Abstract Detail

Conservation Biology

Ali, Kishwar [1], Khan, Nasrullah [2], Rehman, Inayat U. R. [2], Jury, Stephen [3], Ahmad, Habib [4].

Is there any future for ethno-botanical knowledge? Climate change and its impact: a case study from Hindu-Kush Himalayas.

The current study was designed to understand and plan for the conservation of the ethnomedicinal knowledge in the wake of climate change. A three step approach was adopted to assess the impact of global climate change on some ethno-medically and socio-economically important plant species of Hindu-Kush Himalayan Mountains i.e. Swat Valley, a remote northern valley in Pakistan. In the first step of the research, various plant species were assessed for the future climate change impact using Maximum entropy (MaxEnt) modelling technique. In the second step, a Multivariate ordination i.e. DCA and CCA methods of the Conoco software was used for analysing tree-tree, tree-herbaceous plants and plants-environment relationships. And finally in the third step, ethnomedical surveys were carried out using a number of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to collect data and calculate important indices i.e. Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Frequency of Citation (FC), Relative Importance Index (RII), Smith’s Salience Index (SII), Informant Agreement Ratio (IAR), Cultural Vale Index (CVI) and a newly suggested, Ali’s Conservation Priority Index (CPI). The results obtained from the species modeling suggest that by the year 2080, there will be a significant change in the distribution and density of the species. Multivariate analysis show that Picea smithiana, Cedrus deodar and Abies pindrow have a good degree of association with each other and are inclined to moderate ranges of altitudes. Species like, A. pindrow, Picea smithiana and Pinus wallichiana were found to be closely associated and thus can support a distinct type of sub-flora. It is clear from the results that the area has rich ethno-botanical knowledge and some plants are more important in terms of its use in this culture than the others. It can be concluded that climate changes due to anthropogenic activities will affect the socio-cultural and socio-ecological environment of the fragile Himalaya-Hindu-Kush Mountains which can ultimately result in food and medicine scarcity. Such studies on a wider scale are highly recommended for a better understanding.

1 - Salford University, Manchester, Biological Sciences, 12 Rookery Walk, Shefford, N/A, SG17 5HW, United Kingdom
2 - University of Malakand , Department of Botany , Dir Lower , Chakdara, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan, Pakistan
3 - University of Reading, Biological Sciences, Whitknight Campus, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 6AS, United Kingdom
4 - Hazara University, Department of Genetics, Hazara University , Mansehra, Hazara, Pakistan

Keywords:
climate change
Hindu-Kush Himalayas
MaxEnt
Ordination
ethnobotany
species distribution modelling
Swat Valley.

Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Topics
Session: 63
Location: Salon 19/20/The Shaw Conference Centre
Date: Wednesday, July 29th, 2015
Time: 11:15 AM
Number: 63012
Abstract ID:355
Candidate for Awards:None