The heritage of the Western Ghats: Today the world looks at Ayurveda, the codified system of Indian medicine, as a holistic healthcare system. It is emerging as one of the greatest tourist attractions of the country, and the growth of Ayurveda based healthcare centres of South India, especially Kerala, is contributing substantially towards its economic growth, apart from popularizing the magic of medical herbs. This is despite Ayurveda having roots in the Vedas, and bulk of the most popular and widely traded traditional medicinal plants belonging to the North, including the Himalayas. The South Indian system remained obscure until the late 17th century Governor of Dutch Malabar, Hendrik van Rheede compiled the enormous wealth of indigenous medical care system prevalent in the South Indian Western Ghats-west coast region, through a series of 12 volumes entitled Hortus Malabaricus published from Amsterdam through a period of 25 years1678-1703. That the publication of this well- illustrated botanical work on Malabar medicinal plants was completed three years before the birth of  Carl Linnaeus, known as the ‘Father of Modern Botany’, revealed to the modern world the great treasure of medicinal plants of South-west India. It is also notable that before the proposal of binomial system of nomenclature for naming plants and animals by Linnaeus, the indigenous Malabar system had already applied two names to designate most plants. Thus different species of Piper were named in the Hortus as ‘Molagu codi’ (Piper nigrum), ‘Betla codi’ (Piper betel) ‘Cattu tippali’ (Piper longum), ‘Am molagu’ (Piper argyrophyllum) etc. Thus in Malayalam became Uvaria narum. The balsams were designated by several native binomials like: Valli onapu (Impatiens latifolia), Tsjeria onapu (Impatiens tilo) Man onapu (Impatiens minor), Beluta onapu (Impatiens minor) etc.Interestingly Linnneaus had used several Malabar names for plants in his binomial system: Eg. ‘Wattakakakodi’(Wattakaka volubilis), ‘Chemmbakm’ (Michelia champaca), Basala (Basella alba), ‘Narum panel’ (Uvaria narum) etc.
Conferring Global Biodiversity Hotspot status to the Western Ghats, the enactment of the Biodiversity Act-2002 (BDA-2002) by the Government of India, following the 1992 UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the formation of Village Forest Committees in forested areas in many parts, and the ongoing constitution of Biodiversity Management Committees at the level of local bodies, as is mandatory under the  BDA-2002, there has been an awakening in the country towards documentation, protection and sustainable use of its great wealth of plant and animal diversity. Conferring Medicinal Plants Conservation Area (MPCA) status for promising forest patches is to be considered a move in the right direction to study in detail such areas and to come out with appropriate management regimes so as to enhance the medicinal plant wealth through habitat conservation, ex situ conservation and sustained, community based programmes for enrichment of local livelihoods through medicinal plants cultivation, scientific methods of extraction/processing and marketing assistance .  

Coming to the prospects of harnessing medicinal plants wealth and associated traditional knowledge and outcomes of modern research, it needs to be stated that India’s per capita annual consumption of drugs of Rs.125 is one of the lowest in the world mainly because medicinal plants constitute the principal health care resources for the majority of population. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that 80% of the population of developing countries relies on traditional medicines, mostly plant drugs, for their primary health care needs. Modern pharmacopoeia still contains at least 25% drugs derived from plants and many other drugs are, are synthetic analogues, built on prototype compounds, isolated from plants. Transition from synthetic drugs and microbially produced antibiotics to plant based drugs for holistic health care is rapidly gaining acceptance. Global resurgence in use of plant based drugs is an opportunity for India to attain self-reliance and boost the export of herbal drugs (Task Force on Medicinal Plants, Govt. of India, Planning Commission, 2000). The demand on plant based therapeutics is increasing in both developing and developed counties due to the growing recognition that they are natural products, being non-narcotic, having no side-effects, easily available at affordable prices and sometimes the only source of health care available to the poor. Medicinal plants sector has traditionally occupied an important position in the socio-cultural, spiritual and medicinal arena of rural and tribal lives of India. The global thrust areas for drugs from medicinal plants include disease conditions, whose incidence is increasing and where the modern drugs are either unavailable or unsatisfactory (-ibid-).
At present, 90% collection of medicinal plants is from the wild, generating about 40 million man-days employment (part and full) and since 70% of plants collections involve destructive harvesting, many plants are endangered or vulnerable or threatened. Currently medicinal plants are collected without paying attention to the stage of maturity. They are stored haphazardly for long period of time under unsuitable conditions. This results in deterioration in quality. Such materials are not acceptable to importers and standard manufacturing drug units (-ibid-). Despite the wealth of resources (biological, human and financial) available, the sector has not developed in the absence of suitable standardisation, quality control and efficacy of drugs. It has yet to formalize and organise marketing and trade and integrate the development of medicinal plants from production to consumption to boost export of herbal formulations. The Task Force on Conservation and Sustainable use of Medicinal Plants, set up by the Planning Commission of India made several recommendations which include the following:

• Establishment of 200 Medicinal Plant Conservation Areas (MPCA), covering all ecosystems, forest types and subtypes
• Medicinal plant species which are rare or endangered or threatened should be identified and their ex-situ conservation may be attempted in the established gardens, plantations and other areas.
• Two hundred "Vanaspati Van" may be established in degraded forest areas (with an area of about 3500 - 5000 hectares each). Intensive production of medicinal plants from these "Vanaspati Vans" will produce quality herbal products and generate productive employment to 50 lakh people, specially women, who are skilled in herbal production, collection and utilization. "Vanaspati Van" should be managed under JFM for benefit sharing to alleviate poverty of tribals.
• Twenty five species having the maximum demand should be cultivated under captive and organic farming.
• To prevent patenting of our traditional knowledge by outsiders, all the available information should be properly formatted in a digital form by using international standards for wider use both at the national and international level. Efforts should be intensified to create an Indian Traditional Knowledge Base Digital Library.

The importance of Uttara Kannada MPCAs: Highlighting the importance of research and development to fully convert the potential of our medicinal plants into economic wealth, the Medicinal Plants Task Force stressed upon the essentiality of very active R&D programme to cover all aspects relating to the species from collection to utilisation. For convenience medicinal species may be classified into: (a) those which are of proven medicinal value as per scientific parameters, (b) those on which sufficient leads are available, and (c) those on which much work is required to be done. The MPCAs in the evergreen forest belt of Uttara Kannada certainly fit into this framework for the reasons that: Many of the Western Ghat plants have been used for medicinal purposes from pre-history. Several such plants are cited in this report on which recent  researched carried out revealed their amazing potential for treating/preventing even deadly diseases like cancer and overall enhancement of health using plants rich in antioxidants. Much work needs to be done yet for scores of species in the MPCAs, especially from  the genera like Litsea, Diospyros, Syzygium, Polyalthia, Psychotria and Strobilathus, on wild palms like Caryota urens, Arenga wightii., Corypha umbraculifera (umbrella palm or talipot palm), Calamus spp (canes)., Piper spp. (wild pepper), apart from orchids, ferns and lichensetc. Bulk of these species endemic to Western Ghats is rarely/insufficiently or never researched for their medicinal purposes. This justifies the importance of Uttara Kannada MPCAs which serve the primary purpose of in situ conservation of scores of plants awaiting modern research to unravel their therapeutic values.

The role of involving local communities: The village and forest dwelling communities are to be actively involved/employed in medicinal plants cultivation and conservation in the wild. This partnership will pave the way for implementation of the Biodiversity Act-2002 in its true spirit, to benefit these communities with economic rewards for their ethno-medical knowledge which are getting scientific validation through modern research at a rapid phase. The village communities are to be actively involved in bulk production of various medicinal plants suitable for cultivation in their household gardens in small or big scale or in the portions of forests under JFM programmes etc. Appropriate technology should be made available to local growers of medicinal plants to prepare value added products for marketing purposes.

The value of the current study and future needs: The current study, carried out in the MPCAs, despite its short term nature, has brought out many intrinsic features of valuable patches of forests, with their plant population estimates, especially for trees and to some extent of other life forms. We need to emphasize here that strengthening of such data bases on MPCAs through continued research, aimed at estimates of population and conservation of those less known species of potential medicinal values, is essential.  Species mapping within the MPCAs is another challenging task to be achieved. The MPCAs could be ideally conservation centres for natural populations of medicinal plants as well as be sources for supply of authenticated plant specimens/samples for medical research. The ethno-botanical values of the MPCA species need to be investigated in greater detail through studies extended beyond the local areas, through inter-regional comparisons, to initiate validation processes through modern research. There is also need for technology transfers to local communities on production of marketable intermediate plant products so as to enhance their income levels and for their active involvement in MPCA protection. Large scale production of medicinal plants in high demand should be carried out in local villages utilizing assistance available from organizations like WHO, FAO etc. It is recommended here that, based on the MPCAs, educative literature may be produced in local languages on awareness creation and publicity on plant based medical products and their importance for integrated, holistic health management.

Cultivation and trade assistance for medicinal plants/products: According to the World Bank report 1998 world trade in medicinal plants and related products is expected to be of the order of US $ 5 trillion by A D 2050. In India, it is a known fact that most of the medicinal plant resources are from the wild- collected from mainly forests areas, rapidly depleting the stock. This situation has to change expeditiously. Establishment of linkages between farmers and pharmaceutical industries is an urgent necessity. The Forest Department, preferably through NGOs, may facilitate ‘contract farming’ of medicinal plants by local farmers to cater to the demand of local Ayurvedic pharmacies and for outside procurers, under a buy-back system to benefit local growers in a risk free manner and also to reduce dependence on forests for indiscriminate collections. Organic certification is essential for capturing good market prices for local growers and the departments of forests/horticulture have to facilitate necessary processes in this regard. Many larger pharmacies like Dabur, Zandu, Himalaya drugs, Arya Vaidya Sala- Kottakal, Shree Dhootpapeshwar etc., have started promoting contract farming of medicinal plants to meet their demand. The pharmaceutical industries like Cipla, Natural Remedies, Core Health Care, Cadila Health Care, Bio-Ved Pharma etc., who specialise in production of a few specialty drugs/chemicals from plant sources are also involved in such farming to supplement their requirements through buy-back arrangements with the growers. Established traders of crude drugs also feel that promotion of cultivation of medicinal plants is a step in right direction. Forest Department may fix minimum prices for the products sold from its jurisdictional areas to benefit the local producers. Threatened medicinal plants may be multiplied in forest Department nurseries and supplied to farmers. Growers should be given package of good agricultural practices, especially certified propagules,  cultivation techniques, quality control of raw-material,  species-specific post-harvest storage and preparation of value added products for marketing. It should be ensured that organic farming practices are strictly followed. Assistance of pharmacology experts may be sought for training growers in quality control of products.

Strengthening institutional mechanisms for management: The existing mechanisms of co-operatives, Joint Forest Management, Self Help Groups etc. need to be strengthened and made more competent in trading of medicinal plants and their productions. The services of local NGOs of repute may be enlisted in streamlining of activities related to awareness creation, establishing linkages with buyers, marketing processes etc. The Forest Department has to make a register of all traders in medicinal plants and their products and take care to see that collection from the wild is strictly adhering to existing regulations applicable to each species, whether the curative properties of such plants are already known or yet remain to be established. 

Preparation of ‘Health Heritage’: There are scores of traditional vaidyas, who are herbal healers, in the Uttara Kannada villages. There is need to document comprehensively the expertise and knowledge base of these healers, separately for Shirgunji MPCA and Jankadkal MPCA zones (covering all adjoining panchayats). These records should be authentic documents for respective panchayats, mentioning the names of the knowledge holders and their specific area of knowledge related to ethnomedicinal practice. Such a database should be digitized and in retrievable form with the names of those knowledge-holders recorded. Such works should also incorporate the scientific advances of recent times pertaining to the studies carried out on the local medicinal plants, so that the benefits from ongoing/future commercial applications based on traditional knowledge should be shared with grass roots level people.  A set of recommendations for follow up actions are given here for consideration:

• Preparing a compilation of traditional uses of medicinal plants in MPCAs and status report on scientific investigations, current utilization levels, requirements and species-specific action plans for future. 
• Creating awareness among the public and local stakeholders about especially the less known medicinal plants and their uses, values and future prospects 
• Preparation of herbaria, posters and booklets on individual MPCAs incorporating the intrinsic value of these sites. Establishment of digital herbaria is advisable in view of the humid weather adverse to storage of herbarium specimens.
• In view of the rising need for medicinal plants and their products, there has been widespread and unregulated exploitation and trade. Honavar Forest Division, with its rich forest resources, needs to have a unit meant for storing voucher specimens, samples of crude drugs and facilities for identification of samples referred to it. Tie up with other local institutions is advisable in case of difficulties in establishing/handling such units.
• Documentation of traditional primary healthcare in the villages adjoining all the MPCAs will be also very helpful in preparation of People’s Biodiversity Registers, mandatory under the Biodiversity Act-2002, so that there will be greater community participation in MPCA management and the communities stand to gain from benefit sharing mechanism under the BDA.
• Awareness creation about the modern research on the plants inside the MPCAs and how such knowledge can be integrated into traditional health care systems is recommended.
• In view of the decreasing availability of therapeutic herbs from the wild due to over-exploitation and forest degradation, cultivation has to be promoted.
• Improved low cost technologies for medicine preparation at the village level healers should be made available to make the medicines more effective, stable, reproducible and saleable.
• MPCAs should be frequently evaluated and enriched with appropriate site specific medicinal plants, ranging from herbs to trees, climbers and epiphytes.
• Human intervention in habitat management in the MPCAs should be limited to peripheral areas than the core areas. As natural vegetational changes are already happening through the process of succession, especially in secondary forests, efforts should not be made to retain the species which are getting phased out naturally; eg. deciduous tree species in a recovering evergreen forest belt after wholesale human induced changes like fire and deforestation in the past. Such interventions if needed are to be restricted to areas under constant disturbances only.
• Developing sense of responsibility for maintenance of MPCAs is to be developed in the local community, especially among women and youth, through awareness and training in handling, nurturing, collection and processing of medicinal plants.
• Ex-situ cultivation in household gardens of surrounding villages of MPCAs be carried out systematically, especially of those species which are rare and in high demand or routinely required for primary health care. This scheme has to be worked out and implemented through consultative meetings at village level, awareness programmes, assistance in processing and marketing etc., if necessary.
• Sacred groves in the adjoining panchayats be documented, mapped and the status of their medicinal plants wealth to be documented for strengthening community based conservation of these ancient relics of forests in the rural areas.
• Locality specific small scale medicinal plant vanas may be established in private holdings as well as in the peripheral forests through allowing especially women’s self-help groups to undertake such ventures on JFM principle, to produce raw materials required for local markets and for sale outside. Some of the recommended species for the region are in the Table 5.1.

Table 5.1. A list of plants recommended for cultivation in household gardens/JFM/SHG controlled forest areas

15.   Some of the medicinal plants which require special attention in Janakadkal MPCA are:

16. Some of the medicinal plants which require special attention in Shirgunji MPCA are:

• Garcinia indica (Kokum; Murgila): In high demand for medicinal, culinary uses and as beverage. The distribution of this medicinal plant is good and occurs in most forest edges and other open areas. However with increasing anthropogenic pressure this tree is under threat and needs more in situ conservation measures. Restoration measures such as planting in forest open areas and edges will naturally increase the species survival.
• Garcinia cambogia: In high global demand for extraction of HCA.
• Abrus precatorius (Gulgunji): Mostly found in semi-evergreen areas. It also occurs in minor forests with high disturbance. Hence this species can be suitable candidate for in situ conservation in open forests.
• Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari): This important medicinal plant is found distributed in semi-evergreen forest and can be very important addition during planting with other medicinal plants in more shaded fragmented areas.
• Celastrus paniculatus (Jotishmati): Highly traded medicinal plant found in small number in these areas can be more intensively planted in open forest areas and edges.
• Rauvolfia serpetina (Sarpagandha): A valuable and highly traded and over-exploited medicinal plant found in the open degraded forest areas needs more intensive in-situ conservation. Scrubby forest areas are ideal.
• Alstonia scholaris (Halemara, Saptaparni): Found distributed more in semi-evergreen forest. This tree is suitable for forest openings and semi-evergreen degraded forest areas.
• Other less seen medicinal plants, mainly evergreens, in high demand for consideration are:  Cinnamomum sulphuratum. C.malabatrum (Dalchini), Gmelina arborea (Shivuni), Myristica malabarica (Rampatri), Artocarpus hirsitus (Hebbalasu), Calophyllum apetalum (Bobbi). Shrubs and climbers such as Salacia chinensis (Ekanayaka), Nothopodytes nimmoniana, Rubia cordifolia (Majishta), Smilax ovalifolia (Kaadu-hambu), Tinospora cordifolia (Amruthaballi), Piper spp (Kaadu-menasu; wild pepper)., Coscinium fenestratum (Tree turmeric), Acacia concinna (shikekai), Gloriosa superba etc. can be more planted in disturbed forest areas.
• Deciduous species: Many important deciduous tree medicinal plants well distributed here includes Buchnania lanzan (Nurkalu), Careya arborea (Kaval-mara), Terminalia bellirica (Tari), Phyllanthus emblica (Nellikai), Bombax insigne etc. These also can be used in in-situ conservation for planting in highly degraded scrub areas.
• Cultivable species: Many medicinal plants have very high demand whhich cannot be catered to from wild sources only. Hence these can be brought into cultivation with the local farmers and medicinal gardens. Important medicinal plants such as Adhadhoda zeylanica (Vasaka; Adusoke), Andrographis paniculata (Kiriyata), Baliospermum montanum, Bacopa monnerie (Brahmi), Gloriosa superba, Piper longum (Hippali; Long pepper), Tinospora cordifolia (Amruthaballi), Curcuma zerumbet (Kasthuri), Cyclea peltata, etc. (see also Table 5.1), are cultivable, have high demand and their shorter life cycle enables early harvest.

Farmers view regarding medicinal plants cultivation in Shirgunji (also holds good for Jankadkal)
Interview and group discussion with local farmers regarding cultivation of medicinal plants highlighted following points:

• Many farmers were interested in cultivation of medicinal plants.
• Farmers needed assurance from the Government or other agencies such as “buy back” scheme for the medicinal plants cultivated.
• They needed protocol for the cultivation methods of specific medicinal plants.
• They mostly opted for biennial or annual medicinal plants or which yield early as most farmers were from medium to low income group.
• Some farmers also insisted some initial monetary help from Government or other agencies for cultivating long term medicinal plants such as Cassia fistula, Myristica malabarica, Phyllanthus emblica, Terminalia spp., etc.

More awareness and knowledge regarding medicinal plant cultivation is required.