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Conserving wildlife, not their Clinics: A Case Study of Wild Herbal Clinic (Berberis) Across Alpine Pastures in Karakoram Mountain Ranges

Asian Journal of Biological and Life Sciences ,2014,3,3,195-199.
Published:December 2014
Type:Research Article
Authors:
Author(s) affiliations:

Tika Khan , Imtiaz Ahmed Khan , Abdul Rehman , Rehmat Karim

1Integrated Mountain Area Research Centre, Karakoram International University, PAKISTAN.

2Department of Biological Sciences, Karakoram International University, PAKISTAN.

Abstract:

Shepherds take care of their livestock but who cares wildlife? Conservation agencies flag certain species which become threatened. Many single-species oriented conservation programmes have negatively impacted, become self-annihilating and causing threats to the concerned species or the others. Ignorance towards wildlife-human synergy level and symbiotic relationship is the core source of ecological imbalance and failure. Several mountain ungulates and carnivores are in conservation list in the area. Almost all of them directly or indirectly rely on Berberis species for their healthcare but none of the conservationist so far thinks of its conservation, which, itself has become critically endangered. It is highly medicinal and serves a wild herbal clinic for wildlife, livestock and humans equally. Berberis pseudumbellata subsp. gilgitica grows above 2500 masl and climbing 22 into the alpine pastures (3500 m). EOO and AOO are less than 100 km and 10 km2 respectively. Overgrazing and habitat loss are principal degenerative agents. Besides, long-term conservation of Berberis pseudumbellata subsp. gilgitica, comprehensive studies of these fragile ecosystems are important to make conservation effort more fruitful. Present research will improve knowledge gap to improve overall biodiversity conservation paradigm.