scholarly journals Traditional Uses of Plants in the Tolfa–Cerite–Manziate Area (Central Italy)

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Maria Guarrera ◽  
Valentina Savo ◽  
Giulia Caneva
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Betula Pendula ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Plant Uses ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Local Plants ◽  
Celtis Australis

Traditional knowledge of local plant uses is rapidly fading away, especially in rural Mediterranean areas. We carried out ethnobotanical research in 2010-2011 in order to investigate the local knowledge of wild plants in the Tolfa–Cerite–Manziate area of Italy (Latium, district of Rome). We carried out a total of 45 semi-structured interviews with farmers, herders, and fishers. Here, a simple diachronic comparison is made between the current study and a previous one conducted in some of the villages of the study area to highlight potential losses of traditional knowledge of local plants. We documented a total of 102 plant species, belonging to 48 families, along with their uses (excluding food uses). We also reported some non-plant based remedies that were primarily used in veterinary medicine. Some plant uses, especially for making handicrafts, have not been reported previously (e.g., those of Celtis australis L. Cannabaceae, Betula pendula Roth Betulaceae). Many plant uses are no longer remembered in the area, which indicates a loss of local ethnobotanical knowledge.

scholarly journals “We Became Rich and We Lost Everything”: Ethnobotany of Remote Mountain Villages of Abruzzo and Molise, Central Italy

Human Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Mattalia ◽  
Renata Sõukand ◽  
Paolo Corvo ◽  
Andrea Pieroni
Keyword(s):  
Central Italy ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Economic Changes ◽  
Socioeconomic Changes ◽  
Sacred Natural Sites ◽  
Plant Uses ◽  
Ethnobotanical Uses ◽  
Over Time

AbstractProfound socioeconomic changes affected mountains of Central Italy during the last century and many traditional agro-pastoral activities were abandoned. A few ethnobotanical studies in this area have specifically documented local wild plants used decades ago, but without analyzing in-depth how and why Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) has eroded or changed over time. In this study, we 1) document ethnobotanical uses of four high-altitude remote villages of Central Italy, 2) discuss how these uses have changed over time, comparing them with fieldwork that was conducted 40 years earlier; and 3) assess how plant uses have changed across space, particularly whether the remoteness of villages or the occurrence of Sacred Natural Sites (SNS) have affected TEK linked to wild plants. Sixty semi-structured interviews revealed the use of 83 taxa belonging to 35 families. We did not find any relationship between SNS and the richness of TEK, as these SNS were not inhabited by monastic communities that could have shared their scholarly knowledge. There was not a relationship between remoteness and richness of TEK. The common statement emerging from the field, “We became rich and lost everything”, revealed how socio-economic changes resulted in the rapid abandonment of traditional practices, while the ubiquity of pharmacies may have contributed to the erosion of ethnomedicinal knowledge.

scholarly journals Inuit plant use in the eastern Subarctic: comparative ethnobotany in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, and in Nain, Nunatsiavut

Botany ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 271-282
Author(s):  
Alain Cuerrier ◽  
Courtenay Clark ◽  
Christian H. Norton
Keyword(s):  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Medicinal Species ◽  
Medicinal Uses ◽  
Plant Uses ◽  
The Family ◽  
Plant Names ◽  
Family Level ◽  
Comparative Ethnobotany

Plants are important in traditional Inuit life. They are used for food, tea, medicine, etc. Based on semi-structured interviews with 35 informants, we documented and compared plant names and uses in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik, and in Nain, Nunatsiavut. Plant names and uses were expected to be similar between communities owing to common boreal–subarctic environments and cultural ties. Both communities reported the same number of taxa, with equivalent proportions of vascular and nonvascular plants, growth forms, use categories, and medicinal uses. Forty-three species were used in each community, for a total of 78 species from 39 families. Despite a high overlap in species distributions, only 35% of nonvascular and 56% of vascular species were used in both communities. Correspondence was higher at the family level (64% of nonvascular and 75% of vascular families shared). The Ericaceae family was the most used, followed by Rosaceae. Thirteen of 30 medicinal species were shared between communities. There was a low correspondence regarding the conditions for which the medicinal species were used. Edible taxa were shared the most (52%). Plant uses unique to either Nain or Kangiqsualujjuaq may reveal separate bodies of traditional knowledge, or may reflect an overall loss of ethnobotanical knowledge in the Subarctic due to recent lifestyle changes.

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.

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 Traditional Use of Plants by the Disappearing Czech Diaspora in Romanian Banat

2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Vlková ◽  
E. Kubátová ◽  
P. Šlechta ◽  
Z. Polesný
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plants ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Plant Resources ◽  
Traditional Use ◽  
East Europe ◽  
Vernacular Names ◽  
Linguistic Approach

Abstract Most of the ethnobotanical research is dedicated to food and medicinal plants, while the other categories, such as plants used as materials, veterinary remedies or fodder remain neglected. This trend dominates in East Europe where linguistic approach prevails, while ethnographical one stays under-explored, though the heritage of the 19th century was impressive. Field data were collected through in-depth individual semi-structured interviews with the last remaining ethnic Czechs living in Romanian Banat and triangulated with extensive participant observation. The aims of this study were to document and preserve local knowledge pertaining to the use of traditional cultivated and wild plants. The study focused on under-documented use categories, hence, food and medicinal plants were excluded. In total, 56 plant species were cited by informants. The paper also highlights vernacular names, phytonyms, and particularly interesting uses of plant resources or related aspects not described previously or under-reported in the literature. The authors conclude that the ethnobotanical knowledge still survives as a part of the cultural heritage of the Czech diaspora. However, several interesting uses are only practiced by elderly people, the knowledge is ageing, and is likely to vanish fairly soon.

Ethnobotanical Knowledge of an Eskimo Family: Naukan Yupiks [Etnobotanicheskoe znanie odnoi eskimosskoi sem’i: naukanskie yupiki]

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 17-32
Author(s):  
V. Kolosova ◽  
◽  
Kevin Jernigan ◽  
Olga Belichenko ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Proficiency ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Sharp Decline ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Aerial Parts ◽  
Plant Uses ◽  
The Village ◽  
Culture And Language

This article analyzes the Naukan Yupiks ethnobotanical knowledge, i.e. the use of plants as food, medicine, household or ritual objects, on the example of one family. The resettlement from Cape Dezhnev to other settlements led to significant changes in their culture and language proficiency. Fieldwork was carried out in summer 2014 in the village of Uelen, Chukotka, using the methods of structured interviews and participant observation. Informants named 26 species belonging to 18 families; these species gave a total of 170 plant uses. Within one family, there is a sharp decline in the knowledge of the Naukan phytonyms, as well as the repertoire of plants used from older generations to younger ones. The disappearing knowledge includes the collection of plant roots harvested by tundra voles. However, aerial parts of plants, berries, and algae remain popular. The variety of methods for preparing plants is increasing, including due to contact with the Russian-speaking population and access to new technologies.

AVALIAÇÃO DO CONHECIMENTO TRADICIONAL DOS PESCADORES DA RDSM APLICADO À IDENTIFICAÇÃO DO SEXO DE PIRARUCUS

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-66
Author(s):  
Kelven Lopes ◽  
Helder Lima de Queiroz
Keyword(s):  
Sex Determination ◽  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Sustainable Fisheries ◽  
Arapaima Gigas ◽  
Males And Females

This study examined the traditional knowledge of fishermen at Mamirauá Reserve about sex determination of pirarucus, Arapaima gigas Schinz 1822. We evaluated the criteria used for by fishermen in the sector Jarauá at Mamirauá Reserve for this determination, during the fisheries season, from October to November 2004. We analyzed responses of a group of about 15 fishermen collected in structured interviews regarding 109 individual pirarucus, 65 males and 44 females. From this sample, only 64 fish have their sex correctly predicted by the fishermen. Although the traditional knowledge of local fishermen is a key component of the sustainable fisheries of this species, this knowledge is not functional in all ranges and aspects, as in sex distinction. We found that the local fishermen evaluated are not able to recognize the sex of pirarucus, although some criteria applied for this purpose are consistent with their biology. The rates of correct forecasts for recognition of males and females were similar to those obtained by chance, even when the criteria applied were consistent, as the criterion “coloration”, which was significantly consistent for identification of males. Yet the group of fishermen interviewed in this study apparently did not apply this criterion correctly.

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 Contribution of the Wild Food Plants in the Food System of Tribal Belt of Pakistan; The Pak - Afghan Border Region

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shujaul Mulk Khan ◽  
Abdullah Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
Traditional Knowledge ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Food System ◽  
Cultural Practice ◽  
Border Region ◽  
Food Plants ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Wild Food ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Wild Food Plants

The tribal belt of Pakistan-the Pak-Afghan border region is famous for its unique culture, ethnography and wild food plants and traditional knowledge. People of these regions gather wild plants for number of purposes including plants or plant parts for direct use, use it in the traditional cuisines and selling in local markets. However, there is huge lack of documentation of food system particularly the Wild Food Plants (WFPs). In current study we have focused on the uses and contributions of the WFPs in the tribal traditional food system. The ethnobotanical data were gathered through questionnaire surveys with Eighty-four informants 69 men and 15 women belonging to 21 different villages. We documented Sixty-three WFP species belonging to 34 botanical families, of which 27 were used as vegetables, 24 as fruits, 6 in different kinds of chutneys (starters) formation and six as fresh food species. Fruits were the mostly used part (40%) followed by leaves (24%), aerial parts (24%), seeds (7%), stem (3%), legume (2%) and young inflorescence (1%). Use of Carthamus oxycanthus & Pinus roxburghii seeds and Marsillea quadrifolia leaves were the novel reports for the gastronomy of Pakistan. The results elucidate that WFPs have a significant contribution in the Tribal Food Systems. Tribal people use WFPs not only due to their nutritional importance but also as a cultural practice - an inseparable component of the tribal communities. This important traditional Knowledge about the consumption of WFPs has been eroding with an alarming speed among the younger generations due to introduction of fast food chains, modernization, and globalization. Therefore, appropriates strategies are imperative not only to safeguard traditional knowledge but also the cultural heritage, food security and hence public healthcare via food supplement in the region.

scholarly journals Sustainable Use of Fig Species Provides Nutrition and Medicine for Ethnic Minority Communities in the Southern Shan State of Myanmar

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aye Mya Mon ◽  
Yinxian Shi ◽  
Pyae Phyo Hein ◽  
Thaung Naing Oo ◽  
Cory W. Whitney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Use Value ◽  
Ethnobotanical Knowledge ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Tropical Regions

Abstract Background: Fig trees are ecological keystone species in many tropical regions and play important roles in the spirituality, nutrition and health for many rural communities. Although the tropical forests in Myanmar contain many fig species, little ethnobotanical knowledge on their uses has been recorded.Information about the uses and conservation related actions of figswould be helpful in development ofstrategic policy for sustainable use and biodiversity conservation of the country. We showcase the rich ethnobotanical knowledge as well as the variety of collection and conservation practices related to figs among five ethnic groups in Southern Shan State. Methods: We performed both key informant and semi-structured interviews with 114 informants from five ethnic groups. Their uses for figs were categorized according to local practices and recipes. Informants were asked about trends in conservation status over the past 10 years and any conservation related customs and practices. Data were analyzed quantitatively by use report (UR) and use value (UV). Results: Informants reported the uses of eight fig species (Ficusauricularta，F.concinna, F. geniculata，F. hispida, F. racemosa, F. religiosa，F. semicordata, and F. virens).F. geniculata and F. virens were most useful (UR = 228) and were used by all five ethnic groups, corresponding to a high use value (UV = 2). Treatments for 16 diseases were reported from seven species. Household consumption, economic, and sacred uses were accompanied by sustainable practices of harvest and protection. Traditional taboos, in situ and ex situ conservation were practiced especially for highly demanded species (F. geniculata and F. virens), and the sacred fig F. religiosa.Conclusion: Findings suggest that figs are useful for nutrition (all informants) and medicine (13.16% of the informants) in the study area. Traditional taboos, in situ and ex situ conservation practices help to maintain sustainable utilization of locally important figs. This is an early contribution to the traditional knowledge of edible figs. Although similar uses have been reported in neighboring countries for seven of the fig species, the ethnobotanical use of F. concinna is novel.

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