Introduction

Abstract ........................................................................................................2 1.1 Physical Features and Geomorphology of the Study Region .............2 1.2 Ethnic Diversity of the Study Region .................................................6 1.3 Worldviews and Belief Systems .........................................................7 1.4 Traditional Knowledge on Ethnoecology, Ethnonomenclature,

and Ethnotaxonomy ............................................................................9 1.5 Traditional Agricultural Crop Diversity ............................................ 11 1.6 Utilitarian Ethnobotanical Knowledge .............................................12 1.7 Food Plants .......................................................................................13 1.8 Medicinal Plants ...............................................................................14 1.9 Plants of Ethnoveterinary Importance ..............................................15 1.10 Plants That Are Used for Purposes Other

Than Food and Medicine ..................................................................16 1.11 Conservation, Documentation, and Management of Traditional

Knowledge on Plants ........................................................................17 1.12 Mainstreaming Traditional Botanical Knowledge ............................18 1.13 Conclusions .......................................................................................19 Keywords ...................................................................................................20 References ..................................................................................................20

K. V. KRISHNAMURTHY,1 T. PULLAIAH,2 and BIR BAHADUR3