Ethno-medicinal Forest Genetic Resources of District Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh

District Sonbhadra is one of the important district of Vindhyanregions of Central India, which is well known for its richness of medicinal flora. Plants of immense medicinal value are abundantly found in the forest of this region. But most these economically important medicinal plants are in the verge of extinction. Many of the herbal genetic resources found in the region are generally used to cure indigenous remedies by thenative people. The objective of the study was to assess the richness of medicinally important forest genetic resources and traditional medical practice used by the native people. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the region. The information was gathered from native people using integrated approach of interviews, group discussion, interaction and botanical collection during the year 2008–12. A total of 112 plant species were surveyed and documented during the present study. These species belongs to 53 families. Highest number of surveyed plants belongs to family Fabaceae (18). Among all the 112 species, 47 are trees, 32 are herb, 19 are shrub and 14 are climber. The documented ethno- medicinal uses of plants mostly pertains tocure asthma, lactation, menstrual problems, poisonous bite, skin problems, stomach and tooth ache, wound infections, fever, cough, diabetes, diarrhea, eye infection and general weakness. During the study it is found that the area is rich in ethnic and biodiversity and native people especially tribes possess a valuable treasure of ethno-botanical knowledge. So, theconservation of these biological resources as well as their sustainable use is important in preservation of traditional knowledge.