Diversity of Edible Lianas in the Sacred Groves of the Foot Hills of Southern Western Ghats

Abstract

Sacred groves are segment of landscapes containing trees and other forms of life and geographical features that have been preserved by the ethnic communities based on their religious beliefs. The present study on wild edible lianas on selected sacred groves of the foot hills of southern Western Ghats show that, there are 49 lianas belonging to 38 genera possess edible uses. The local people who conserve these groves and they are also having a very good knowledge of such edible plants. The present paper describes the studies on some sacred groves highlighting the edible lianas associated with the sacred groves, which could provide a powerful tool for ensuring biodiversity conservation through community participation.