Medicinal Plants are the main ingredients of local medicines and are of vital importance in traditional health care. People use medicinal plants species for sustenance of their traditional health care system both logistically as well economically. But due to more inclination towards modern Technology and over extraction of many of these plants has resulted in considerable depletion of the population of such species and some have become extinct.

In Karnataka according to the study of the Botanical Survey of India there are 3924 species belonging to 1323 genera and 199 families in the forests, of which 1493 species are of medicinal value. These belong to 808 genera and 108 families. They occur in different vegetation types across the Western Ghats.

It is estimated that 90% of the industrial requirement of plant material is coming from the forests. Species recovery programme by conserving the habitat of threatened medicinal plants and steps to enhance production seems to be the only solution to stop further degradation. The Karnataka Forest Department has initiated various programmes for the creation of medicinal herbs, shrubs and trees associated with traditional methods of medicines.

In Karnataka with the help of Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT) Bangalore, 13 Medicinal Plant Conservation Areas (MPCA) and Medicinal Plant Development Areas (MPDA) are established and managed with the help of local people. Details of Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCA) in Karnataka are given below: