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Bioprospecting in Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand

The term bioprospecting has been widely used to assess the economic potential of different plant species and their value-addition. Our folklore with embedded cultural heritage has tremendous possibilities and potential for bioprospecting. Among the over 8000 species of flowering plants growing in the Himalaya, nearly 4000 are identified from the Garhwal Himalayan region. This part of region enjoyed a significant place throughout its history. This region enriched with diverse vegetational wealth and indigenous wisdom of resource use, if subjected to bioprospecting may prove to be a boon for the society.