Wild and Semi-Wild Edible Plants in High Altitude Cold Desert of Ladakh: A Comprehensive Review

Mahesh Kumar Gaur; R. K. Goyal; M. S. Raghuvanshi; Anurag Saxena

doi:10.56093/aaz.v65i2.173744

Authors

Mahesh Kumar Gaur ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur 342 003, India
R. K. Goyal ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur 342 003, India
M. S. Raghuvanshi ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur 440 033, India
Anurag Saxena ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132 001, India

https://doi.org/10.56093/aaz.v65i2.173744

Keywords:

Wild edible plants, Ladakh, food security, ethnobotany, sustainability, nutritional diversity, cold arid region

Abstract

The cold arid region of Ladakh hosts a rich diversity of wild and semi-wild edible plants (WSWEPs) that play an indispensable role in regional food and nutritional security. This review synthesizes ethnobotanical, nutritional, ecological, and conservation literature to highlight the multidimensional value of 52 documented wild and semi-wild edible plants (WSWEP) species. These plants provide essential macro- and micronutrients, including high levels of protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and antioxidants, thereby addressing micronutrient deficiencies common in high-altitude regions. Their ecological significance extends to soil stabilization, biodiversity protection, and climate adaptation. However, WSWEP populations are increasingly threatened by overharvesting, overgrazing, habitat destruction, and climate-induced changes. This review identifies critical research gaps and proposes pathways for sustainable utilization, community-based conservation, and policy integration. The synthesis underscores the importance of combining traditional knowledge with scientific evidence to enhance food security and environmental resilience in fragile cold-desert ecosystems.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Mahesh Kumar Gaur, ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur 342 003, India

Mahesh K. Gaur, a Geographer, specialize in arid-land geography, remote sensing, GIS, drought, desertification & land degradation, and natural-resource mapping & monitoring, with extensive research experience in hot and cold arid regions of India.
R. K. Goyal, ICAR-Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur 342 003, India

R.K. Goyal, a hydrologist with an expertise in water/watershed management and climate change studies in both hot and cold arid zones.
M. S. Raghuvanshi, ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur 440 033, India

Mahendra S. Raghuwanshi, an agronomist specializes in cold-arid agriculture, land-use planning, agroforestry, and weed management in hot and cold arid regions of India
Anurag Saxena, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal 132 001, India

Anurag Saxena, an agronomist specializing in climate-resilient farming, arid ecosystems, water conservation, and hot & cold-desert agricultural research in India

References

Akbar, P., Ishfaq, M.S., Kanwar, M.S., Gaur, Mahesh K. and Goyal, R.K. 2025. Underutilized vegetables of Kashmir Valley, India: Food for future. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change 15(4): 510-521. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2025/v15i44828

Ali, Z., Singh, S. and Angmo, T. 2012. Traditional methods for storage of vegetables in cold arid region of Ladakh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 11(2): 351-353.

Angmo, D., Puri, R., Mehta, M. and Devi, G. 2022. Ethnobotanical survey of wild edible plants of Leh district, Ladakh. Defence Life Science Journal 7(4): 257-266. https://doi.org/10.14429/dlsj.7.18012

Avasthi, A.S., Bhatnagar, M., Sarkar, N., Kitchlu, S. and Ghosal, S. 2016. Bioassay guided screening, optimisation and characterisation of antioxidant compounds from high altitude wild edible plants of Ladakh. Journal of Food Science and Technology 53(8): 3244-3252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-016-2300-2

Ballabh, B., Chaurasia, O.P., Pande, P.C. and Ahmed, Z. 2007. Raw edible plants of cold desert Ladakh. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 6(1): 182– 184.

Batool, Z. and Gairola, S. 2025. Wild edible plants used by the Indigenous communities of the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, India. Ethnobotany Research and Applications 30: 1-17. https://ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/ article/view/6608

Batool, Z., Lone, J.F., Singh, K. and Gairola, S. 2024. Nutraceutical and antioxidant potential of selected wild edible plants from the cold-arid desert of Ladakh, India. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca 52(1): Article 13286. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha52113286

Bhattacharyya, A. 1991. Ethnobotanical observations in the Ladakh region of northern Jammu and Kashmir State, India. Economic Botany 45(3): 305- 308. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02887067

Bhoyar, M.S., Mishra, G.P., Singh, R. and Singh, S.B. 2011. Ethnobotany of traditional wild edible plants from cold arid desert of Ladakh – A potential source of winter vegetables. Indian Forester 137(8): 1029-1033.

Boesi, A. 2014. Traditional knowledge of wild food plants in a few Tibetan communities. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 10(1): 75. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-4269-10-75

Chongtham, N., Bano, S., Dolma, N. and Santosh, O. 2022. Promising underutilized wild plants of cold desert Ladakh, India for nutritional security and health benefits. Applied Food Research 2(2): 100145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.afres.2022.100145

Gaur, Mahesh K. 2025. Traditional knowledge system of the cold desert of Leh-Ladakh (India) for the environment management. In: Gender, Environment, and Human Rights: An Intersectional Exploration (Ed. S. Chakraborty), pp. 93-104. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-6069-9.ch006

Gaur, Mahesh K., Goyal, R.K., Kanwar, M.S., Choudhary, V., Singh, N., Chichaghare, A. and Raghuvanshi, M.S. 2024a. Traditional ecological knowledge and natural resource management in the cold desert of Leh-Ladakh, India. Ecofeminism and Climate Change 5(2): 81-88. https://doi.org/10.26480/efcc.02.2024.81.88

Gaur, Mahesh K., Goyal, R.K., Kanwar, M.S., Singh, N., Choudhary, V. and Chichaghare, A. 2024b. Prospects and challenges for biodiversity in the anthropogenic-induced cold arid landscape of Ladakh, India. Japan Journal of Research 5(6): 1-15. https://doi.org/10.33425/2690-8077.1123

Haq, S.M., Yaqoob, U., Calixto, E.S., Rahman, I.U., Hashem, A., Abd_Allah, E.F. and Ijaz, F. 2021. Plant resources utilisation among different ethnic groups of Ladakh in Trans-Himalayan Region. Biology 10(9): 827. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10090827

Hassan, M., Jan, M., Jan, N., Ashraf, M.W. and Gairola, S. 2024. Foraging for the future: Traditional culinary uses of wild plants in the Western Himalayas–Kashmir Valley (India). Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 20: 66. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13002-024-00707-7

Kaur, T., Hussain, K., Koul, S., Vishwakarma, R. and Vyas, D. 2013. Evaluation of nutritional and antioxidant status of Lepidium latifolium L.: A novel phytofood from Ladakh. PLoS One 8(8): e69112. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0069112

Klimes, L. and Dickore, B. 2005. A contribution to the vascular plant flora of Lower Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir, India). Willdenowia 35(1): 125-153. https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.35.35110

Murugan, M.P., Raj, X.J., Kumar, G.P., Sunil, G. and Singh, S.B. 2010. Phytofoods of Nubra valley, Ladakh–the cold desert. Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge 9(2): 303-308.

Navchoo, I. A. and Buth, G.M. 1990. Ethnobotany of Ladakh, India: Beverages, narcotics, foods. Economic Botany 44(3): 318-321. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03183913

Raghuvanshi, M.S., Manjunatha, B.L., Dorjay, N., Yangchen, J., Arunachalam, A., Dolkar, P., and Pandey, L. 2021. Livelihood opportunities through leafy vegetables in Ladakh cold desert. Indian Journal of Hill Farming 34: 179-194. Retrieved from https://krishi.icar.gov.in/jspui/ handle/123456789/70919

Rana, J.C., Pradheep, K., Chaurasia, O.P., Sood, S., Sharma, R.M., Singh, A. and Negi, R. 2012. Genetic resources of wild edible plants and their uses among tribal communities of cold arid region of India. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution 59(1): 135-149. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-011-9765-7.

Roy, A.K., Malaviya, D.R., Singh, Amit, Singh, J.P., Roy, M.M., Biradar, N., Dand, S.A., Chandra, A., Shukla, A.K., Kumar R.V., Yadav, V.K. and Kaushal, P. 2024. Indian Rangeland and Grassland Conservation, Restoration and Sustenance: A Policy Perspective. ICAR-Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi. pp. 23.