Showing papers in "Ethnobotany Research and Applications in 2006"

Evaluating Two Quantitative Ethnobotanical Techniques

Abstract: A critical evaluation of two quantitative techniques used in ethnobotanical studies was undertaken using data concerning plant use in a rural community in the semi-arid region of Pernambuco State, northeastern Brazil. The relative importance of 36 native woody species reported as being useful by 98 informants was calculated employing the Use-Value (UV) and Relative Importance (RI) techniques. Both techniques place value on a given taxon based on the number of uses attributed to it. Results obtained for both techniques are positively correlated, suggesting that they can be used interchangeably to evaluate local knowledge of a given resource. The implications and interpretation limitations of these two techniques are discussed in detail.

A Survey of Traditional Health Remedies Used by the Maasai of Southern Kaijiado District, Kenya

Abstract: This study investigated the use of traditional health remedies among the Maasai of Kuku Group Ranch of Southern Kajiado District, Kenya A structured and semi—structured questionnaire was administered to heads or adult members of households in the study area as well as key people who are knowledgeable in Maasai traditional medicine Use of ethno-medicine was prevalent, with 73% of the respondents indicating this was their preferred type of treatment Traditional medicine was the primary health care system for the community even though 98% of the respondents mentioned that they frequently sought modern medical care provided by local dispensaries and clinics Knowledge on traditional plant health remedies was immense, and a wide variety of illnesses and body conditions were treated and managed using locally available medicinal plants The community had an elaborate and complex pharmacopoeia supported by a wide range of plant species majority of which were readily harvested within the group ranch Knowledge about the use of ethno-medicinal resources and the resources themselves appeared to be threatened by rapid changes in traditional lifestyles and cultural practices particularly the spread of Christianity, formal education and emphasis on reliance of modern medical care Plants recognized to be of medicinal value by the community appeared to be equally threatened by a myriad of factors particularly land use changes There is great need to conserve the rich plant biodiversity in the ranch as well as preserve knowledge on the value and use of traditional plant based remedies amidst a rapidly changing society

Ethnobotany of the Genus Piper (Piperaceae) in Thailand

Abstract: Thailand is located in the tropical rain forest zone above the equator. This geographically supports very rich biodiversity, including the genus Piper (Piperaceae). Thirty-eight species of Piper, from out of over 1,000 species in the world, have been discovered recently (1998-2006) by the authors. Plant morphology and plant use information were recorded via observation, market surveys, and interviews with traditional healers and local peoples. In this paper we provide ethnobotanical and botanical descriptions and illustrations of eight Piper species that are popularly used among Thai people as vegetables, spices, decoration and medicines and for traditional ceremonies. These species consist of P. betle L., P. longum L., P. nigrum L., P. pendulispicum C.DC., P. retrofractum Vahl, P. sarmentosum Roxb., P. wallichii (Miquel) Handel-Mazetti and a newly described Piper sp.

Diversity and Cultural Use of Enset ( Enset ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) in Bonga in-situ Conservation Site, Ethiopia

Abstract: Enset plant diversity and maintenance were investigated through interviews, quantitative and qualitative plant morphological analysis, nutritional analysis and field observations. Forty-two enset varieties were identified and grouped into 6 clusters, where the wild variety was an outlier. Principal components analysis also revealed the distinctiveness of the enset varieties. The study showed that, farmers in the Kaffa zone maintain many varieties along with associated myths, beliefs, songs/poems, and medicinal and ritual significance. A multidimensional preference analysis suggested the existence of a reasonable degree of consistency among farmers in naming the varieties and utilization aspects. Diversity within and between enset varieties was found to be high, and ‘perceptual distinctiveness’ of enset varieties of which farmers were minutely cognizant was significant in the recognition of variation and therefore plays a role in selection and maintenance of the existing diversity.

Prioritization and Conservation of Himalayan Medicinal Plants: Angelica glauca Edgew. as a Case Study

Abstract: The present study broadly supports the need for conservation initiatives for Himalayan medicinal plants. An approach is set up for prioritization grading of the importance of medicinal plants that is based upon the knowledge of local communities about the species. The study of Himalayan medicinal plants in general and Angelica glauca Edgew. in particular reveals that the utilization pattern, traditional knowledge base and trade of medicinal plants show trends that are not ideal for sustainability in the Indian Himalaya. The research attempts to integrate the analysis of several aspects of Himalayan trade in medicinal plants to reveal the threat to the plants and to suggest ways to overcome the problem.

Questionnaires Do Not Work! A Comparison of Methods Used to Evaluate the Structure of Buildings and Wood Used in Rural Households, South Africa

Abstract: The level of hardwood utilisation for house building was evaluated in a rural community of Maputaland, KwaZulu- Natal, South Africa. A full inventory of 42 households in that community was conducted, followed by a questionnaire survey coupled with a partial inventory of the same households. It was expected that the questionnaire design would be greatly improved by the prior survey, and that similar quantitative results could be obtained. The results show that despite a careful design, the questionnaires and coupled partial inventories provided significantly different results, thus placing considerable doubts on any research solely based on questionnaire results without proper ground proofing. The reasons for such differences are unclear. The main advantage of the questionnaire survey resided in the qualitative insight it offered for the analysis of the data.

Improving Quality of International Ethnobotany Research and Publications

Abstract: A poor quality of the presentation of the science indicates that the author lacks something: writing skills, fluency in the language being used, concern about quality, positive models of quality writing, or a variety of related attributes. There are many different writing styles and good authors learn what works for them and what does not. For the rest of us, template formats are useful for the organization of our work in order to provide clear presentations. Appendix 2 is a simple procedural template that if followed will overcome many structural problems seen in manuscripts rejected for publication. When combined with the advice in Appendix 1, this should produce a good publication if the research itself was conducted well.

Traditional Thai Medicines Inhibit Helicobacter pylori in vitro and in vivo: Support for Ethnomedical Use

Abstract: In Thailand, traditional plant-based medicines have always been used to treat gastrointestinal ailments, including gastritis, peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and diarrhea. Since Helicobacter pylori (HP) is an etiological agent of PUD, we have used an ethnomedical approach for screening plant extracts as potential treatments for HP infections, including over 20 species from Thailand. International Memoranda of Agreement were established between UIC and Mahidol University in Thailand. Medicinal plants were collected, identified and extracted. Susceptibility testing was performed with 15 HP strains using the agar dilution procedure guidelines of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. In vivo studies included evaluating bacterial load, as well as acute and chronic inflammation in HPinfected Mongolian gerbils. Extracts of Curcuma longa L. and Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf. significantly reduced HP-induced gastric lesions, as assessed both macroscopically and microscopically in Mongolian gerbils. The treatments reduced acute and/or chronic inflammation in a prevention model of HP-induced gastritis.

Biocultural Diversity of the Endemic ‘Wild Jack Tree’ on the Malabar Coast of South India

Abstract: Artocarpus hirsutus Lam. is an endemic tree species of the southern Western Ghats of Peninsular India. It is popularly known as the ‘wild jack tree”. Several attributes in art, culture and socio-economic civilization among the folk communities in Kerala state (Malabar coast) distinguish the tree in the history of Indian civilization. Most of the traditional uses and indigenous know-how earlier referred to this species are vanishing. This article discusses various aspects of the popular wild jack tree of the Malabar coast and its vanishing indigenous biocultural diversity among the folk communities of the region.

Insertions and Deletions: Evolution in the assemblage of Vietnamese food plants

Abstract: An analysis of taxa used and that are salient to Vietnamese in Hawai‘i compared with southern Vietnam reflects an evolution of the assemblage of food plants demonstrated by substitutions, insertions, and deletions of plant taxa. Replications occur as the Vietnamese in Hawai‘i have access to many similar plant taxa as those in Vietnam, possibly due to the location of Hawai‘i as a place where similar food plants can grow and due to a large Asian population. Food plant taxa were elicited from interviews and recorded during participant observations. The current scientific botanical nomenclature and taxonomic groupings, plant life form or part utilized, the southern and many northern Vietnamese vernacular names with diacritical markings, and the English and French translations are provided for over 200 food plants. An introduction to Vietnamese diacritical writing and vernacular botanical nomenclature is included.

The Skill Acquisition Process Relative to Ethnobotanical Methods

Abstract: Ethnobotany is an interdisciplinary field in that it utilizes methods from a wide array of science traditions, especially botany and anthropology. Ethnobotanical specialties, such as medical ethnobotany, require knowledge and skills in additional areas, such as chemistry, medical anthropology and pharmacology, in order to be sufficiently competent to define and undertake the more specialized ethnobotanical research. However, some skills transcend disciplines. Basic computer competence is needed in virtually all studies to organize and analyze research data.

Evolving Concepts Related to Achieving Benefit Sharing for Custodians of Traditional Knowledge

Abstract: In the context of evolving intellectual property law, defining ownership of traditional knowledge can be challenging when claims of origin are conflicting and requires accepting parameters of how uniqueness is defined and patent law is applied to protect this information. For purposes of this paper, the complexities of evolving benefit sharing for custodians of traditional knowledge are discussed in relationship to the use of medicinal plants. Parameters of ownership can vary not only by the perception of individuals that lay claim to the information but also by international, regional and national laws that govern how benefits should be fairly appropriated. Examples are provided to exemplify the wide variation that presently exists in this evolving process with illustrations of how this information, novel or otherwise, can be utilized to optimize its commercial worth.

Ethnobotanical Study of Rice Growing Process in Northeastern, Thailand

Abstract: Thailand is a developing country that relies heavily on rice agriculture. Photographic techniques are an easy and efficient method for studying human activities, culture, traditions, ethnobotany, and ethnoeconomy. In this paper, photos are used to provide an ethnobotanical description of the rice growing process of rice farmers in Northeast Thailand, from preparing the rice fields to harvesting the rice.

When Inter-ethnic Botanical Borrowing Does Not Rely on Obvious Efficacy: Some Questions from Western Amazonia

Abstract: Inter-ethnic botanical borrowing is usually deemed to be based on pragmatic efficiency. However, in the regional system we discovered between several indigenous groups from the Peruvian rainforest, the transfer of ethnomedicinal knowledge relies much more on relational factors than on any kind of strictly therapeutic efficacy. This is clearly substantiated by a detailed comparison between objective ethnobotanical measurements and indigenous selfassessments recorded by anthropologists. Such alternative motivations for ethnobotanical borrowing are probably not so exceptional. They raise some questions about the representation of plant efficiency from an indigenous point of view, and probably in some Western contexts too. They also entail direct implications for development and cooperation policies.

Conservation Status of Maianthemum Species in the Hengduan Mountains: A Case Study Analyzing the Impact of New Policies on Wild Collected Plant Species

Abstract: Maianthemum G. Weber ex Wigg. (Liliaceae) is a popular wild vegetable in Southwest P.R. China, the consumption and trade of which has recently been stimulated by local government polices and increasing tourism. We interviewed 68 stakeholders in Northwest Yunnan to document uses, harvest methods and amounts, and locally perceived conservation status of the species. Mainly M. atropurpureum (Franch.) LaFrankie, an endemic of the region, is consumed and collected for trade. Harvest methods and amounts differ significantly between different regions. Major regional markets in Northwest Yunnan are supplied with plants collected around Fugong, Nujiang Prefecture, where the intensive harvest is facilitated by trucks. In Zhongdian, Diqing Prefecture, all harvest is transported by men and sold locally. Only collectors in the latter area perceive a decrease of population sizes in recent years. In that area Maianthemum is decreasing due to several factors, such as relative scarcity of the species, habitat destruction, harvest methods, and increasing demand by tourists. Thus, local harvest strategies, which allow a sustainable use of the populations, need to be developed.

Bamboo Paper Production and Religious Use by the Lanten Yao in Northern Lao PDR

Abstract: This photo essay demonstrates the method of producing bamboo paper by the Lanten Yao in northern Lao PDR and discusses the roles of bamboo paper in religious ceremonies. While in the past bamboo paper is likely to have had several uses in Lanten society, the use of bamboo paper is now limited to religious activities, where it cannot be replace by any other material.

Ure (Colocasia esculenta-Araceae): An Edible Aroid of the Warao

Abstract: The Warao are the original inhabitants of the Orinoco Delta and the second largest indigenous group in Venezuela. The relatively recent transformation of the Winikina Warao sub-tribe from semi-nomadic swamp foragers to swidden- fallow agriculturists has led them to forsake traditional sustenance foods such as yuruma (palm starch from Mauritia flexuosa Mart.) for various introduced crops such as the tuber ure ( Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott). This paper describes the origins and taxonomy of ure including its secondary metabolites and uses, a description of swidden (daukaba) selection and preparation, and planting, harvesting, and consumption of ure by the Winikina Warao. It closes with a brief discussion of the impact of ure cultivation on the contemporary Winikina Warao. Los Warao son los habitantes originales del delta del Rio Orinoco y el segundo grupo indigena mas grande de Venezuela. La reciente transformacion del subtribo Winikina Warao de una vida seminomada a una de agriculturador hizo que abandonen su comida tradicional de subsistencia como la yuruma (almidon de la palma Mauritia flexuosa Mart.) para cosecha introducida como el tuberculo ure (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott). Este articulo describe los origenes y taxonomia de ure incluyendo sus metabolitos secundarios y usos, seleccion de un terreno demontado (daukaba), y sembra, cosecha y consuncion de ure por los Winikina Warao. Concluimos con una breve discusion del impacto de la cultivacion del ure entre los Winikina Warao.

Naming Consistency for Forest Plants in Some Rural Communities of Northeast Thailand

Abstract: Consistency of naming forest plants was subjected to a field test in a rural community of Northeastern Thailand. Local experts supplied names for a set of trees and vines in a surveyed plot. Results showed a high level of agreement among the informants for more than half of the plants and less than 10% of the plants were not named consistently by the majority of informants. Disagreement on names largely took the form of non-responses or degrees of specificity. In general, vines and immature understory plants produced the greatest diversity of opinion. Of the names collected, 53% were recorded in standard botanical references but about half were linked with more than one Latin binomial, often in different families. Many false links could be quickly resolved if voucher specimens of the plants were compared with herbarium specimens.

Expecting the Unexpected: Safety Considerations for Ethnobotany Field Research

Abstract: All ethnobotanical field researchers should be prepared for emergencies. While such problems are often thought to be low probability events, they are actually common enough that all investigators should be appropriately prepared every time they go into the field, even in areas that are nearby and familiar. Preparation involves a series to steps that should be started early, well before going into the field. The first part of the planning involves thinking about the area, intended activities and the potential for danger. This is followed by assembling materials and procedures that will be helpful in the most likely dangerous situations. It is also important to know, ahead of time, what to do in a broad range of emergencies. Every field researcher should have good safety kits, be trained in their use, and practice sufficiently so that safety procedures become a habit.