Abstract
Mankial Valley is located at 35o 12/ N and 72o , 32/ E in the Hindukush range of Northern Pakistan. Its area is 13063 ha and its elevation range is 1430-5800 m. The landscape includes snow covered peaks, barren rocky mountain slopes; alpine and sub alpine pastures glaciated tracts and forested slopes. The valley floor is the site of irrigated agricultural fields, waterfalls, and small villages of the local communities. Most of the inhabitants of the valley are Torwal (67%) who remain in the valley for all year. The remainder are Gujars (33%), who migrate seasonally. Both groups rely on the local plants and plant products for almost all their medicinal needs. We interviewed people in eight communities, asking which plants were used, how they prepared various remedies and what dosage was used for curing various ailments. In addition, we asked what part of the plant was used, what it was used for, how it was administered, and when and where it was collected. We divided the interviewees into four age groups (15-30 years, 30-45 years, 45-60 years, 60+ years) to determine how effectively knowledge is being transmitted. Twenty plant species are regularly used for medicinal purposes by the Torwal and Gujars of Mankial Valley, seven as a tonic, five for stomach problems, three each for diarrhoea and as pain killer, blood purifier, and stimulant, two each for dysentery, wounds, carminative, antiseptic, and one each for cholera, dropsy, emetic, cathartic, ulcer, coolant, kidney problems, asthma, purgative, fever, vomiting, eye problems, toothache, milk production, fever, jaundice and throat infections. People in the two older age groups knew more than those in the younger groups. The Torwal and Gujars communities have a rich ethnobotanical heritage, but traditional medicinal knowledge is disappearing rapidly.
