Wild edible plant resources of the Baspa valley, Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, north western Himalaya, India

The study was conducted in the Baspa Valley of district Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh to know the diversity, distribution and conservation status of wild edible plants. A total of 95 wild edible plants belonging to 41 families and 76 genera were recorded, out of this 38 species were native to the Himalayan Region and 11 species were native to the Himalayan and other biogeographical regions together. Two species, i.e., Bergenia stracheyi and Pinus gerardiana were endemic and 20 species were near-endemic to the Himalayan region. The 15 species are in various threat categories of the IUCN redlist and Conservation Assessment and Management Prioritization 2003 and 2010 list. Leaves and fruits were utilized in the majority of cases. Thirty-nine species were most preferred and commonly utilized however 58 species were utilized occasionally as per need and availability. Currently consumption of wild edible plants and the knowledge associated is declining due to a number of reasons. Therefore, conservation of natural habitats, frequent monitoring of populations and habitat, domestication through the development of cultivation techniques, awareness programmes for the conservation of plants, traditional knowledge and development of value addition products needed for food, nutrition and economic security of the region.