Application of Diversity Indices to Appraise Plant Availability in the Traditional Medicinal Markets of Johannesburg,South Africa |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Vivienne?L?WilliamsEmail author Edward? T?F?Witkowski Kevin?Balkwill |
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Institution: | (1) School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, PO Wits, 2050, South Africa |
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Abstract: | The lack of scientific rigour in analysing ethnobotanical surveys has prompted researchers to investigate ways of quantitatively
describing their data, including the use of ecological diversity indices. There are numerous indices and measures available
to describe sample diversity. Twenty-two measures of species richness, diversity and evenness were reviewed using six sets
of ethnomedicinal data derived from 50 formal muti shop traders (of different ethnicities) and 100 informal street traders of traditional medicine in Johannesburg, South Africa,
and a seventh data set from traders on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park, South Africa. The diversity measures
were coupled with species accumulation curves to construct cumulative diversity curves used to determine the minimum viable
sample size on which a diversity index should be based, and to better understand the differences in the relative diversities
of the samples. Distinct differences in the relative abundance and diversity of plants sold by street traders and shop traders
were evident. Species diversity and evenness was found to be higher in shops, thus resulting in a lower dominance in the sale
of certain plant species compared to the street traders. A survey of an informal market should include no less than 35 research
participants compared to no less than 20 for the muti shops. The use of selected indices of species richness (Margalef's), diversity (Shannon, Simpson's, Fisher's alpha, Hill's
numbers) and evenness are recommended as a means of describing patterns exhibited within ethnobotanical data. |
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Keywords: | Abundance Diversity Evenness Quantitative ethnobotany Species accumulation curve Species richness Traditional medicinal trade |
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