Conservation strategies of some important medicinal plants

Abstract

A multipronged strategy aimed at conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants is needed. Although in situ and ex situ conservation methods shall continue to be the popular choices, but long term objectives of conservation and sustainable use can be achieved by conservation through cultivation, optimizing yield parameters for increased productivity and avoiding destructive harvesting. Domestication and cultivatio n of some important medicinal plants used in traditional as well as modern therapies is beset with the problems of poor seedling establishment while the poor seed set in nature affects the yield in others. The range of active constituents and essential oil components differ with altit u- dinal and geographical changes in most medicinal and aromatic plants. Therefore, species -specific measures are needed ensuring simultaneously both conservation as well as sustainability in raw material production.