Ethno-Botanical Importance of Some Tree Species in Jammu District, J & K

The concept of biodiversity is as old as origin of human beings on earth, but now biodiversity is under threat. Sacred groves are rich sources of biodiversity conserved by local people in the name of religious beliefs. In the present paper, a survey was carried out in sacred groves of Jammu district to enumerate the tree diversity and importance of trees in the area. In the 60 sacred groves studied a total of 87 tree species belonging to 44 families were observed. Out of these 87 tree species found in the study area 74 were medicinal, 12 of religious importance and 30 were identified as aesthetically and economically. The study emphasises on conservation, awareness generation and management of local knowledge and resources.