Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

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WORKING GROUP ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS: FIRST MEETING
Genetic resources of medicinal and aromatic plants of Yugoslavia – current
situation and further prospects
Zora Dajić
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Belgrade-Zemun, F.R. Yugoslavia 19
Introduction
During the last decades the demand for medicinal plant raw material has rapidly increased,
especially in developed western countries. This is due to the recent tendency of
pharmaceutical companies to process the natural, often cheaper, raw material, but also to a
"modern human conscience" for development of alternative healing methods, such as
aromatherapy and homeopathy. The increased use of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs)
in the last decades of the 20 th century was motivated by both emotional and rational factors
(Lewington 1990; Lange 1996, 1998). (The natural products of MAPs are believed to have no
adverse effects, be less toxic and more appropriate for healing). According to recent data of
Traffic International (Lange 1998) the import of MAPs into European countries increased by
21% in the period 1992-1996.
Significant and usually secure income generated by the sale of MAPs results in a strong
decline in the natural medicinal flora caused by enormous and/or unprofessional
exploitation. In ecologically suitable environments of southeastern and eastern European
countries, the main exporters of cheap and good quality plant raw material, there is a trend
towards the endangering or complete elimination of many important medicinal species. The
great floristic richness and mapping of certain medicinal plant habitats in Serbia (Kišgeci
et al. 1997; Dajić and Kojić 1997, 1998, 1999; Dajić et al. 2000; Kišgeci and Sekulović 2000; Dajić
and Fabri 2001) enable their exploitation, but simultaneously draw attention to the need for
protection of medicinal plant resources in the wild. Therefore this situation requires changes
in the legislation of MAP protection and an increase in their production.
Biogeographic situation of Yugoslavia and elements of biodiversity
Yugoslavia is characterized by a huge geographic and biological diversity reflected in the
richness of its indigenous flora which exists as various vegetation formations of terrestrial
and aquatic ecosystems.
Yugoslavia is part of the Balkan Peninsula. Its whole territory covers 102 173 km 2 , with
five main biogeographic regions: (i) Mediterranean, (ii) central European, (iii) pontic,
(iv) boreal and (v) central-south European mountainous (Meusel et al. 1965; Walter 1983;
Stevanović 1994).
Dominant ecosystems (biomes) in Yugoslavia include deciduous forests, steppes,
coniferous forests, meadows and alpine "tundra", as well as the Mediterranean and sub-
Mediterranean vegetation distributed in the coastal region of Montenegro.
Yugoslavia is considered one of the 158 world biodiversity centres, based upon the total
number of plant species (including mosses) (more than 4700). The main factors of such floral
diversity are: historical background, geographical position, climate, relief (with three main
areas: the Panonnian plain, hilly-mountainous region and coastal region of Montenegro),
presence of streams, etc.
According to the most recent estimates (Stevanović et al. 1995) the flora of Serbia contains
3662 taxa (and an estimated additional 120 taxa), i.e. 3272 species and 390 subspecies, which
19 Country name changed to Serbia and Montenegro in February 2003. The denomination Yugoslavia
(or F.R.Y.) is kept in the present text as it was at time of meeting and preparation of this paper.