Utility of key stone medicinal flora in the context of biodiversity rehabilitation and traditional knowledge of tribals at Vindhyan region, Koraon range, Uttar Pradesh

A set of species whose impacts on its community or ecosystem are much larger and more influential than its abundance is called keystone species. It exert's pronounced influence on community structure, micro climate, soil water and minerals resources on physical environment as a whole. The critical impact on community and environment is more important than their dominance or abundance. Even micro-organisms can also act as. The Koraon Range, the part of Allahabad Forest division, is managed like Vindhyan region of the stage. Several species of the dry deciduous forests of the area have also been exploited, both by the tribals (Kol, Musahar, Belbans, Bhuiya, Ghosia etc.) and their associated villagers for products of market demand. When the availability of plant produces dwindled, tribals started to give away their lifestyle, fully and become depended on plant resources, even though they continued to stay inside the forest area. This dual lifestyle of tribals in the range further aggravated the degradation process and glaring example of this demonstrated by the cultivation and processing of lemon grass (Cymbopogon flexciosus) for its oil. Albizzia lebbeck, Anogeissus lati folia, Cordia myxa, Diospyros cordifolia, Diospyros tomentosa, Garcinia gummi-gutta, Hopea parviflora, Term inalia chebula and Strobelus asper are the key stone species identified during the study.