Shujaulmulk Khan
Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan
Title: Traditional uses of plants among various casts of district tor ghar
Biography
Biography: Shujaulmulk Khan
Abstract
Interaction between plants and people is much stronger in remote tribal societies all over the world. District Tor Ghar is one of such remote and rugged mountainous region of the extreme western Himalays that has historically long established tribal culture. The district is occupied by 5 main tribes namely Basikhel, Nusratkhel, Akazai, Hassanzai and Medakhel. A total of 43 villages from all tribal belts were randomly selected by using random table number method. Every Third house was selected on willingness basis. Local wisdom of 732 informants of all age groups including males and females was explored first time by standard ethnobiological protocol. Information about 295 ethno species utilized by five tribes for 33 cultural use categories was gathered via semi structured interviews, group discussions, EPA and extensive field visits. Cultural uses among different tribes were categorized by using modern software computer package PCORD version 5.1 for TWCA. All 33 cultural use categories were grouped in to 11 sub clusters among five tribes. These 11 sub clusters were further organized in to two main clusters. One main cluster comprised of Basikhel and Nusrat khel tribes sharing maximum use categories whereas the second main cluster represented highest number of common use categories among Akazai, Hassanzai and Medakhel tribes. Handling of cultural data through modern software packages is first ever attempt in the region.