Abstract ID: 3.12316 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants in India is gradually disappearing due to rapid modernization, deforestation, and the growing reliance on allopathic medicine. Indigenous communities and traditional healers, who have long relied on plant-based remedies for treating various ailments, are witnessing a decline in the transmission of this knowledge to younger generations. Urbanization and lifestyle changes have led to reduced dependence on traditional medicine, while commercial exploitation and biopiracy threaten the ownership and sustainability of indigenous practices. In Himalayas, particularly Jammu and Kashmir, a Union Territory of India, support rich biodiversity and a wealth of traditional plant-based remedies. Local people, healers, and tribal communities, including the Gujjar and Bakarwal, live in forested areas with their livestock and migrate from one place to another, extensively using medicinal plants for their healthcare. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted at three altitude ranges (1500m) to assess the traditional use of plants among indigenous communities. The study examines that these communities depend on a deep understanding of local flora, passed down through generations, to treat various diseases, including respiratory issues, digestive disorders, skin conditions, and inflammatory diseases. The harsh climatic conditions and limited access to modern healthcare systems in remote and high-altitude areas further reinforce the reliance on medicinal plants as primary healthcare solutions. The findings highlight those plants such as Berberis lyceum, Mentha longifolia, Prunus persica, Rosa webiana, and Mentha arvensis are widely used for their therapeutic properties. Ultimately, the study emphasizes the urgent need for the preservation and continuation of ethnobotanical knowledge, which plays a significant role in healthcare and disease management in Jammu and Kashmir.