Assessment of Medicinal Plants

in the Forests of Karnataka

Dr.U.V.Singh
Chief Executive Officer
Karnataka Medicinal Plants Authority
 Object
• Policy & Management planning for
Conservation and Development of
Medicinal Plants in the State.
 AGENCIES INVOLVED

• Karnataka Bio-Diversity Board-

• Karnataka Forest Department
• Karnataka Medicinal Plants Authority
• National Ayurveda Dietics and Research
Institute, Bangalore
• FRLHT, Ayurvedic Colleges, Forestry Colleges,
Universities, NGOs and others
• The assessment of the Medicinal Plant
can be phased into five major stages.

1. Collection of data
2. Preparations for assessment.
3. Laying of Transit line for assessment.
4. Survey in the field.
5. Data entry and results.
 1. Collection of data
• Total forest areas in the State (all types
excluding wild life area) = 4335600Ha
• Total number of beats in the State = 2300.
• Total number of Forest Divisions = 39.
• 0.5 % sampling as Transit Lines for Tree Sps.
• 0.00625% sampling as alternate subplots for
Herbs, Shrubs, Climbers & Orchids.
• Total length of Transit Lines = 21700Kms.
• Karnataka houses 4,758 plants species belonging to
1,408 genera and 178 families.
• About 2000 medicinal plants are estimated to be
used traditionally by different ethnic groups across
the State.
• In Karnataka - 220 Reg. Herbal Drug Industries
and a multitude of unregistered cottage-level
herbal units.
• 274 medicinal plant species consumed by Herbal
Drug Industries are available in the state.
• More than 80-90% of the species used in the trade
continued to be sourced from the wild of which
2/3rd are harvested by destructive means.
• 90 Medicinal Plant species have attained
RET status in the State.
• In small quantity only 20 species with
medicinal value are being collected and
auctioned as NTFP/MFP by different
Forest Divisions in the State.
• Due to ‘back to nature’ healthcare concept
and increasing faith in herbals, there is a
growing demand of herbal and natural
products for healthcare needs and dietary
supplements.
Medicinal Plants of Karnataka
 2. Preparations for assessment
• Width of the Transit line = 10Mtrs
• One Team comprises of 1 Taxonomist, 2 Students, 1 Forest
Staff, 1 Helper
• Calculation of total Transit lines, Teams and Man days.
Name of the Division:.......... Forest Range:............

Length of Man
Total No. Forest
Total Transit days in
Of Areas in
Name of the Forest line in each
Sl No Blocks each
Beat Area each Forest
In Each Block
(Ha) Block Block in
Beat (Ha)
(Km) the Beat
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
 Orientation / Training Programme

• At Division level.
• CCF, DCF, RFOs, Foresters, Forest Guards,
Taxonomist, Students, NGOs and others.
3. Laying of Transit Line for assessment
• Transit line should be marked on topo sheet at the
Office with consultation of front line staff and
recent Google images.
• Laying of Transit line in the block of the beat.
• The Transit line should cover preferably all
vegetation types in the beat block.
• The Transit line should be initiated from the beat
boundary.
• GPS readings at the starting and at the interval of
500Mtrs covering latitude, longitude and altitude.
Marking transact line on Topo-sheet
Marking of 5mx5m plots for shrub & Herb species

• Shrub: Woody
perennial plant.
• Herb: Stem is
always green and
tender & height
is not more than
1 m.
• sub-quadrats
(5 x 5m) placed
200M
diagonally.

5Mx 5M

10 m
 FORMAT-I

ASSESSMENT FOR THE TREE SPECIES

TRANSIT NO.

1. NAMES OF EVALUATOR AND FOREST GUARD / FORESTER

2. GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF STUDY: i) Beat: a) Name i) Section (iii) Range iv) Survey No.

b) Total Geographical Area

c) Total Forest Area

v) Village vi) Compartment No.

3. GPS READINGS (Datum WGS-84 in degree, minute and decimal) : a) Latitude: (N) b) Longitude (E) c) Altitude (in Mtrs)

AT EVERY 500Mtrs

4. FOREST TYPE: a) Evergreen b) Semi evergreen c) Moist deciduous d) Dry deciduous e) Scrub

f) Others

5. DATE OF SURVEY : From To

6. Total length of transect line:

Girth Class in cms Location Whether

Effect of
Name Common/ Status Habitat Plant
Sl. Threats Type of Type of Trade on
of Family Vernacular Continuous change parts in Population status Remarks
No Y/N Threats Trade Populati
Species Name /Fragmente is over trade if declining indicate
on
d a period in % over a period
<10 11-50 51-100 >100
of 5 yrs.

1 2 3 4 5a 5b 5c 5d 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
 FORMAT-II

ASSESSMENT FOR THE SHRUBS/CLIMBERS SPECIES

SUB PLOT NUMBER......

1. NAMES OF EVALUATOR AND FOREST GUARD / FORESTER

2. GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF STUDY: i) Beat: a) Name i) Section (iii) Range iv) Survey No.

b) Total Geographical Area

c) Total Forest Area

v) Village vi) Compartment No.

3. GPS READINGS AT MID OF THE SUB PLOT (Datum WGS-84 in degree, minute and decimal) :
a) Latitude: (N) b) Longitude (E) c) Altitude (in Mtrs)

4. FOREST TYPE: a) Evergreen b) Semi evergreen c) Moist deciduous d) Dry deciduous e) Scrub

f) Others

5. DATE OF SURVEY : From To

Sl. Name Family Common/ No.of Average Location Whether Threats Type of Type of Plant Effect of Population status
No. of Vernacular plants Height status Habitat Y/N Threats Trade parts in Trade on if declining indicate
Species Name Continuous/ change is trade population in % over a period
Fragmented over a of 5 yrs.
period
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
 FORMAT-III

ASSESSMENT FOR THE HERBS / CLIMBERS

SUB PLOT NUMBER......

1. NAMES OF EVALUATOR AND FOREST GUARD / FORESTER

2. GEOGRAPHIC AREA OF STUDY: i) Beat: a) Name i) Section (iii) Range iv) Survey No.

b) Total Geographical Area

c) Total Forest Area

v) Village vi) Compartment No.
3. GPS READINGS AT MID OF THE SUB PLOT (Datum WGS-84 in degree, minute and decimal) :
a) Latitude: (N) b) Longitude (E) c) Altitude (in Mtrs)

4. FOREST TYPE: a) Evergreen b) Semi evergreen c) Moist deciduous d) Dry deciduous e) Scrub

f) Others

5. DATE OF SURVEY : From To

Sl. Name of Species Family Common/ No.of Average Location Whether Threats Type of Type of Plant Effect of Population status Remarks
No. Vernacular plants Height status Habitat Y/N Threats Trade parts in Trade on if declining indicate
Name Continuous/ change is trade population in % over a period
Fragmented over a of 5 yrs.
period
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
• Materials required:
1. GPS Handsets
2. Rope/plastic wire
3. Measuring tape
4. Billhook
5. Formats (All 3 formats)
6. Pen,pencil,pad
7. Red paint
8. Compass
9. Bag for carrying all materials
10. Battery (Duracell)
11. Herbarium with newspaper.
12. Water bottle
13. Food
• While walking through the transact
we have to document the Tree
measurements.
• species of medicinal importance
present all along the path.
• For every 200m in the path a
5mX5m plot has been
• laid out with the rope of 5m to
document the Shrub and Herb
species and the plot was marked
with the paint.
• Hence the method was followed all
along the path and
• the Bio-resource present in the
path were documented as per the
format provided.
Location of starting point and marking
 4. Survey in the field
• Survey shall be started after completion of transit lines.
• The Taxonomist / Ayurveda Doctor should be the leader.
• Separate proforma should be filled up by the separate
student.
• Non-identified plant species should be collected in the
herbarium and also photographed.
• Known identified should be properly tagged with all
relevant information.
• A Principal Taxonomist should be reserved at the Range
Head quarter for identification of non-identified species.
 5. Data entry and results
• Data entry shall be made in a well designed
programme for giving the results species wise
assessment in the State, Division, Range and
Beat.
• Other information like Regeneration status,
RET status etc., may also be programmed.
Tephrosia
Tephrosiacalophylla
calophylla
Tephrosia calophylla
Stemonia tuberosa
Stemonia tuberosa
Gardenia latifolia – Kadu bikke
Gardenia resinifera Bikke gida
Decalepis hamiltonii - Makaliberu
Decalepis hamiltonii - Makaliberu
Acacia catechu – Kaggali mara
Acacia leucophloea – Saraibela, Nayi bela,
Asparagus asiatica – Halavumakkala Tayi, Satavari
Buchanina axillaris – Maradi mara
Madhuca latifolia – Kadippe, Halippe
Soymida febrifuga – Swami mara
Terminalia bellerica-Tarekayi
Terminalia chebula -Alalekayi
Mitragyna parvifolia - Kadamba
Celastrus paniculata – Jyotishmati, Kangungiballi
Ceropegia candelabrum
Gloriosa superba - Agnishike
Randia dumetorum - Maggare
Dioscorea bulbifera – Heggenasu, Kuntagenasu
Diospyros melanoxylon- Tupra
Clerodendrum serratum - Gantubharangi
Wattakaka volubilis
Holostemma annulare (Roxb.) K.Schum.
Pterocarpus santalinus -Raktachandana
Briedelia retusa - Mulluhonne
Gymnema sylvestris - Madhunashini
Breynea vitis-idea
Gmelina asiatica - Shivani
Flucortia indica – Kaare hannu
Alangium salvifolium- Ankolemara
Anogeisus latifolia - Dindlu
Cassine glauca - Kanneer, Mukkarki, Mukkarive,
Semecarpus anacardium – Kadu geru
Streblus asper-Tinnil, Akhor
Embelia tsjeriam cottam- Vayuvilanga
Chloroxylon switenia - Urugalu
Tribulus terrestris- Gokshura, Neggilumullu
Cassia fistula - Kakkemara
Helicteres isora –Edamuri,Avartani