Ethnobotanic garden design in the Ecuadorian Amazon

This study focuses on the documentation of traditional plant usage among Kichwa, the indigenous people from Canton Loreto, Ecuador. The relationship between people, plants and the natural environment is demonstrated in an ethnobotanical garden at the Capacity Building Centre of the town. The construction site for the ethnobotanical garden is a 1.5 ha secondary forest. The forest was analyzed with a local key informant and 150 different useful species were found. The plant species recorded are mainly used for medicinal purposes, followed by edible plants, and finally by food sources for animals. Open-ended interviews were conducted with the aim of identifying the most commonly used plant species among the Kichwas. The results showed that Ilex guayusa ranked most popular, followed by Myroxylon balsamum, Cedrela odorata, Banisteriopsis caapi, and Urera caracasana. Focus groups were held and the most important plant applications were evaluated. The collected data illustrated that Kichwas attach great importance to medicinal and ritual plants, followed by plants used for handcraft. Edible plants rank afterwards, followed by dye plants and plants used for hunting. The above findings serve as the backbone of the design for the ethnobotanical garden. The garden acts as a tool to preserve and promote the knowledge of plants, focusing mainly on medicinal plants. The growing areas for the plant species were determined according to their importance to the Kichwas. The concept of the ethnobotanical garden conveys the holistic picture drawn from the investigation on people and plants of the Kichwas.     

Indigenous Children’s Knowledge About Non-timber Forest Products in Suriname

Childhood and adolescence are important life stages for the acquisition of knowledge about non-timber forest products (NTFPs). We show at which stage in life traditional plant knowledge is learned and analyze whether cross-cultural ethnobotanical knowledge transmission takes place. We evaluate whether the degree of forest dependency influences ethnobotanical knowledge by comparing two indigenous communities in Suriname. Traditional knowledge was documented and vouchers collected during forest walks with adult informants. Questionnaires were completed by 74 schoolchildren (age 4 to 14) to capture their knowledge of names and uses of nine important NTFPs. We tested for knowledge differences by ethnicity and NTFP categories. Local names for NTFPs were analyzed to determine cross-cultural transmission of ethnobotanical knowledge. Children from the forest-dependent Trio community (n?=?23) possessed similar knowledge of NTFPs as their more urbanized peers from Apoera (n?=?51). NTFP uses were acquired at an earlier age than plant names. Food and commercial NTFP uses were better known than medicinal plant uses. Cross-cultural transfer of knowledge occurred between the two communities. NTFP knowledge of children appeared to be influenced more by the time they spent within the forest, either walking to school or walking to agricultural plots, than by the level of forest dependency or acculturation.     

Plants Used for Reproductive Health by Nahua Women in Northern Veracruz,Mexico

Plants Used for Reproductive Health by Nahua Women in Northern Veracruz, Mexico. This paper reports the use of medicinal plants by Nahua women in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. It documents the women’s plant knowledge for reproductive purposes, which includes uses such as conception, pregnancy, birth, contraception, menstruation, post-partum, and general reproductive health. The concept of equilibrium is very important in regaining health among the Nahua; consequently, many of the medicinal plants have this as their primary purpose. The introduction of biomedical clinics and hospitals in the region has had a significant effect on the loss of knowledge about medicinal plants. Additionally, the midwives are not taking any new apprentices and laywomen are not passing on their knowledge to future generations. This generational gap contributes to the loss of knowledge about medicinal plants. This research contributes to the study of indigenous ethnobotany by (a) creating a record of the plant knowledge possessed by indigenous women, (b) giving voice to some of their health concerns, (c) indicating how the introduction of biomedicine has affected their plant use, and (d) providing a framework for understanding how marginal peoples around the world respond to the impact that globalization and change has on their health needs and local ethnobotanical knowledge.     

Ethnobotanical aspects of some taxa in east Anatolia, Turkey

This paper presents a list of some medicinal plants distributed in the East Anatolia region. The list was prepared during an ethnobotanical survey of the region from 1995 to 2002. East Anatolia has a rich flora due to its variable climate and its many ecological zones. This diversity in flora provides a rich source of medicinal plants that has been long utilized by Anatolian cultures; and hence, accounts for the remarkable accumulation of medicinal folk knowledge for the region. This paper provides information about 71 useful plants grown in the region, 20 of which are reported for the first time. In addition to the scientific names, vernacular names and medicinal uses are given for each plant.     

Knowledge and Use Value of Plant Species in a Rarámuri Community: A Gender Perspective for Conservation

We used a quantitative ethnobotanical approach to analyze factors influencing the use value of plant species among men and women of the Rarámuri people in Cuiteco, Chihuahua, Mexico. We constructed a use value index (UV) combining the use frequency (U) and the quality perception (Q) of useful plant species by local people. We identified all plant species used by the Rarámuri and classified them into 14 general use categories. We interviewed 34 households in the village to compare men and women’s knowledge on the five main general use categories (and on their respective subcategories and specific uses), to document how they practice gathering activities and to calculate scores of plants UV. A total of 226 useful plant species were identified, but only 12% of them had high UV scores for the 42 specific uses defined. When the overall knowledge of plant species was examined, no significant differences were detected between men and women, but significant differences were identified in general use categories such as medicinal plants, plants for construction and domestic goods, but not in plants used as food and firewood. We identified a division of labor in gathering activities associated with gender, with women mainly gathering medicinal and edible plants and being involved in preparing medicines and food, whereas men were primarily gathering and using plants for manufacturing domestic goods, firewood, and building materials. Plant species UV associated to gender were significantly different between men and women at the level of specific uses in the general category of domestic goods and building. Frequency of use is highly associated with plant species quality perception.     

Environments of Learning: Rarámuri Children’s Plant Knowledge and Experience of Schooling,Family, and Landscapes in the Sierra Tarahumara,Mexico

This paper investigates social-environmental factors contributing to differential ethnobotanical expertise among children in Rarámuri (Tarahumara) communities in Chihuahua, Mexico, to explore processes of indigenous ecological education and epistemologies of research. One hundred and four children from two schools (one with a Ráramuri knowledge curriculum and one without) were interviewed about their knowledge of 40 useful plants. Overall, children showed less ethnobotanical expertise than expected and a great deal of variability by age, though most shared knowledge of a core set of culturally and ecologically salient plants. No significant difference was found between girls’ and boys’ knowledge. The overall use-knowledge scores were almost twice as high as naming scores (mean of 40% vs. 24.4%). This supports the conclusion that use-context is more culturally relevant, salient or easier for children to remember than names. The social–environmental factors significant in predicting levels of plant knowledge among children were whether a child attended a Rarámuri or Spanish-instruction school, and, to a lesser extent, age. However, these effects were not strong, and individual variability in expertise is best interpreted using ethnographic knowledge of each child’s family and personal history, leading to a model of ethnobotanical education that foregrounds experiential learning and personal and family interest in useful plants. Though overall plant knowledge may be lower among children today compared to previous generations, a community knowledge structure seems to be reproduced in which a few individuals in each age cohort show great proficiency, and children make the same kinds of mistakes and share specialized names for plants.     

Ethnobotanical study and conservation status of trees in the district Sargodha,Punjab, Pakistan

Sargodha district is one of the least studied regions of Pakistan regarding its ethnobotanical values. This paper is the first report related to the documentation and conservation status of the tree species in the Sargodha district, and their folk ethnobotanical uses. An interview base survey was conducted in the study area in 2010-2013. The ethnobotanical data revealed the use of 100 tree species (6 gymnosperms, 94 angiosperms) belonging to 77 genera (6 gymnosperms, 71 angiosperms) and 39 families (4 gymnosperms, 35 angiosperms), with the Fabaceae ranking first with 19 tree species, followed by the Moraceae (12 species). Tree species like Aegle marmelos, Butea monosperma, Diospyrus malabarica, Gmelina arborea, Kigelia africana, Manilkara hexandra, Manilkara zapota, Mimusops elengi, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Putranjiva roxburghii, Terminalia arjuna and Terminalia bellerica are not only unique in their medicinal value but also interesting because of their unusual occurrence here. Thevetia peruviana, Cassia fistula, Celtis australis, Delonix regia, Diospyrus malabarica, Grevillea robusta, Haplophragma adenophylum, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Plumeria rubra, Pterospermum acerifolium, Roystonea regia, Taxodium distichum and Tectona grandis are included among the worth looking ornamental tree species. Capparis decidua, Dalbergia sissoo, Tamarix aphylla, Tamarix dioica, Prosopis cineraria and Ziziphus mauritiana are the most commonly used timber species. Other common ethnobotanical utilization of these trees includes either sheltering or fuel or agricultural uses. Lack of awareness about the potential uses of these species, and particularly ignorance of the concerned authorities, have led to a decline in the population of this precious tree flora. Documentation of this tree flora, and as-sociated indigenous knowledge, can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of this flora in the study area. A well-organized management is critical to restore and conserve this endangered natural resource in the District Sargodha, Pakistan. The immense medicinal and timber value of these tree species make it necessary to promote their conservation to simultaneously alleviate the poverty and improve the socio-economic status of the study area.     

Plant Knowledge in the Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648): Retentions of Seventeenth-Century Plant Use in Brazil

The Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (HNB, 1648) is the most complete treatise on Brazilian flora and fauna created in the seventeenth century. Scientists Marcgrave and Piso depicted hundreds of plants and described uses, vernacular names, and diseases in Dutch Brazil. We aimed to verify whether these plants are still used similarly, using herbarium vouchers and taxonomic literature to identify the species described in the HNB and reviewing historical and modern ethnobotanical literature to analyze whether the HNB documented specific plants and uses for the northeast region. We highlighted Old World species, as they indicate plant introduction before and during the trans-Atlantic slave trade and exchange of African ethnobotanical knowledge. Of the 378 species found in the HNB, 256 (68%) were useful, mostly used for healing and food in a similar way (80%) both in the seventeenth century and in modern Brazil. Only one species (Swartzia pickelii) is endemic to northeast Brazil, while the others are more widely distributed. The HNB includes one of the first reports on African crops in Brazil, such as sesame, okra, and spider plant. This study brings insights on indigenous and African plant knowledge retentions since the creation of the HNB and acknowledges its non-European contributors.

     

The useful plants of Tambopata,Peru: II. Additional hypothesis testing in quantitative ethnobotany

We present results of applying a simple technique to statistically test several hypotheses in ethnobotany, using plant use data from non-indigenous people in southeast Peru. Hypotheses tested concern: (1) the power of eight different variables as predictors of a plant’s use value; (2) comparisons of ethnobotanical knowledge among informants; and (3) the relationship between informant age and knowledge of plant uses. Each class of hypothesis is evaluated with respect to all uses, and classes (1) and (3) are evaluated for each of the following subsidiary use categories: construction, edible, commerce, medicine, and technology. We found that the family to which a plant belongs explains a large part of the variance in species’ use values. Each of the other factors analyzed (growth-form, density, frequency, mean and maximum diameter, mean and maximum growth rate) is also significantly predictive of use values. Age significantly predicts informant knowledge of(l) all uses, and (2) of medicinal uses. Plant medicinal lore is particularly vulnerable to acculturation.     

湘西地区祛风除湿药用植物的资源调查及可持续利用建议

湘西地区祛风除湿的医药传统知识历史悠久,但相关药用植物的资源本底和传统知识现状还不够清楚。该文基于民族植物学调查方法,对湘西地区祛风除湿药用植物的组成、相关传统知识、定量评价、实际估价和在《湖南省中药材标准》(2009年版)收录情况等方面进行了系统梳理,并就该类资源的可持续利用提出了相关建议。结果表明:(1)湘西地区目前利用的祛风除湿药用植物共有48科65属71种,以毛茛科(Ranunculaceae)和五加科(Araliaceae)居多。(2)根、全株、茎(藤)为主要利用部位。(3)生活型主要是草本、藤本和灌木,乔木较少。(4)与药用植物相关的传统知识在代际传播方面存在不确定性。(5)寻骨风(Aristolochia mollissima)、威灵仙(Clematis chinensis)和广防风(Anisomeles indica)显示出最高的知识一致性水平,是本次调查中3种最常用的祛风除湿药用植物。(6)当地药用植物的本地价格受市场影响较小,总体维持在较为平稳的水平,且缺乏对药材消费需求的了解。(7)有25种祛风除湿药用植物在《湖南省中药材标准》(2009年版)收录的功能与主治为祛风除湿、关节痹痛、风湿等。随着现阶段我国资源立法的不断完善,建议对湘西地区祛风除湿药用植物相关传统知识加强保护,提高该类资源的生物多样性和可持续利用水平; 并充分利用多学科交叉知识和技术手段,加强区域内传统医药资源的发掘和创新,使湘西丰富的药用植物资源更好地为人类健康做出贡献。     

高黎贡山地区民族植物学的初步研究Ⅱ.独龙族

采用民族植物学和人类生态学的方法,初步研究了云南高黎贡山北部独龙江流域内独龙族的农业生态系统和采集利用植物的传统知识。处于近乎封闭的自然与社会环境中,独龙族与植物及植物环境的关系十分密切。独龙族的农业生态系统是典型的山地轮歇农业生态系统,系统中存在不少有价值的传统品种和地方品种,并以种植桤木(Alnus nepalensis)来促进轮歇地的休闲管理为特色,对保护当地的森林、生态系统和生物多样性起到了积极的作用。独龙族人人参与野生食用植物的采集活动,它是独龙族社会中仅次于农业生产而位居第二的重要经济活动,共采集100余种野生食用植物,其中有很大一部分是能代替粮食的产淀粉类植物。独龙族采集利用100多种药用植物,云黄连(Coptis teeta)和贝母(Fritillaria cirrhosa)等草药储量丰富,是独龙族用于同外界进行物资交换的主要物品。在其它植物资源的利用方面,独龙族也积累了丰富的传统知识,包括对纤维植物、染料植物等的认识和利用。桤木和董棕(Caryota urens)两个树种是体现独龙族传统植物学和生态学知识的代表种类。独龙族对植物的传统知识,有必要进行深入研究。     

Depredation of domestic herds by pumas based on farmer’s information in Southern Brazil

Background

We can conserve cultural heritage and gain extensive knowledge of plant species with pharmacological potential to cure simple to life-threatening diseases by studying the use of plants in indigenous communities. Therefore, it is important to conduct ethnobotanical studies in indigenous communities and to validate the reported uses of plants by comparing ethnobotanical studies with phytochemical and pharmacological studies.

Materials and methods

This study was conducted in a Tamang community dwelling in the Makawanpur district of central Nepal. We used semi-structured and structured questionnaires during interviews to collect information. We compared use reports with available phytochemical and pharmacological studies for validation.

Results

A total of 161 plant species belonging to 86 families and 144 genera to cure 89 human ailments were documented. Although 68 plant species were cited as medicinal in previous studies, 55 different uses described by the Tamang people were not found in any of the compared studies. Traditional uses for 60 plant species were consistent with pharmacological and phytochemical studies.

Conclusions

The Tamang people in Makawanpur are rich in ethnopharmacological understanding. The present study highlights important medicinal plant species by validating their traditional uses. Different plant species can improve local economies through proper harvesting, adequate management and development of modern techniques to maximize their use.     

西双版纳傣族利用野生蔬菜种类变化及原因分析

运用民族植物学的方法,选择西双版纳自然及社会经济发展不同的三个傣族村寨曼安、曼伞和曼广囡为研究对象,调查当地村民利用野生蔬菜情况,并探讨利用种类变化的原因。三个傣族村寨村民利用的野生蔬菜有228种,分属于75个科,其中曼安村寨147种,曼伞村寨144种,曼广囡村寨105种。通过Multivariate方差分析(P<0.05)表明:不同村寨的村民平均每人提及的野生蔬菜物种数存在显著差异;年轻组平均每人提及的野生蔬菜物种数明显低于年长组,不同性别之间差异不显著;野生蔬菜知识的流失在男性之间比女性更为严重。最后对影响野生蔬菜利用的因素,野生蔬菜利用变化的原因以及传统野生蔬菜知识的流失进行了分析,就如何保护传统知识进行了探讨。     

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in Terai forest of western Nepal

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Nepal Himalayas have been known as a rich source for valuable medicinal plants since Vedic periods. Present work is the documentation of indigenous knowledge on plant utilization as natural remedy by the inhabitants of terai forest in Western Nepal. METHODS: Study was conducted during 2010-2011 following standard ethnobotanical methods. Data about medicinal uses of plants were collected by questionnaire, personal interview and group discussion with pre identified informants. Voucher specimens were collected with the help of informants, processed into herbarium following standard methods, identified with the help of pertinent floras and taxonomic experts, and submitted in Department of Botany, Butwal Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Nepal for future references. RESULTS: During the present study 66 medicinal plant species belonging to 37 families and 60 genera has been documented. These plants were used to treat various diseases and ailments grouped under 11 disease categories, with the highest number of species (41) being used for gastro-intestinal disorders, followed by dermatological disorders (34). In the study area the informants' consensus about usages of medicinal plants ranges from 0.93 to 0.97 with an average value of 0.94. Herbs (53 %) were the primary source of medicine, followed by trees (23 %). Curcuma longa (84 %) and Azadirachta indica (76 %) are the most frequently and popularly used medicinal plant species in the study area. Acacia catechu, Bacopa monnieri, Bombax ceiba, Drymaria diandra, Rauvolfia serpentina, and Tribulus terrestris are threatened species which needs to be conserved for future use. CONCLUSIONS: The high degree of consensus among the informants suggests that current use and knowledge are still strong, and thus the preservation of today's knowledge shows good foresight in acting before much has been lost. The connections between plant use and conservation are also important ones, especially as the authors note that neither the local inhabitants nor the government is addressing the potential loss of valuable species in this region.     

The Impact of Traditional Lifestyle, Provenance and Contact History on Plant Use Knowledge and Management: A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Two Small-Scale Societies from the Bolivian Amazon

It is well known that ethnobotanical knowledge can vary significantly among societies. However, it often remains difficult to fully capture the factors underlying differences in perceptions of usefulness. A quantitative ethnobotanical study was conducted in Indigenous Territory and National Park Isiboro-Sécure (TIPNIS), Bolivia, to compare the plant use knowledge and management of the Yuracarés and Trinitarios, two indigenous groups that share the same living environment. Results show that the Trinitarios have higher knowledge of plants from anthropogenic environments and maintain a significantly larger pharmacopoeia than the Yuracarés. By contrast, the Yuracarés are more knowledgeable of wild flora and particularly excel in their knowledge of wild food plants. I relate these differences to: (1) cultural heritage, customs and practices; (2) ethnomedicinal system; (3) (historical) mode of subsistence; (4) provenance; (5) history of contact with Western society; and (6) modernization and social position. I argue that although contemporary Yuracarés are semi-sedentary, their plant use knowledge and management reflect their previous semi-nomadic foraging lifestyle. Similarly, Trinitarios’ current plant use knowledge and management reflects their legacy of having developed one of the most advanced pre-Colombian agricultural societies in the tree savannahs of Moxos.     

Evidence of the shifting baseline syndrome in ethnobotanical research

Background

The shifting baseline syndrome is a concept from ecology that can be analyzed in the context of ethnobotanical research. Evidence of shifting baseline syndrome can be found in studies dealing with intracultural variation of knowledge, when knowledge from different generations is compared and combined with information about changes in the environment and/or natural resources.

Methods

We reviewed 84 studies published between 1993 and 2012 that made comparisons of ethnobotanical knowledge according to different age classes. After analyzing these studies for evidence of the shifting baseline syndrome (lower knowledge levels in younger generations and mention of declining abundance of local natural resources), we searched within these studies for the use of the expressions “cultural erosion”, “loss of knowledge”, or “acculturation”.

Results

The studies focused on different groups of plants (e.g. medicinal plants, foods, plants used for general purposes, or the uses of specific important species). More than half of all 84 studies (57%) mentioned a concern towards cultural erosion or knowledge loss; 54% of the studies showed evidence of the shifting baseline syndrome; and 37% of the studies did not provide any evidence of shifting baselines (intergenerational knowledge differences but no information available about the abundance of natural resources).

Discussion and conclusions

The general perception of knowledge loss among young people when comparing ethnobotanical repertoires among different age groups should be analyzed with caution. Changes in the landscape or in the abundance of plant resources may be associated with changes in ethnobotanical repertoires held by people of different age groups. Also, the relationship between the availability of resources and current plant use practices rely on a complexity of factors. Fluctuations in these variables can cause changes in the reference (baseline) of different generations and consequently be responsible for differences in intergenerational knowledge. Unraveling the complexity of changes in local knowledge systems in relation to environmental changes will allow the identification of more meaningful information for resource conservation.

     

Ethnobotanical observations from cabecar and guaymí settlements in central america

Ethnobotanical information was collected and the degree of acculturation was estimated for 3 Indian groups: 1) the Guaymi near Soloy, Panama, 2) the Guaymi near San Vito, Costa Rica, and 3) the Cabecar in the Telire Reserve, Costa Rica. In both Guaymi settlements, the introduction of cattle, cacao, and coffee had altered traditional agricultural systems. Also, the availability of modern agricultural seeds had reduced the planting frequency of indigenous crop varieties. In comparison, the Cabecar agricultural traditions in the isolated Telire Reserve remain essentially intact. of the persons interviewed, the Telire inhabitants were more willing to discuss and were more knowledgeable of native plant uses, especially medicinal uses, than either Guaymi group. Expeditions to these areas indicated that much ethnobotanical information remains undocumented, especially in the Telire Reserve, and that continual acculturation pressures leave little time to achieve complete documentation.     

An Ethnobotanical Survey of Inner-West Anatolia, Turkey

This study is focused on ethnobotanical usages of wild plants growing within the Afyonkarahisar province districts of Sinanpaşa, Hocalar and Dazkırı. Ninety local informants in 11 villages were interviewed. A total of 129 different usages of wild plants in the study area were recorded. Out of 650 plant species commonly present, 93 plant taxa (14.3%) belonging to 43 families were used for medicinal (52 citations), foodstuff (37 citations), fodder (14 citations), dye (six citations), firewood (five citations), construction materials (four citations) and miscellaneous purposes (11 citations). At least 15% of the information regarding ethnobotanical uses of wild plants was obtained by showing herbarium voucher samples to the informants. It was noted that Sideritis leptoclada and Verbascum stenostachyum are endemic to Turkey and their endangered status has markedly increased in recent years because of increased collecting for ethnobotanical purposes. Informants indicate that members of the younger generation have a much reduced interest in ethnobotanical knowledge and that this is a danger to the continued use of local plants.     

Cultural Transmission of Traditional Knowledge in two populations of North-western Patagonia

Background

Indigenous knowledge has become recognized worldwide not only because of its intrinsic value but also because it has a potential instrumental value to science and conservation. In Nepal, the indigenous knowledge of useful and medicinal plants has roots in the remote past.

Methods

The present study reviews the indigenous knowledge and use of plant resources of the Nepal Himalayas along the altitudinal and longitudinal gradient. A total of 264 studies focusing on ethnobotany, ethnomedicine and diversity of medicinal and aromatic plants, carried out between 1979 and 2006 were consulted for the present analysis. In order to cross check and verify the data, seven districts of west Nepal were visited in four field campaigns.

Results

In contrast to an average of 21–28% ethnobotanically/ethnomedicinally important plants reported for Nepal, the present study found that up to about 55% of the flora of the study region had medicinal value. This indicates a vast amount of undocumented knowledge about important plant species that needs to be explored and documented. The richness of medicinal plants decreased with increasing altitude but the percentage of plants used as medicine steadily increased with increasing altitude. This was due to preferences given to herbal remedies in high altitude areas and a combination of having no alternative choices, poverty and trust in the effectiveness of folklore herbal remedies.

Conclusion

Indigenous knowledge systems are culturally valued and scientifically important. Strengthening the wise use and conservation of indigenous knowledge of useful plants may benefit and improve the living standard of poor people.