Ethnobotany Research and Applications 

About: Ethnobotany Research and Applications is an academic journal published by University of Hawaii Press. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Biology & Ethnobotany. It has an ISSN identifier of 1547-3465. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 680 publications have been published receiving 11040 citations. The journal is also known as: Ethnobotany research & applications.

Purposive Sampling as a Tool for Informant Selection

Abstract: Informant selection is highly relevant for ethnobotanical research, as people are constantly looked upon for knowledge and information. The purposive sampling technique is a type of non-probability sampling that is most effective when one needs to study a certain cultural domain with knowledgeable experts within. Purposive sampling may also be used with both qualitative and quantitative research techniques. The inherent bias of the method contributes to its efficiency, and the method stays robust even when tested against random probability sampling. Choosing the purposive sample is fundamental to the quality of data gathered; thus, reliability and competence of the informant must be ensured.

Importance Indices in Ethnobotany

Abstract: Measuring the “importance” of plants and vegetation to people is a central concern in quantitative ethnobotany. A common tool to quantify otherwise qualitative data in the biological and social sciences is an index. Relative cultural importance (RCI) indices such as the “use values” developed by Prance et al. (1987) and Phillips and Gentry (1993a, 1993b) are applied in ethnobotany to calculate a value per folk or biological plant taxon. These approaches can provide data amenable to hypothesis-testing, statistical validation, and comparative analysis. The use of RCI indices is a growing trend in ethnobotanical research, yet there have been few attempts to compile or standardize divergent methods. In this review, we compare RCI indices in four broad categories and present a step-by-step guide to some specific methods. Important background topics are addressed, including ethnographic methods, use categorization, sampling, and statistical analysis. We are concerned here only with “value” as a non-monetary concept. The aspiring and veteran researcher alike should find this paper a useful guide to the development and application of RCI indices.

Traditional use of medicinal plants in Bangladesh to treat urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases

Abstract: The rural population of Bangladesh has traditionally depended on folk medicinal healers for cure of their ailments. These healers use medicinal plants as their primary source of medicinal formulations. Rural patients are more dependent on traditional or folk medicinal healers for cure of urinary tract infections (UTI) and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) for a number of reasons including lack of access to modern medical facilities, clinging to traditional approaches, and finally hesitancy to relate this form of illnesses in front of unknown doctors. Since the traditional healer usually resides in the same village or in an adjoining area, the patient is more comfortable in seeking their treatment. We conducted an ethnomedicinal survey amongst the traditional healers of various ethnic groups and in several regions of the country to obtain information on medicinal plants used to treat UTI and STD. Interviews were conducted in the local dialect or language and information gathered as to plant and plant parts used, ailments, formulations, and dosages. Plant specimens were photographed and identified at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. A total of 32 plants distributed into 23 families were reported by the traditional healers of several districts and tribes of Bangladesh as to their being used as remedy for UTIs, including leucorrhea, frequent or infrequent urination, cloudy urination and burning sensations during urination. A total of 10 plants divided into 9 families were reported to be used against STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea.

A Comparative Analysis of Medicinal Plants Used by Folk Medicinal Healers in Three Districts of Bangladesh and Inquiry as to Mode of Selection of Medicinal Plants

Abstract: An ethnomedicinal survey conducted in two sub-districts (upazillas) each of three districts of Bangladesh revealed that there is both inter- and intra-district variation between the choices of medicinal plants selected by folk medicinal healers ( kavirajes ) to treat any specific ailment The variations cannot be accounted for by differences in climate or plant availability for most of the plants used by the kavirajes are available in all six upazillas where the survey was conducted Most kavirajes claimed that they obtained information on medicinal plants either from ‘gurus’ or from elderly members of their family However, it was also revealed by the kavirajes that further modes for acquiring medicinal plant knowledge were through initial experiments conducted on animals and poultry, dreams, and a perceived similarity between plants or plant parts and human body features It is concluded that such selections are, and were, primarily made through initial experiments by traditional healers on animals and birds Dreams and perceived similarities between plant parts and human body parts may also play an important role in such selection

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.