Conservation and Sustainable Use of Medicinal Plants in Sri Lanka

摘要

In Sri Lanka, ayurveda and the traditional system of health care have been systematically used for treating illnesses for over two thousand years. When last listed, 1,414 plant species have been used for this purpose. These species include several endemic species which are becoming increasingly rare and under threat of extinction. Approximately 200 species of medicinal plants are in common use, and of these 50 are heavily used in ayurvedic and traditional health care systems. Nearly 80 medicinal plant species, including some endemics, are now considered threatened. In addition to recognizing their curative and therapeutic value, Sri Lankans uses medicinal plants in rituals, cultural activities, and in religious functions.It is estimated that about 30 to 35% of the people use ayurveda and traditional systems of health care. Ayurvedic physicians and traditional practitioners of medicine are a part of the society, and there is an interwoven relationship between the communities and such practitioners. In the rural areas, people collect their requirements of medicinal plants with minimal damage to the habitats in which these precious plants are found. The increased demand both for local medicinal use as well as for export has placed a great strain on the natural populations of plants. Collectors of medicinal plants are now resorting to unsustainable exploitation causing serious threat to the survival of some species. Dwindling supplies are exacerbated by the rapid depletion of natural habitats. Indeed, habitats too are threatened.