Depleting Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Jharkhand State

The newly created state of Jharkhand is very rich in the plant wealth and other natural resources. The area has maxium concentration of tribal population in North India. The forests have several medicinal and aromatic plants that are being used as a source of medicines in various systems viz., Ayurveda, Siddha Unani and Homoeopathy. Due to continous habitat destruction fragmentation of forests, urbanization coupled with population explosion and agricultural growth, there is unprecedented pressure on plants wealth culminating into loss of biodiversity at an alarming rate. The authors have regularly been surveying the state for the last fifteen years. Based on the field survey literature and screening ca 24 medicinal plants whose populations have been continously depleting are identified and reported in the present communication.