The use of ethnomedicinal plants of home gardens has played an important role in treating minor illnesses related to physical and psychological wellbeing among rural folks. Local healers often use plants from their home garden or nearby forest. In this chapter, the traditional uses of medicinal plants using various tools with sample data have been used to facilitate ethnobotanical research on home gardens. Samples measuring the relative importance of species through quantitative analysis are tabulated. These tools, if applied during in-situ data collection, would help generate reliable information on characteristics of home gardens and medicinal plants. Conservation of medicinal plants from the perspective of home gardening is important. To document how medicinal plants are used to treat different diseases, their use value and ethical considerations would be significant for bioprospecting of medicinal plants and protecting intellectual right of the associated traditional knowledge.

High altitude pasturelands (Tsamdro) are important grazing grounds of livestock in Bhutan. Pasturelands are degrading due to overgrazing and shrub encroachment along with climate change. The lack of floristic knowledge of such pastureland would mean permanent loss of phytodiversity if not studied timely. This floristic study was conducted for two seasons using quadrat method of vegetation analyses. Phytodiversity was determined using different biodiversity indices. A total of 83 species in 60 genera belonging to 35 families were recorded from the pastureland including two endemic species, Halenia elliptica D. Don and Viola bhutanica H. Hara. Asteraceae, Rosaceae and Gentianaceae are species rich families. Species indicated a high richness with 2.17, dominance index was 0.92 for species like Elsholtzia strobilifera (Benth) Benth, Swertia spp., Fragaria nubicola (Lindl. ex. Hook.f.) Lacaita, Potentilla sp., Trifolium repens L., Euphorbia griffithii Hook. f., and Plantago erosa Wall. The diversity value was 2.97, indicating low diversity with even distribution (0.91). Similarity index of 0.70 indicated fairly similar floristic composition in autumn and spring seasons. This study provides basic information on floristic composition and phytodiversity of pastureland, which can be incorporated for pastureland management and conservation.

Fruit set in the orchids in the wild in Bhutan seems to be generally higher than in surrounding countries in Asia. To obtain more knowledge on local pollinators in Bhutan, pollinators were photographed in the private Orchidarium, over a period of six years. A total of 10 insect species, belonging to the orders of Diptera (true flies), Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps) and Coleoptera (beetle), were seen pollinating the flowers of 15 different orchid species (14 epiphytic and 1 terrestrial). Several pollinators are reported for the first time as the pollinators of orchids. Our study provides a first glimpse into the pollination biology of Bhutanese orchids and could be used for the reintroduction of the locally extinct orchid pollinators elsewhere in Asia.

The use of ethnomedicinal plants of home gardens has played an important role in treating minor illnesses related to physical and psychological wellbeing among rural folks. Local healers often use plants from their home garden or nearby forest. In this chapter, the traditional uses of medicinal plants using various tools with sample data have been used to facilitate ethnobotanical research on home gardens. Samples measuring the relative importance of species through quantitative analysis are tabulated. These tools, if applied during in-situ data collection, would help generate reliable information on characteristics of home gardens and medicinal plants. Conservation of medicinal plants from the perspective of home gardening is important. To document how medicinal plants are used to treat different diseases, their use value and ethical considerations would be significant for bioprospecting of medicinal plants and protecting intellectual right of the associated traditional knowledge.

Cycas pectinata Buch.-Ham. is an ancient gymnosperm that is now confined to pockets of habitats in the Indian subcontinent but was once widely distributed. Its decline is attributable to habitat loss, and has reached the point where C. pectinata is listed as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List. C. pectinata is the only species of Cycas found in Bhutan, and in this biodiversity-rich area it is present as a relic of great scientific and conservation value because of its rarity and long evolutionary history. Although it is well known in India, it has not been studied in detail in Bhutan. This study assessed populations and threats to C. pectinata in two places in Bhutan. Field visits were made to document the distribution, habitats, and associated threats to the populations. Plants were observed growing in steep rugged terrain in the open Chir Pine forest. Populations are significantly threatened due to human activities such as habitat destruction and over collection as ornamental plant. Possible expansion of populations is naturally threatened by low seed production and by predators.