Sustainability of harvest of commercially threatened

medicinal plant Aconitum spicatum (Briihl) Stapf in central

Nepal

Deep Jyoti Chapagain1, Henrik Meilby2 and Suresh Kumar Ghimire1

1Central Department of Botany, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal2Department of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO), University of Copenhagen,

Denmark

Dynamic Borderlands:Livelihoods,Communities and FlowsKathmandu,12-14 December 2016

Introduction

Nepal harbors >2,000 species of non timber

forest products (NTFPs) of which 90% are

medicinal & aromatic plants (MAPs)

More than 100 species of MAPs are traded

commercially

MAPs have been identified as one of the 19

goods and services by Nepal Trade Integration

Strategy, 2010 as having export potential

Nepal is also a member of WTO since 2004(source:ANSAB 2010)

Ophiocordyceps sinensis

Fritillaria cirrhosa

Aconitum spicatum

MAPs & Trade relationshipM

ed

icin

al a

nd

Aro

ma

tic p

lan

ts

Economic Prosperity

• Foreign trade and exchange

• Income and employment

• Livelihood improvement of people

Trade

Source: IUCN

33 MAPs identified by the government

of Nepal for commercial farming

Major threats and challenges on sustainable uses of MAPs

Illegal harvesting and trade

Premature and overharvesting

Inadequate awareness about the speciesbiology and sustainability

Over grazing and other humandisturbances

Lack of science-based management

As a result, population of many species

of MAPs declining, reproduction and

growth rate reduced, and community

composition and ecosystem is also

changing

Aconite (Aconitum spicatum)

Status: Vulnerable species

Habit: Perennial herb

Parts use: Tubers

Habitat: Moist places at 3000-4300 m

Regeneration: Tubers and seeds.

Use: Highly poisonous, medicinal

Local medicinal use – Cuts and wounds fever, headache, lung and intestine infections and cough

Allopathic Use :Analgesic and antipyretic

Prioritized by the government of Nepal for economic development

Trade: In decreasing order and approx 100% of the harvested tuber is traded to India

Study MAP species

Source: Olsen 2005,TGGN 2016

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

1998/99 2014/2015

23.1326.99

66.71

11.38

Tra

de

d A

con

ite

in

To

n

Year

Trade trend of AconiteA. heterophyllum

A. spicatum

Objectives

Broader objective:

To develop a sustainable harvesting model and management

guidelines of Aconitum spicatum

Specifically:

To assess the effect of harvesting on biological characters of

Aconitum spicatum along an elevation gradient in central Nepal

Study site

Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA)

Source: ACAP 2014

Population

Dynamics

5. Population

monitoring and

habitat assessment

Survival, recruitment.

Enrichment planting,

biomass estimation

and habitat

assessment

3. Harvest simulation

each subplot randomly

assigned into harvest

treatment of 0, 25, 50,

75 &100%

2. Permanent plot

establishment

3 transects (2 x 18 m) in

3 populations (3200,

3600 and 3900 m); each

divided into nine subplots (2 x 2 m)

4. Stage classification

and tagging

Sd, Jv, Adv and Adr are

tagged

1. Reconnaissance

Survey

Local harvesters

consulted, study area

identified and mapped

Materials and method

Sampling design (Aconitum Spicatum): (belt transect)

Some snaps of field work

Result & Discussion

-0.2

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

3200 3400 3600 3800 4000 4200

De

nsi

ty/s

qu

are

me

ter

Elevation in meter

Seedling

Juvenile

Ad vegetative

Flowering (Adr)

Density in all stages was found highest between 3600 and 3800m.

Variation of Life history traits along the elevation gradient

Result contd..

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

3200 3600 3900

Elevation (m)

Total under ground dry weight

0

50

100

150

200

250

3200 3600 3900

Elevation (m)

Average leaf area

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

3200 3600 3900

Elevation(m)

Plant height

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

3200 3600 3900Elevation (m)

No. of Aborted Rep part

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

3200 3600 3900

Elevation (m)

Total Reproductive Part

Effect of Harvest on seedling and adult density:

Result contd..

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

0% 25% 50% 75%-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

0% 25% 50% 75%

Seedling densityReproductive adult density

% c

hange (

2015

-2016)

% c

ha

ng

e (

20

15

-20

16

)

Harvesting level Harvesting level

Harvesting has negative impact on the seedling and flowering

density.

Effect of harvest on total reproductive output:

Result contd..

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

0% 25% 50% 75%

% c

ha

ng

e (

20

15-2

01

6)

Harvesting level

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

0% 25% 50% 75%

2015

2016

Re

p. p

art

s p

er

ind

ivid

ua

l

Harvest has negative impact on total reproductive output of the individual.

Recommendations

Pants growing in different altitude exhibit variations in a number ofvegetative and reproductive characters

Fitness of Aconitum spicatum decreases with increasing elevation

Harvesting greatly effect reproductive output and density of adults andseedlings

Conclusions

A general awareness is needed to be created among the collectors and the

local people about the population biology and conservation value of the species.

Management should focus on increasing seedling recruitment and reducing

damage to the reproductive adults so as to maintain long term viability of

available resource base.

Acknowledgements

Transiting to green growth Nepal-DANIDA project for thefinancial support

Rufford Small grant (RSG) for financial support

Department of National Parks & Wildlife Conservation

Annapurna Conservation Area Project, National Trust forNature Conservation

Local people of the Annapurna Conservation Area

Thank you

Thank You!!!