Conservation of Local Ethno-medicinal Trees of Midnapore District, West Bengal through a Sacred Grove

Abstract

Sacred groves are small tracts of near-virgin forests protected by the indigenous communities. Being the storehouses of medicinal plants, these are a unique Indian way of in-situ conservation of biodiversity. This paper deals with an account of the role played by Chilkigarh sacred grove in West Bengal in the conservation of regional ethnomedicinal trees. The study records 30 species of locally useful tree species of which 4 are rare in the wild. The paper calls for continued protection of the grove and also recommends to incorporate this traditional way of nature conservation into management plans.