Myrica esculenta Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don.-a potential ethnomedicinal species in a subtropical forest of Meghalaya, northeast India

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the effect of anthropogenic activities on the population structure and regeneration efficacy of Myrica esculenta (M. esculenta), an ethnomedicinally important tree species in sub-tropical forests of Meghalaya. Methods: The population structure and regeneration potential of M. esculenta were studied by using quadrat method. Results: The regeneration status of M. esculenta was highly influenced by disturbance. Presence of limited number of seedlings in the forest floor denotes the lack of seeds in the forests. The low conversion of seedling into saplings was mainly due to the removal saplings by the indigenous community, who residing in the vicinity of the forest for meeting their requirement of fuel wood. Conclusions:The findings of the present study indicate that overexploitation of M. esculenta may cause threat to extinction from wild. There is an obvious need to explore non timber forest products to a desired pace that will minimize the pressure on a particular species by providing alternative to a species, leading to sustainable utilization of genetic resources.