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Papers by Nazir Pala

The traditional utilization of ethno-medicinal plants used for the treatment of jaundice and othe... more The traditional utilization of ethno-medicinal plants used for the treatment of jaundice and other liver disorder is commonly known among ethnic groups. The present study was carried out among the forest fringe villages of Chilapatta Reserve Forest in foothills of the eastern Sub-Hi-malayan mountain belts of West Bengal. The aim of the study was to document the traditionally used ethno-medicinal plant resources against jaundice and other liver disorders. A total of 19 plant species belonging to 15 families and 17 genera were documented. These 19 species were dominated by trees (07), herbs (05), shrubs (03) and four species of climbers. The plant families dominating the list were Apiaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae with 2 species each. Fruits (08) were the most dominant plant parts used for the treatment followed by leaves of 07 species. The plant parts are employed by the inhabitants in the form of infusion, decoction, paste, juice, etc., either as a sole drug species or in combination with other species. The documented plants and their procedure for utilization can be a useful tool for scientific community for further evaluation and recommendations to the practicing communities.

Agroforestry Systems, 2016

Indian Forester, Jan 3, 2014

Forests often store carbon at rates well below their potential and thus could be responsive to th... more Forests often store carbon at rates well below their potential and thus could be responsive to the management of enhanced carbon sequestration. The present study was carried out in Duggada area of Garhwal Himalaya to assess tree biomass and total carbon density. The dominant tree species were found Salix tetraseprma, Toona hexandra, Emblica -1 officinalis and Acacia catechu. Total carbon density was 525.15 mg ha and ranged between 81.27±4.82 for Bischofia -1 -1 javanica to 4.38±0.29 mg ha for Ficus religosa. Total tree biomass density (TBD) was 1050.30 mg ha and values varied -1 from 162.54±9.65 in Bischofia javanica to 8.77±0.59 mg ha for Ficus religosa. However, value of below ground biomass density (BGBD) was 806.95 and range between 128.8±7.85 for Bischofia javanica to 6.41±0.45 in Ficus religosa. Total tree biomass density was 1050.30 mg ha and values varied from 162.54±9.65 in Bischofia javanica -1 to 8.77±0.59 mg ha for Ficus religosa.

Journal of Hill Agriculture, 2015

Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2015

This study was an attempt to document the indigenous Lepcha people's perception on climate change... more This study was an attempt to document the indigenous Lepcha people's perception on climate change-related issues in five villages of Dzongu Valley located in Kanchandzonga Biosphere Reserve, India. Personal structured questionnaire was used for interview of 300 households selected randomly. Results showed that 85 % of the households have perceived climate change, mainly in the form of increasing temperature and unpredictable pattern of rainfall. In terms of climate change-related events, 75 % of the households believed that wind is becoming warmer and stronger over the past years. Majority of the households have observed changes in crop phenology, while about 90 % agreed that the incidences of insect pest and diseases have increased over the years, especially in their large cardamom crop. A comparison of community perceptions, climatic observations and scientific literature shows that the community have correctly perceived temperature change, unpredictable occurrence of rainfall and increased incidence of insect pest and diseases, which have largely influenced the experiences and perceptions regarding climate-related events. Results reveal that households have adopted the use of locally available material as mulches against soil erosion, to conserve the soil moisture and manage soil temperature. Majority of the households have diversified their cropping system through traditional agroforestry systems and intercropping. Unfortunately, most of the households were unaware about the scientific sustainable approaches to combating impact of climate change. This documentation will aid in assessing the needs in terms of actions and information for facilitating climate change-related adaptation locally in Sikkim state of India.

A survey for documentation of ethno-veterinary medicinal plants used by the farmer community to c... more A survey for documentation of ethno-veterinary medicinal plants used by the farmer community to cure animal diseases in Tehri District of Garhwal Himalaya. Two Gram Sabha viz. Tokoli and Quali and three villages under each Gram sabha were randomly selected for the study. Ethno-veterinary information was gathered through individual interviews and personal observations among the farmer community. A total of 35 species of ethno-veterinary medicinal plants belongs to 26 families and 34 genera were recorded in the study with the help of ethno-veterinary traditional healers. These 35 medicinal plant species were dominated by herbaceous flora and were used to cure almost 30 different diseases. Leaves were dominant part of the plant used to cure different livestock diseases. Traditional healers relay on visual, audio and tactile senses to establish a diagnosis and on rare occasions the diagnosis failed and cause death of animal in acute pain. The result of the present study highlighted that...

Soil carbon status of chir pine forests was studied in the chir pine working circle of two forest... more Soil carbon status of chir pine forests was studied in the chir pine working circle of two forest ranges (Solan and Dharampur) of Solan Forest Division, in Himachal Pradesh, at an altitudinal gradient from 600-2260 m amsl. A total of 33 forest compartments were selected for the study. The soil samples were collected from humus layer, 0-20 cm, 20-40 cm, 40-100 cm soil depth. The results showed that the soil pH increased while electrical conductivity decreased with increasing depth. The soil organic carbon (%) decreased with increasing soil depth, while soil bulk density showed the reverse trend with increasing soil depth. The soil carbon stock ranged from 18.87 to 317.31 t in the humus layer, from 127.87 to 2069.10 t at a depth of 0 to 20 cm, from 118.37 to 1675.80 t at 20 to 40 cm depth and from 207.35 to 3441.20 t at 40 to 100 cm soil depth. The soil carbon density ranged from 6.73 to 9.62 t ha in the humus layer, from 33.73 to 55.80 t ha at a depth of 0 to 20 cm, from 30.52 to 50....

The Chanderbadni forest is considered as sacred and falls under altitudinal range from 1850m to 2... more The Chanderbadni forest is considered as sacred and falls under altitudinal range from 1850m to 2245m above msl with N 30º 17´51´´0º 18´4´´o E 78º 36´0´´8º 37´9´´he goddess associated with the Chanderbadni forest is Durga Mata Sita and is considered one of the famous deities in Garhwal Himalaya. In the present study a total of 80 species representing 75 genera from 40 families were recorded. Of these 21, 27 and 32 were trees, shrubs and herbs respectively. The maximum number of species were found in family Rosaceae (12) followed by Lamiaceae and Asteraceae with seven each. Quercus leucotrichophora with IVI (116.63), Berberis aristata with IVI (30.23) and Andropogon munroi with IVI of (38.84) were dominant among trees, shrubs and herbs respectively. The overall density and TBC of trees were recorded as 6.88 trees/100m 2 and 32.63 m 2 /ha respectively. The present study may be helpful in recognising the sacred conserved ecosystems at various levels for better management and conservati...

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in the form of crop-raiding and attack by wild animals has become i... more Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in the form of crop-raiding and attack by wild animals has become integral part for communities located at the borders of protected areas. Stratified-random sample of 103 respondents of 5 villages living in the Kitam Bird Sanctuary were interviewed to understand and manage growing concerns. Most of the farmers interviewed suffered major financial losses annually due to crop damage by wild pigs (Sus scrofa), Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus), Barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis), Assamese rabbit (Caprolagus hispidus), Crestless Porcupines (Hystrix hodsoni), and Jungle fowl (Gallus gallus). A huge majority of respondents considered wild boar to be the most destructing animal among the crop raiders due to the significant adaptability of this animal in their surroundings. The only livestock mostly depredated was Goat by its only depredator, Common leopard (Panthera pardus) with an average loss of 1.55 goats per house. Nonleth...

The present investigation was carried out in Dooars region of West Bengal to document medico-reli... more The present investigation was carried out in Dooars region of West Bengal to document medico-religious plants. Personal observation and questionnaire survey was done apart from discussions held with elder people of the local communities. A list of about 40 sacred and useful plants of North Bengal was recorded along with their brief description. The reported plants belonged to 30 families and 39 genera. Family Poaceae was dominant representing 5 species. Results revealed that 13 species of plants are used to cure fever, 10 species to cure skin diseases, 9 species to cure ulcer, 8 species to cure wounds, 8 species to treat burning sensation and 3 species to cure malaria. These plant species are also used to cure stomach disorders, venereal diseases, scabies, constipation, asthma and many other diseases. Some of the plants like Acacia arabica, Artemisia vulgaris and Azadirachta indica are used by the local people to eliminate evil spirits.

The continuous erosion of traditional knowledge of plants used for medicine in the past and the r... more The continuous erosion of traditional knowledge of plants used for medicine in the past and the renewed interest at the present echoes the need that exists to document this valuable resource. Keeping this in view, the present study was conducted in oak dominated forests of Nainital catchment area in the Kumaon region of Central Himalaya, to enlist the plant species having medicinal value. A total of 113 plant species of medicinal value were enlisted with herbs which contributing the maximum (56.64%), followed by shrubs (30.97%) and trees (12.39%). These plant species represented 99 genera under 56 families. The dominant family was Asteraceae with 15 species, followed by Lamiaceae and Rosaceae with 9 and 7 species respectively. For utility purpose, 40 species had root/rhizome/bulb as the medicinal part and 35 species had leaf as the medicinal part. The whole plant/plant extract was used for medicinal values of 19 species while flower/fruits of 18 species, bark of 12 species and seeds...

The Lepcha’s were hunters and gatherers and used to live complete nomadic lives in and around Kan... more The Lepcha’s were hunters and gatherers and used to live complete nomadic lives in and around Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve (Mukhopadhyay et. al., 1996 and Arora, 2006). Since mid-nineteenth century, they began practicing settled agriculture (Das, 1978) particularly because of increased production of large cardamom, as a cash crop. Lepcha’s also grow rice, maize, millet, wheat, buckwheat, pulses, vegetables and in some parts sugarcane and fruits. Animal husbandry is another important economic activity of this community. The crop grown in and around kitchen garden mostly are ginger, chilies, beans, cucumber, garlic, sweet potatoes, yams and sugarcane (Pradhan and Badola, 2008). Traditionally large cardamom and recently ginger cultivation is the main agrarian activity in Dzongu Area of North Sikkim. Ginger has been adopted by this community in their cropping pattern after decline in the large cardamom production. Both the crops play a vital role in the state economy in terms of direct and indirect employment and income generation. Considering the importance of large cardamom and ginger in the livelihood of Lepchas, it was felt necessary to identify knowledge intensity and problems of Ginger and large Cardamom production in Dzongu area, North Sikkim.

To document the traditional knowledge and usage about wild vegetable plants, a total of 179 peopl... more To document the traditional knowledge and usage about wild vegetable plants, a total of 179 people of both genders belonging to different age groups were interviewed in seventeen villages of three blocks of the Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Thirty one wild vegetable species belonging to 22 genera and 16 families were used by tribal people for vegetable preparation. Among sixteen families, Asteraceae, Malvaceae and Polygonaceae had four wild vegetable species each followed by Brassicaceae with three species. Four plant families had two wild vegetable species each and remaining eight families had one species each. Among the wild vegetable plants recorded, all were herbs except Ficus palmata. Diplazium esculentum, Nasturtium officinale and Phytolacca acinosa were preferred and most used species for making vegetables due to their palatability and taste. The study revealed that the knowledge is vanishing due to changing social values and non participation of younger generation in c...

Journal of Tropical Forest Science

SHAH S, SHARMA DP, TRIPATHI P & PALA NA. 2014. Carbon partitioning in subtropical Pinus roxburghi... more SHAH S, SHARMA DP, TRIPATHI P & PALA NA. 2014. Carbon partitioning in subtropical Pinus roxburghii forest, Solan, India. This study was carried out in subtropical chir pine forests covering 33 compartments in two forest ranges of Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Non-destructive method for biomass estimation was adopted for trees whereas harvest method was used to determine the biomass of understorey vegetation, i.e. herbs and shrubs. The total ecosystem carbon density was 247.87 t ha-1. Carbon partitioning in different components of the chir pine forest ecosystem were ranked in the order of soil layer (190.89 t ha-1) > vegetation layer (51.13 t ha-1) > detritus (5.85 t ha-1). More carbon was recorded in soil than vegetation with a soil: vegetation ratio of 4.4. Less carbon stock in vegetation and detritus may be attributed to the fact that in the Indian Himalayan region, the dependency of communities on forests is causing their over exploitation and degradation. This...

The traditional utilization of ethno-medicinal plants used for the treatment of jaundice and othe... more The traditional utilization of ethno-medicinal plants used for the treatment of jaundice and other liver disorder is commonly known among ethnic groups. The present study was carried out among the forest fringe villages of Chilapatta Reserve Forest in foothills of the eastern Sub-Hi-malayan mountain belts of West Bengal. The aim of the study was to document the traditionally used ethno-medicinal plant resources against jaundice and other liver disorders. A total of 19 plant species belonging to 15 families and 17 genera were documented. These 19 species were dominated by trees (07), herbs (05), shrubs (03) and four species of climbers. The plant families dominating the list were Apiaceae, Dioscoreaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Moraceae with 2 species each. Fruits (08) were the most dominant plant parts used for the treatment followed by leaves of 07 species. The plant parts are employed by the inhabitants in the form of infusion, decoction, paste, juice, etc., either as a sole drug species or in combination with other species. The documented plants and their procedure for utilization can be a useful tool for scientific community for further evaluation and recommendations to the practicing communities.

Agroforestry Systems, 2016

Indian Forester, Jan 3, 2014

Forests often store carbon at rates well below their potential and thus could be responsive to th... more Forests often store carbon at rates well below their potential and thus could be responsive to the management of enhanced carbon sequestration. The present study was carried out in Duggada area of Garhwal Himalaya to assess tree biomass and total carbon density. The dominant tree species were found Salix tetraseprma, Toona hexandra, Emblica -1 officinalis and Acacia catechu. Total carbon density was 525.15 mg ha and ranged between 81.27±4.82 for Bischofia -1 -1 javanica to 4.38±0.29 mg ha for Ficus religosa. Total tree biomass density (TBD) was 1050.30 mg ha and values varied -1 from 162.54±9.65 in Bischofia javanica to 8.77±0.59 mg ha for Ficus religosa. However, value of below ground biomass density (BGBD) was 806.95 and range between 128.8±7.85 for Bischofia javanica to 6.41±0.45 in Ficus religosa. Total tree biomass density was 1050.30 mg ha and values varied from 162.54±9.65 in Bischofia javanica -1 to 8.77±0.59 mg ha for Ficus religosa.

Journal of Hill Agriculture, 2015

Environment, Development and Sustainability, 2015

This study was an attempt to document the indigenous Lepcha people's perception on climate change... more This study was an attempt to document the indigenous Lepcha people's perception on climate change-related issues in five villages of Dzongu Valley located in Kanchandzonga Biosphere Reserve, India. Personal structured questionnaire was used for interview of 300 households selected randomly. Results showed that 85 % of the households have perceived climate change, mainly in the form of increasing temperature and unpredictable pattern of rainfall. In terms of climate change-related events, 75 % of the households believed that wind is becoming warmer and stronger over the past years. Majority of the households have observed changes in crop phenology, while about 90 % agreed that the incidences of insect pest and diseases have increased over the years, especially in their large cardamom crop. A comparison of community perceptions, climatic observations and scientific literature shows that the community have correctly perceived temperature change, unpredictable occurrence of rainfall and increased incidence of insect pest and diseases, which have largely influenced the experiences and perceptions regarding climate-related events. Results reveal that households have adopted the use of locally available material as mulches against soil erosion, to conserve the soil moisture and manage soil temperature. Majority of the households have diversified their cropping system through traditional agroforestry systems and intercropping. Unfortunately, most of the households were unaware about the scientific sustainable approaches to combating impact of climate change. This documentation will aid in assessing the needs in terms of actions and information for facilitating climate change-related adaptation locally in Sikkim state of India.

A survey for documentation of ethno-veterinary medicinal plants used by the farmer community to c... more A survey for documentation of ethno-veterinary medicinal plants used by the farmer community to cure animal diseases in Tehri District of Garhwal Himalaya. Two Gram Sabha viz. Tokoli and Quali and three villages under each Gram sabha were randomly selected for the study. Ethno-veterinary information was gathered through individual interviews and personal observations among the farmer community. A total of 35 species of ethno-veterinary medicinal plants belongs to 26 families and 34 genera were recorded in the study with the help of ethno-veterinary traditional healers. These 35 medicinal plant species were dominated by herbaceous flora and were used to cure almost 30 different diseases. Leaves were dominant part of the plant used to cure different livestock diseases. Traditional healers relay on visual, audio and tactile senses to establish a diagnosis and on rare occasions the diagnosis failed and cause death of animal in acute pain. The result of the present study highlighted that...

Soil carbon status of chir pine forests was studied in the chir pine working circle of two forest... more Soil carbon status of chir pine forests was studied in the chir pine working circle of two forest ranges (Solan and Dharampur) of Solan Forest Division, in Himachal Pradesh, at an altitudinal gradient from 600-2260 m amsl. A total of 33 forest compartments were selected for the study. The soil samples were collected from humus layer, 0-20 cm, 20-40 cm, 40-100 cm soil depth. The results showed that the soil pH increased while electrical conductivity decreased with increasing depth. The soil organic carbon (%) decreased with increasing soil depth, while soil bulk density showed the reverse trend with increasing soil depth. The soil carbon stock ranged from 18.87 to 317.31 t in the humus layer, from 127.87 to 2069.10 t at a depth of 0 to 20 cm, from 118.37 to 1675.80 t at 20 to 40 cm depth and from 207.35 to 3441.20 t at 40 to 100 cm soil depth. The soil carbon density ranged from 6.73 to 9.62 t ha in the humus layer, from 33.73 to 55.80 t ha at a depth of 0 to 20 cm, from 30.52 to 50....

The Chanderbadni forest is considered as sacred and falls under altitudinal range from 1850m to 2... more The Chanderbadni forest is considered as sacred and falls under altitudinal range from 1850m to 2245m above msl with N 30º 17´51´´0º 18´4´´o E 78º 36´0´´8º 37´9´´he goddess associated with the Chanderbadni forest is Durga Mata Sita and is considered one of the famous deities in Garhwal Himalaya. In the present study a total of 80 species representing 75 genera from 40 families were recorded. Of these 21, 27 and 32 were trees, shrubs and herbs respectively. The maximum number of species were found in family Rosaceae (12) followed by Lamiaceae and Asteraceae with seven each. Quercus leucotrichophora with IVI (116.63), Berberis aristata with IVI (30.23) and Andropogon munroi with IVI of (38.84) were dominant among trees, shrubs and herbs respectively. The overall density and TBC of trees were recorded as 6.88 trees/100m 2 and 32.63 m 2 /ha respectively. The present study may be helpful in recognising the sacred conserved ecosystems at various levels for better management and conservati...

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in the form of crop-raiding and attack by wild animals has become i... more Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in the form of crop-raiding and attack by wild animals has become integral part for communities located at the borders of protected areas. Stratified-random sample of 103 respondents of 5 villages living in the Kitam Bird Sanctuary were interviewed to understand and manage growing concerns. Most of the farmers interviewed suffered major financial losses annually due to crop damage by wild pigs (Sus scrofa), Indian peacock (Pavo cristatus), Barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak), Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis), Assamese rabbit (Caprolagus hispidus), Crestless Porcupines (Hystrix hodsoni), and Jungle fowl (Gallus gallus). A huge majority of respondents considered wild boar to be the most destructing animal among the crop raiders due to the significant adaptability of this animal in their surroundings. The only livestock mostly depredated was Goat by its only depredator, Common leopard (Panthera pardus) with an average loss of 1.55 goats per house. Nonleth...

The present investigation was carried out in Dooars region of West Bengal to document medico-reli... more The present investigation was carried out in Dooars region of West Bengal to document medico-religious plants. Personal observation and questionnaire survey was done apart from discussions held with elder people of the local communities. A list of about 40 sacred and useful plants of North Bengal was recorded along with their brief description. The reported plants belonged to 30 families and 39 genera. Family Poaceae was dominant representing 5 species. Results revealed that 13 species of plants are used to cure fever, 10 species to cure skin diseases, 9 species to cure ulcer, 8 species to cure wounds, 8 species to treat burning sensation and 3 species to cure malaria. These plant species are also used to cure stomach disorders, venereal diseases, scabies, constipation, asthma and many other diseases. Some of the plants like Acacia arabica, Artemisia vulgaris and Azadirachta indica are used by the local people to eliminate evil spirits.

The continuous erosion of traditional knowledge of plants used for medicine in the past and the r... more The continuous erosion of traditional knowledge of plants used for medicine in the past and the renewed interest at the present echoes the need that exists to document this valuable resource. Keeping this in view, the present study was conducted in oak dominated forests of Nainital catchment area in the Kumaon region of Central Himalaya, to enlist the plant species having medicinal value. A total of 113 plant species of medicinal value were enlisted with herbs which contributing the maximum (56.64%), followed by shrubs (30.97%) and trees (12.39%). These plant species represented 99 genera under 56 families. The dominant family was Asteraceae with 15 species, followed by Lamiaceae and Rosaceae with 9 and 7 species respectively. For utility purpose, 40 species had root/rhizome/bulb as the medicinal part and 35 species had leaf as the medicinal part. The whole plant/plant extract was used for medicinal values of 19 species while flower/fruits of 18 species, bark of 12 species and seeds...

The Lepcha’s were hunters and gatherers and used to live complete nomadic lives in and around Kan... more The Lepcha’s were hunters and gatherers and used to live complete nomadic lives in and around Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve (Mukhopadhyay et. al., 1996 and Arora, 2006). Since mid-nineteenth century, they began practicing settled agriculture (Das, 1978) particularly because of increased production of large cardamom, as a cash crop. Lepcha’s also grow rice, maize, millet, wheat, buckwheat, pulses, vegetables and in some parts sugarcane and fruits. Animal husbandry is another important economic activity of this community. The crop grown in and around kitchen garden mostly are ginger, chilies, beans, cucumber, garlic, sweet potatoes, yams and sugarcane (Pradhan and Badola, 2008). Traditionally large cardamom and recently ginger cultivation is the main agrarian activity in Dzongu Area of North Sikkim. Ginger has been adopted by this community in their cropping pattern after decline in the large cardamom production. Both the crops play a vital role in the state economy in terms of direct and indirect employment and income generation. Considering the importance of large cardamom and ginger in the livelihood of Lepchas, it was felt necessary to identify knowledge intensity and problems of Ginger and large Cardamom production in Dzongu area, North Sikkim.

To document the traditional knowledge and usage about wild vegetable plants, a total of 179 peopl... more To document the traditional knowledge and usage about wild vegetable plants, a total of 179 people of both genders belonging to different age groups were interviewed in seventeen villages of three blocks of the Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. Thirty one wild vegetable species belonging to 22 genera and 16 families were used by tribal people for vegetable preparation. Among sixteen families, Asteraceae, Malvaceae and Polygonaceae had four wild vegetable species each followed by Brassicaceae with three species. Four plant families had two wild vegetable species each and remaining eight families had one species each. Among the wild vegetable plants recorded, all were herbs except Ficus palmata. Diplazium esculentum, Nasturtium officinale and Phytolacca acinosa were preferred and most used species for making vegetables due to their palatability and taste. The study revealed that the knowledge is vanishing due to changing social values and non participation of younger generation in c...

Journal of Tropical Forest Science

SHAH S, SHARMA DP, TRIPATHI P & PALA NA. 2014. Carbon partitioning in subtropical Pinus roxburghi... more SHAH S, SHARMA DP, TRIPATHI P & PALA NA. 2014. Carbon partitioning in subtropical Pinus roxburghii forest, Solan, India. This study was carried out in subtropical chir pine forests covering 33 compartments in two forest ranges of Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. Non-destructive method for biomass estimation was adopted for trees whereas harvest method was used to determine the biomass of understorey vegetation, i.e. herbs and shrubs. The total ecosystem carbon density was 247.87 t ha-1. Carbon partitioning in different components of the chir pine forest ecosystem were ranked in the order of soil layer (190.89 t ha-1) > vegetation layer (51.13 t ha-1) > detritus (5.85 t ha-1). More carbon was recorded in soil than vegetation with a soil: vegetation ratio of 4.4. Less carbon stock in vegetation and detritus may be attributed to the fact that in the Indian Himalayan region, the dependency of communities on forests is causing their over exploitation and degradation. This...