journal of American Sciences, 2(2): 35-38.
  • Brandis, D. 1897. Indigenous Indian Forestry : Sacred Groves. Indian Forestry, Oriental Institute Woking, 12-13.
  • Chakraborti, U., Biswas, O., Das, A. K., Roy, S., Das, P. and Mitra, B. 2016. Studies on Sacred Groves and Sacred Trees along the Eastern bank of river Hoogly of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Indian Forester, 142(2): 156-166.
  • Deb, D. and Malhotra, K. C. 1997. Interface between biodiversity and tribal cultural heritage. Journal of Human Ecology, 8: 157-163.
  • Ganesan, S., Ponnuchamy, M., Kesavan, L. and Selvaraj, A. 2009. Floristic composition and practices on the selected sacred groves of Pallapatty village (Reserved forest), Tamil Nadu. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 8(2): 154-162.
  • Mitra, B. 2014. Insect faunal diversity in the Sacred Groves of Sonamukhi Block, Bankura district, West Bengal, India. J. Environ. & Sociobiol., 11(1): 79-88.
  • Mitra, B., Das, P., Ghosh, S. and Mishra, P. 2015. Sacred Groves of Barjora, Chhatna and Saltora Blocks of Bankura district, West Bengal. Indian Forester, 141(8): 861-865.
  • Negi, C. S. 2005. Socio-cultural and ethnobotanical value of a sacred forest Thal Ke Dhar, central Himalaya. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, 4(2): 190-198.
  • Sanyal, M. N. 1994. Flora of Bankura District, West Bengal. New Delhi: Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 555pp. ISBN 8121100836.

Abstract Views: 391

PDF Views: 3




  • Floral Diversity of the Sacred Groves in Gangajalghati, Bikna and Onda Blocks of Bankura District, West Bengal, India

Abstract Views: 391  |  PDF Views: 3

Authors

Bulganin Mitra
Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, West Bengal, India
Arna Mazumder
Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, West Bengal, India
Priyanka Das
Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, West Bengal, India
Imtiaz Imam
Zoological Survey of India, North Eastern Regional Centre, Fruit Garden, Risa Colony, Shillong- 793003, Meghalaya, India
Argha Sarkar
Department of Botany, Bankim Sardar College, P.O- Tangrakhali, South 24 Parganas, Pin- 743329, West Bengal, India

Abstract


Forested patches with single tree to diverse forms of flora protected by the local people with some customary myths and taboos associated are called sacred groves (SGs). Removal of biological resources is strictly restricted from these isolated patches and thus SGs are playing a significant role in the conservation of biodiversity. Present communication reports on such sacred groves of Blocks Gangajalghati, Bikna and Onda in Bankura district of West Bengal from where 37 SGs are reported. Altogether, these 37 SGs hold a total of 46 plant species belonging to 24 families with various functional values. Of them, 24 are medicinally important, 13 produce timber, 3 are ornamental trees, 2 shade trees, 9 produce edible fruits, 2 are sacred trees and 20 species belong to the non-timber product (NTP) genre.

Keywords


Sacred Groves (SGs), Conservation, Gangajalghati, Bikna, Onda, NTP.

References