Plants are used as ethnomedicine by indigenous people living all around the world. In Nepal, plants are being used for healing diseases since a long period by various ethnic groups of rural areas due to difficulty in the availability of modern medicines. Many researchers have contributed to the documentation of ethnomedicinal knowledge on plants in Nepal; however few studies have been carried out on hilly districts. Our study aims to review and compile all the published research documents on ethnomedicinal uses of plants by various ethnic groups of hilly districts in Nepal. Altogether 35 published documents till August 2020, accessed through Google Scholar and Research Gate were selected for our study. A total of 215 plant species from 93 families was found to be used for the treatment of 139 types of diseases by 10 ethnic groups of 13 hilly districts. Also, leaves were used for the treatment of maximum numbers of diseases (69). Plants from Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Poaceae, etc. were used to treat major diseases like; diabetes, asthma, stomachache, fever, jaundice, etc. Traditional knowledge on medicinal uses of plants is needed to be explored and documented to preserve traditional medicinal knowledge as well as medicinal plants.

This study was conducted to assess biomass and carbon stock along slopes in Depard community forest, Manahari-6, Makwanpur district of Nepal. In Nepal, carbon stock estimation has been less practiced in community forest. A random sampling method was applied in this study to collect biophysical data i.e. DBH and height by non-destructive method to estimate the quantity of tree biomass and carbon stock. 21 sample plots with 1% sampling intensity were established within the study area. The circular area of 250 m2 was predetermined with the radius of 8.92 m for this study. Secondary data were collected through published and unpublished literature. Data were pooled and analyzed with SPSS software. The total biomass and carbon stock were calculated to be 1381.30 t/ha and 649.21 t/ha, respectively. The biomass and carbon stock were highest (563.12 t/ha and 242.42 t/ha) in 0-5% slope, and lowest in >20% of slope (334.75 t/ha and 143.60 t/ha). The difference of biomass and carbon in slopes may be due to the accumulation of more organic matter and other minerals in the less sloped areas through rainfall, landslide.

The study was conducted to find the net carbon stock in the Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in Bagdaila Chisapani community forest of Dang district, Nepal. The inventory was done by a stratified sampling technique with 0.5% sampling intensity taking into account the woody plants with ≥ 5cm DBH. A total of 49 sample plots of radius 8.94m and 5.64 were established to measure tree biomass and sapling biomass respectively in the forest. The mean above-ground carbon (AGC) was 160.4 t ha-1 and the mean below-ground carbon (BGC) was 24.1t ha-1. The mean total carbon stock in the study area was estimated to be 99.02 t ha-1; of which maximum carbon stock of 143.51 t ha-1 was found in block number 5. Sal was the major tree species in the CF. The biomass and carbon content in this forest is found quite low as compared to other studies in the Sal forest and other tropical forests which were due to the presence of tree stands of less diameter and height. This study would be helpful in the long-term management of forests, planning, and research purposes. The data from this study could also be taken as a reference document for the participation of community forests in carbon accounting under the REDD+ scheme in Nepal.

Non-timber forest products are the major source of income for mountainous countries like Nepal. This article attempts to explore a case of traded non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in Jajarkot district and its contribution to the economy. Collection of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) and resin tapping are some of the major sources of employment for a large number of rural people. 53 different types of NTFPs are traded from the Jajarkot district. Local people collect these NTFPs from the forest and export them within and outside the district mainly to India and China. Jajarkot district on average exported 1,590,681.72 kg NTFPs worth NRs. 3,819,271.6 (equivalent to USD 32,081.88) from the year 2015 to 2020 to the national economy through royalty. NRs. 2,246,719.4 (equivalent to USD 18,872.44) per year came from MAPs and NRs. 1,572,552.2 (equivalent to USD 13,209.4) from resin during the years 2015 to 2020. If this district could produce all the commonly available NTFPs in a large scale, then there would be a high possibility of transforming the current unviable economy into a practical and vibrant economy. A proper inventory, identification and sustainable harvesting, are essential to promote and conserve these NTFPs.

Among the Ramsar sites of Nepal, Ghodaghodi Lake Complex (GLC) is a biodiversity hot spot. This study was carried out to assess the status and diversity of terrestrial plants in GLC. Employing purposive sampling, altogether 38 plots were taken along the right hand side of the foot trails around the GLC. Collected data were analyzed using formulas and Important Value Index (IVI) was calculated. A total of 50 terrestrial species from 27 families were recorded, among which 35 were trees, 8 shrubs, and 7 herbs. Terminalia tomentosa (Saj) has highest IVI (46.53) among tree species. Similarly, Aerva lanata (Khari) has highest IVI (54.13) among herb species and Calotropis gigantea (Aank) has highest IVI (68.56) among the shrub species. The family Fabaceae family (n=7) represented the maximum numbers of plants species followed by Moraceae family. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 9(1): 38-44