Ethnobotanical knowledge and plant use patterns among the major ethnic communities of Mahankal Rural Municipality, Lalitpur District, Central Nepal

Abstract

Background: Plant species and their traditional knowledge play a vital role in sustaining the livelihoods, culture and health of communities in Nepal. Although several ethnobotanical studies have been conducted across the country, systematic documentation at the local level and active conservation initiatives remain limited, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions.

Methods: This study was conducted in Mahankal Rural Municipality of Lalitpur District, central Nepal to document local ethnobotanical knowledge and practices under various aspects. Field work was carried out during June-July 2024 using purposive sampling of 56 respondents representing diverse genders, age groups and ethnic communities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and participatory field walks with key informants including traditional healers and elderly knowledge holders.

Results: A total of 98 plant species belonging to 54 families were recorded of which 58 species were medicinal, 19 used as fodder, 15 for cultural/religious purposes and 14 used in food items. Those medicinal species were used in treating 41 various ailments with leaves and whole plants as the most commonly used parts. Similarly, oral administration was the predominant mode of application and juice was the common form medicinal products administered to the body. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) analyses revealed strong agreement for treatments of neoplasms (ICF=0.95), poisoning (ICF=0.92) and reproductive disorders (ICF=0.89). This highlights the reliability and cultural significance of certain species such as Zanthoxylum armatum, Ageratina adenophora and Mentha spicata. Statistical analysis demonstrated that education level (χ²=18.42, p<0.01) and ethnicity (χ²=24.67, p<0.001) significantly influenced knowledge distribution with Tamang communities showing distinctly higher familiarity with medicinal applications compared to Brahmin and Chhetri groups. Ethnicity also significantly affected treatment preferences for gastrointestinal and respiratory ailments (p<0.05). Younger generations (<40 years) exhibited markedly reduced knowledge of traditional practices compared to elders (>60 years) (H=32.15, p<0.001).

Conclusions: The study highlights both the richness of ethnobotanical species and vulnerability of traditional knowledge and its transfer to future generations. Priority conservation attention is required for overexploited species including Zanthoxylum armatum, Taxus wallichiana, Swertia chirayita and Valeriana jatamansi, which face habitat loss and unsustainable harvesting pressure in the study area.

Keywords: Ailments, Ethnomedicine, Indigenous knowledge, Informant consensus factor (ICF), Local healers, Non-timber forest products (NTFPs), Relative frequency of citation (RFC), Traditional practices