A literary analogy of the contributions of “Cultural Services” to the ecosystem services provided by the Sacred Groves

Background: Millennium Ecosystem Assessment categorizes the ecosystem services into four types i.e. Supporting, Provisioning, Regulatory and Cultural ecosystem services. The MA defines cultural services in terms of the “nonmaterial benefits people obtain from ecosystems,” and specifically lists “cultural diversity, spiritual and religious values, knowledge systems, educational values, inspiration, aesthetic values, social relations, sense of place, cultural heritage values, recreation and ecotourism”.

Objectives: To review literature that discusses the contribution of cultural values towards a more holistic valuation of ecosystem services.

Methods: The available literature from 1976 to 2022 without language restriction has been covered with the help of secondary data analysis. Secondary information related to sacred groves in general and from regions of India has been collected from various sources including published research articles, technical reports, books and supporting documents from different stakeholders like research organization, NGOs, Forest Department, other Govt. Departments, etc in the national domain.

Results: The critical review of the available information led to the gap analysis that no study on the region-wise structure and model of the sacred groves has been done in Indian origin. Conservation of various natural forests existing as sacred groves have been an imperative concept of community based conservation since the time immemorial.

Conclusion: Cultural heritage is usually defined as the legacy of biophysical features, physical artifacts, and intangible attributes of a group that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present, and bestowed for the benefit of future generations.