scholarly journals Ethnobotanical research in Cava de’ Tirreni area, Southern Italy

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattia Mautone ◽  
Laura De Martino ◽  
Vincenzo De Feo
Keyword(s):  
Southern Italy ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Campania Region ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Medicinal Food

Abstract Background To best of our knowledge, this is the first quantitative ethnobotanical study with the aim of documenting the local knowledge and practices of using plants for curing diseases in the Cava de’ Tirreni area, Salerno Province, Campania Region, Italy. The present ethnobotanical field study, carried out during 2016–2017, documents the local uses of 119 plant species for medicinal, food and domestic purposes. Methods Ethnobotanical data were documented from 70 informants: field data were collected and information on the uses of plants was gathered through semi-structured and structured interviews with persons who still retain traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. Documented data were evaluated using the quantitative ethnobotanical index of use value (UV). Results Overall, the informants native of the area were interviewed and 277 use-reports have been recorded. The scientific names, local names, plant part used, preparation and administration processes are reported and compared with practices in other Southern Italian regions. In total, 101 species are documented as medicinal, 36 as food or food aromatizer, 29 for domestic and handicraft uses, 10 in veterinary medicine. More or less 64% of all species have more uses and over half of the food plants (23 species) are also used for medicinal purposes. Conclusions The comparison of the documented species and their uses with ethnobotanical literature of other Italian regions reveals that the traditional plant knowledge in this area shows strong similarities with adjacent Southern Italian areas. Some of the recorded species and administration processes however seem to be unique for the zone.

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Traditional Medicinal Plant Knowledge of the Waorani, Ecuador

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4460 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Weckmüller ◽  
Carles Barriocanal ◽  
Roser Maneja ◽  
Martí Boada
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
National Park ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Medicinal Plant Knowledge ◽  
Yasuni National Park

This paper explores how medicinal plant knowledge of the Waorani (Ecuador) varies with socio-economic and demographic factors. Medicinal plant knowledge was compared at individual and community levels. Semi-structured interviews were performed with 56 informants (men N= 29, women N= 27) between 15 and 70 years old in five Waorani communities located within the Yasuní National Park and Waorani Ethnic Reserve. We found a positive correlation between an informant’s medicinal plant knowledge and age, and a negative correlation between informant’s medicinal plant knowledge and the years of schooling. Reasons behind these findings are thought to be in the rapid socio-cultural changes of the Waorani due to globalization processes. Increased accessibility to health centers and improved transportation infrastructure result in a loss of ethnobotanical knowledge.

scholarly journals Expanding the reach: ethnobotanical knowledge and technological intensification in beekeeping among the Ogiek of the Mau Forest, Kenya

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dauro Mattia Zocchi ◽  
Gabriele Volpato ◽  
Duncan Chalo ◽  
Patrick Mutiso ◽  
Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Crop Fields ◽  
Set Up ◽  
External Actors ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract Background Initiatives for beekeeping intensification across the tropics can foster production and income, but the changes triggered by the introduction of modern beehives might permeate traditional knowledge and practices in multiple ways, and as such should be investigated and understood. We conducted an ethnobotanical study in the Eastern part of the Mau Forest among Ogiek beekeepers who customarily practice forest beekeeping and who are involved in a project aimed at the modernization of their beekeeping activities. We aimed to document the beekeeping-associated ethnobotanical knowledge, exploring the relationships and complementarity between modern and traditional knowledge and practices. Methods Field research was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 30 Ogiek beekeepers and 10 additional stakeholders. We collected ethnobotanical data about plants used for beekeeping purposes, and ethnographic information on traditional and modern beekeeping systems. Results We report 66 plant species, distributed across 36 botanical families representing 58 genera, important as melliferous, for the construction and placing of hives, attracting bees, and harvesting and storing honey. Dombeya torrida (J.F.Gmel.) Bamps, Juniperus procera Hochst. ex Endl., and Podocarpus latifolius (Thunb.) R.Br. ex Mirb. are the species with the most mentions and the highest number of uses. Our study reveals that the Ogiek possess a detailed knowledge of the forest’s flora, its importance and uses and that this knowledge underpins beekeeping practices. Under the influence of external actors, the Ogiek have progressively adopted modern versus traditional log hives and moved beekeeping out of the forest into open areas of pastures and crop fields. Beekeepers are also experimenting with combinations of practices borrowed from modern and traditional beekeeping systems, particularly in the field of hive construction and in the criteria to set up apiaries. Conclusions The study indicates a complementarity and an incipient hybridization of traditional and modern beekeeping, in a way that suggests that modern beehives are instrumental in expanding the reach of beekeeping into deforested and cultivated areas. The study also points to the existence of a rift in the effects of beekeeping intensification on the livelihoods of the Ogiek and on their relationship with the forest. We argue that this intensification might be improving the former but weakening the latter, carrying the associated risk of erosion of traditional forest-based ethnobotanical knowledge.

An Ethnobotanical Study on Chuangqing People of China based on the Herbal Market Survey on Dragon Boat Festival

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
qinghe wang ◽  
Ling Zhao ◽  
Chi Gao ◽  
LianYing Zhang ◽  
JinFeng Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Guizhou Province ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Traditional Medicinal Plants ◽  
Medicinal Plant Knowledge ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Dragon Boat

Abstract Background: Chuanqing People is one of the unrecognized ethnic groups in China, having unique cultural backgrounds and rich knowledge of traditional medicinal plants. The herbal market on Dragon Boat Festival plays an important role in inheriting the traditional medicinal knowledge of Chuanqing People. The aim of this study was to record the characteristics, current situation, and problems of medicinal plant usages of the Chuanqing People of China, to serve for the inheritance of traditional knowledge and the protection of biodiversity. Methods: The information was collected through key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews, and taxonomy identification; and then, results were compared with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and other ethnic medicines of Guizhou Province. Data were analyzed with Use Value (UV) and CI value. Results: A total of 102 species from 53 families and 92 genera were recorded, including Orchidaceae and Asparagaceae (6 species respectively), Berberidaceae and Compositae (5 species respectively), Apocynaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, and Polygonaceae (4 species respectively) as predominate families. Moreover, 71 investigated human ailments were grouped into 12 categories. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (34 mentions) were the most frequently mentioned in our study. The most frequently used species was Hedera nepalensis var. sinensis (Tobler) Rehder (UV & CI=0.288). Conclusion: The traditional herbal market during the Dragon Boat Festival is a hotspot of traditional medicinal plant knowledge of local people. However, urbanization threatens the inheritance of the local medicinal plant knowledge. The study highlights the traditional medicinal knowledge of Chuanqing People, which provides basic data for further research on botanical and conservation.

scholarly journals Changes in Medicinal Plant Knowledge among the Waorani Society, Ecuador

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Weckmüller ◽  
Carles Barriocanal ◽  
Roser Maneja ◽  
Martí Boada
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Health Centers ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Medicinal Plant Knowledge ◽  
Indigenous Society

This paper explores how the medicinal plant knowledge of the Waorani indigenous society in Ecuador varies in accordance with both socio-economic and demographic factors. Medicinal plant knowledge was compared at both individual and community levels. Fifty-nine semi-structured interviews (men n = 30, women n = 29) were performed with people between fifteen and seventy years old in five Waorani communities located within the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve. Results show a positive correlation between an individual’s medicinal plant knowledge and age, a negative correlation between medicinal plant knowledge and the years of schooling, and differences among isolated and easily accessible communities. Reasons behind these findings are seen in the rapid socio-cultural changes of the Waorani society due to globalization processes. Increased accessibility to health centers, improved transportation infrastructure and changes in how knowledge is transmitted to young people all result in a loss of ethnobotanical knowledge. Policymakers need to take action in order to ensure the maintenance of ethnoecological knowledge among the Waorani.

scholarly journals Expanding the reach. Ethnobotanical knowledge and technological intensification in beekeeping among the Ogiek of the Mau Forest, Kenya

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dauro Mattia Zocchi ◽  
Gabriele Volpato ◽  
Duncan Chalo ◽  
Patrick Mutiso ◽  
Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Crop Fields ◽  
Set Up ◽  
External Actors ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract Background Initiatives for beekeeping intensification across the tropics can foster production and income, but the changes triggered by the introduction of modern beehives might permeate traditional knowledge and practices in multiple ways, and as such should be investigated and understood. We conducted an ethnobotanical study in the Eastern part of the Mau Forest among Ogiek beekeepers who customarily practice forest beekeeping and who are involved in a project aimed at the modernization of their beekeeping activities. We aimed to document the beekeeping-associated ethnobotanical knowledge, exploring the relationships and complementarity between modern and traditional knowledge and practices. Methods Field research was carried out through semi-structured interviews with 30 Ogiek beekeepers and 10 additional stakeholders. We collected ethnobotanical data about plants used for beekeeping purposes, and ethnographic information on traditional and modern beekeeping systems. Results We report 66 plant species, distributed across 36 botanical families representing 58 genera, important as melliferous, for the construction and placing of hives, attracting bees, and harvesting and storing honey. Dombeya torrida (J.F.Gmel.) Bamps, Juniperus procera Hochst. ex Endl., and Podocarpus latifolius (Thunb.) R.Br. ex Mirb are the species with the most mentions and the highest number of uses. Our study reveals that the Ogiek possess a detailed knowledge of the forest’s flora, its importance and uses, and that this knowledge underpins beekeeping practices. Under the influence of external actors, the Ogiek have progressively adopted modern versus traditional log hives and moved beekeeping out of the forest into open areas of pastures and crop fields. Beekeepers are also experimenting with combinations of practices borrowed from modern and traditional beekeeping systems, particularly in the field of hive construction and in the criteria to set up apiaries. Conclusions The study indicates a complementarity and an incipient hybridization of traditional and modern beekeeping, in a way that suggests that modern beehives are instrumental in expanding the reach of beekeeping into deforested and cultivated areas. The study also points to the existence of a rift in the effects of beekeeping intensification on the livelihoods of the Ogiek and on their relationship with the forest. We argue that this intensification might be improving the former but weakening the latter, carrying the associated risk of erosion of traditional forest-based ethnobotanical knowledge.

scholarly journals An ethnobotanical study on the Chuanqing People of China based on an herbal market survey at the Dragon Boat Festival

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qinghe Wang ◽  
Ling Zhao ◽  
Chi Gao ◽  
Jiawen Zhao ◽  
Zixuan Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Guizhou Province ◽  
Ethnobotanical Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Plant Knowledge ◽  
Medicinal Plant Knowledge ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Cultural Importance Index ◽  
Dragon Boat

Abstract Background: The Chuanqing People (穿青人) are an ethnic group native to Guizhou Province of China, with a unique culture and rich knowledge of traditional medicinal plants. The herbal market at the Dragon Boat Festival plays an important role in the inheritance of traditional medicinal knowledge among the Chuanqing People. This study aims to record the characteristics, current situation, and problems of medicinal plant usage by the Chuanqing People of China. Such information is important for the inheritance and protection of the Chuanqing People’s traditional medical knowledge. Methods: Data were collected through key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews, and taxonomic identification. The results were compared with those of traditional Chinese medicine and other ethnic medicines in Guizhou Province. Data were analyzed with use-value (UV) and cultural importance index (CI) values. Results: A total of 102 species from 53 families and 92 genera were recorded, with Orchidaceae and Asparagaceae (6 species each), Berberidaceae and Compositae (5 species each), and Apocynaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae, and Polygonaceae (4 species each) as the predominant families. The most frequently used taxon was Hedera nepalensis var. sinensis (Tobler) Rehder (UV and CI=0.29). Moreover, 71 investigated human ailments were grouped into 12 categories. Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (34 mentions) were the most frequently mentioned in this study. Conclusions: The traditional herbal market during the Dragon Boat Festival is a hotspot of traditional medicinal plant knowledge of the Chuanqing People. However, urbanization threatens the inheritance of local medicinal plant knowledge. This study highlights the traditional medicinal knowledge of the Chuanqing People, providing basic data for further research on and protection of minority medicine.

scholarly journals Is it reasonable to abandon obligatory vaccinations in Italy? A 2013 survey

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (35) ◽  
Author(s):  
C P Pelullo ◽  
S Marino ◽  
A J Valdes Abuadili ◽  
G Signoriello ◽  
F Attena
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Adverse Reaction ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
National Standard ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Campania Region ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Past ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Coverage Rates

In Italy, infant vaccinations are mandatory for four infectious diseases: diphtheria, polio, tetanus and hepatitis B. In the past, there was widespread apprehension in Italy that doing away with obligatory vaccinations would reduce the coverage rate, but the possibility of making vaccinations optional has recently become more popular. The objectives of this study were to investigate parental willingness to vaccinate their children if those vaccinations were no longer mandatory and to evaluate the variables influencing this intention. We conducted face-to-face structured interviews with 1,039 parents at public health vaccination centres in four cities of the Campania region of southern Italy. Most respondents (91.9%) said that they would certainly (69.4%) or probably (22.5%) vaccinate their children if vaccinations were not mandatory. The belief that vaccinations are effective and safe was positively associated with willingness to vaccinate their children, whereas having heard that autism is a possible adverse reaction to vaccination was inversely associated with willingness to vaccinate. Nevertheless, in the context of the relatively low 2012* vaccination coverage rates in Campania (under the national standard of 95%), our results suggest that eliminating mandatory vaccinations is likely to lead to current coverage rates decreasing to unacceptably low levels, significantly below 90%.

scholarly journals Opportunities of spontaneous edible plants collected in southern Italy (Campania Region) as functional food

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 248-258
Author(s):  
Enrica De Falco ◽  
Rossana Zanti ◽  
Antonello Senatore ◽  
Antonella Vitti
Keyword(s):  
Nutritional Value ◽  
Southern Italy ◽  
Phenolic Content ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Edible Plants ◽  
Dietary Intakes ◽  
Campania Region ◽  
Rubus Ulmifolius

In most countries the historical-cultural heritage also refers to the foods traditionally consumed. Southern Italy maintains a strong tradition of dishes based on wild plants, considered an important dietary foundation. Despite this, the nutritional properties and nutraceutical value of some of these plants are little known and, therefore, need to be investigated. Sixteen spontaneous species, traditionally used as food plants, were collected from their natural habitat in four different areas of Campania Region, and their phenolic content and nutritional value were determined according to European model of food labelling. The species analysed resulted quite homogeneous regarding the nutritional value, as demonstrated by cluster analyses. Energy values were always low. Minerals content (especially calcium and potassium) and phenols differed among the species, the sodium-potassium ratio was almost always <0.49, and phenolic content was very high for Rubus ulmifolius. Many of the wild edible plants under study may be considered a good source to dietary intakes of minerals. The species examined showed contents of nutrition values and total phenols useful for preparing mixed soups or salads in order to gain a balanced nourishment. The wild species under study can become a source of new quality horticultural products due to their nutritional and nutraceutical components.

scholarly journals Ethnobotanical biocultural diversity by rural communities in the Cuatrociénegas Valley, Coahuila; Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Estrada-Castillón ◽  
José Ángel Villarreal-Quintanilla ◽  
Juan Antonio Encina-Domínguez ◽  
Enrique Jurado-Ybarra ◽  
Luis Gerardo Cuéllar-Rodríguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Exotic Species ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Larrea Tridentata ◽  
Biocultural Diversity ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Biosphere Reserves ◽  
Rural Landscapes

Abstract Background Cuatrociénegas, part of the Chihuahuan Desert, is a region of unique biological, geological, geographical, and evolutionary importance. Its current population is mestizo; nevertheless, it has high national historical, cultural, and touristic relevance in Mexico. It has been cataloged as nationally significant for its flora and fauna by Mexican law, as well as being designated a High Protection site by the World Wildlife Fund and UNESCO. Because of its diverse and complex biological and sociocultural characteristics, we considered it important to determine, identify, and analyze various aspects of the traditional ethnobotanical knowledge and practices in this region. Methods Between 2016 and 2019, seven field trips were made to document the knowledge and use of flora. Cuatrociénegas is a protected area, collecting botanical material is regulated, so specimens were photographed and collected in neighboring communities, and in public and private gardens. Later permission was obtained to complete the collection of specimens (2019–2020). The plants were identified and entered into the flora database of the state of Coahuila, and deposited in the Herbarium of the Faculty of Forest Sciences, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico. One hundred ten local residents (50 men and 60 women), aged between 27 and 91 years, were interviewed (semi-structured interviews). The cultural importance of ethnobotanical resources (cultural significance index) and its significance with respect to ethnobotanical richness in other Biosphere Reserves in Mexico (Mann-Whitney test), and similarities in the diversity of exotic species (Sørensen index) were studied. Results and discussion The ethnobotanical information registers 158 species and 132 genera in 57 vascular and non-vascular families, documenting a greater knowledge and use of cultivated species (84) with respect to wild species (74). The diversity of plants reported is compared to other ethnobotanical studies carried out in Mexican Biosphere Reserves. These results are highly relevant, in spite of unique exotic species. The people local pay special attention to medicinal and ornamental plants. The species that presented the highest use values are Larrea tridentata, Jatropha dioica, and Machaeranthera pinnatifida, three species characteristic of the desert region. Conclusions The particular diversity of wild flora in Cuatrociénegas Valley, combined with the varied introduced flora, is an important multifunctional resource. Special attention to introduced species is associated with harvesting use restrictions in the protected area as well as the high value of ornamental species that are difficult to maintain in desert areas. The extensive use of ethnobotanical knowledge is an example that biocultural diversity (at the conceptual level) is also strongly associated with socio-ecological systems incorporating mestizo groups and semi-urban rural landscapes, thus ceasing to be an exclusive focus of indigenous communities and regions.

scholarly journals Network governance forms in healthcare: empirical evidence from two Italian cancer networks

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Romiti ◽  
Mario Del Vecchio ◽  
Gino Sartor
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Network Governance ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
General Validity ◽  
Regional Administration ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Italian Regions ◽  
Cancer Networks

Abstract Background This study focuses on the application of Provan and Kenis’ modes of network governance to the specific field of public healthcare networks, extending the framework to an analysis of systems in which networks are involved. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyze and compare the governance of two cancer networks in two Italian regions that underwent system reconfiguration processes due to reforms in the healthcare system. Methods A qualitative study of two clinical networks in the Italian healthcare system was conducted. The sample for interviews included representatives of the regional administration (n = 4), network coordinators (n = 6), and general and clinical directors of health organizations involved in the two networks (n = 25). Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Results Our study shows that healthcare system reforms have a limited impact on network governance structures. In fact, strong inertial tendencies characterize networks, especially network administrative organization models (NAO). Networks tend to find their own balance with respect to the trade-offs analyzed using a mix of formal and informal ties. Our study confirms the general validity of Provan and Kenis’ framework and shows how other specific factors and contingencies may affect the possibility that cancer networks find positive equilibria between competing needs of inclusivity and efficiency, internal and external legitimacy, and stability and flexibility. It also shows how networks react to external changes. Conclusions Our study shows the importance of considering three factors and contingencies that may affect network effectiveness: a) the importance of looking at network governance modes not in isolation, but in relationship to the governance of regional systems; b) the influence of a specific network’s governance structure on the network’s ability to respond to tensions and to achieve its goals; and c) the need to take into account the role of professionals in network governance.

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