A Study of the Plant Folk Nomenclature of the Yi People in Xiaoliangshan, Yunnan Province, China, and the Implications for Protecting Biodiversity

BackgroundFolk plant nomenclature is a part of knowledge of indigenous people often used to distinguish plant species. This study aimed to document the folk botanical nomenclature of the Yi people in Xiaoliangshan, north-west Yunnan Province, which has not been systematically investigated to date. The results of this study will assist in conserving biodiversity and the language of the Yi people and will promote the transmission of ethnobotanical knowledge. MethodsAn ethnobotanical survey of plants used by the Yi people in Xiaoliangshan, Yunnan Province, was conducted from September 2019 to August 2021. Semi-structured Interviews and Key Informant Interviews were conducted to collect and document ethnobotanical information, which was then used to analyse the folk botanical nomenclature of the Yi people. In addition, the folk names of plants used by the Xiaoliangshan Yi community were compared with those of the Yi people living in the Daliangshan, where the environment is considerably different.ResultsIn this study, 266 informants were interviewed, and the names of 228 indigenous plants were extracted from 3088 use reports. The nomenclature used by the local Yi people is based on plant characteristics, plant habitat, plant-use, and the local culture. The folk names and the plant species have three types of correspondence. Moreover, some plant names are related to animals or Chinese loanwords. The comparison between the folk botanical names used by the Yi people in Xiaoliangshan and those used by the Yi people in the Daliangshan shows that 55 names are identical and the Yi people in both locations use 41 identical plants.ConclusionsThere are certain similarities and differences between the folk nomenclature of the Yi people in Xiaoliangshan and those in the Daliangshan. The findings are an example of how language evolves when people from the same ethnic group live in different geographical environments for extensive periods. In addition, the numerous Chinese loanwords in the folk botanical names of the Yi people in both locations indicate that a loss of traditional knowledge may be one of the greatest challenges to preserving the cultural heritage of the Yi people and to the conservation of biodiversity.

Spatial Distribution Patterns and Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Farmland Demarcation Tree Species: A Case Study in the Niyodo River Area, Japan

Isolated trees in farmlands serve various ecological functions, but their distribution patterns and planting history are often unknown. Here, we examined the spatial distribution, uses, and folk nomenclature of farmland demarcation trees planted in the Niyodo River area in Japan. Hierarchical clustering using the data from 33 locations distinguished four tree composition groups characterized by the combination of Euonymus japonicus, Ligustrum obtusifolium, Deutzia crenata, and Celtis sinensis. Near the upper to middle reaches of the river, the group characterized by E. japonicus dominated. Near the middle to lower reaches, the group characterized by L. obtusifolium occurred relatively frequently. The other two groups were found sporadically near the upper to lower reaches. The locally unique plant name nezu, used for L. obtusifolium, seems to have originated from a word meaning “the tree does not sleep and keeps the watch” in Japanese. In the study area, D. crenata was one of the plant species utilized for the sticks (magozue) used in traditional funeral ceremonies, which might help to explain why local people maintain D. crenata around homesteads as a demarcation tree. These findings highlight both the commonalities and uniqueness of demarcation tree culture in different regions of Japan and contribute to deepening our understanding of agricultural heritage.

Etymology of Folk Nomenclatures for Sphenostysis stenocarpa (Hoechst ex A. Rich) Harms

Folk nomenclature is habitually established for species that have attained high utilitarian and cultural significance by custodians of such plants worldwide. Such folk names assigned to species often carry etymological values such as therapeutic effects, morphological features, mythical connotations, and their allegorical values. This research sought to unveil the etymology in folk nomenclatures of Sphenostysis stenocarpa (Hosch ex A. Rich) Harms (African Yam Bean). Three hundred and fifty respondents were randomly selected from 13 local communities in Ebonyi State in South-eastern, Nigeria. Data were collected through oral interviews with semi-structural questionnaires, along with focused group discussions. Analysis of data was carried out using simple statistical methods involving frequencies and percentages. The results recorded ten folk nomenclatures assigned to this species in seven dialects affiliated to cultural values within these communities. Etymologically, the results also revealed that out of the ten folk names of AYB cryptic connotations, five reflected their trust in the gods that answered their prayers, two were attributed to the healing potentials inherent in this crop for medicine, three names were associated with the seeds, while one referred to feminist attachment to the crop, another to its resilience/ adaptability to climatic stress and one as a sustainer of farmers. Considering that folk nomenclature is based mainly on qualitative data and the information outside the scientific domain, they are nonetheless highly valued because they are based on long-term interactions, utilization and observations of the custodians of these natural resources. However, these data are equally vulnerable to erosion if not properly documented and conserved for posterity.

Folk use of plant resource at Madi valley of Chitwan District, Nepal

The purpose of this study was to compare the use of the forest plant resources and folk nomenclature in the two communities of the Madi valley a Chitwan District. The information was collected during 2001 from 83 households in Chirauli and 57 households in Dhikurbari using semi-structured questionnaires. The folk nomenclature and relative importance of the plant species for medicine, firewood, fodder and timber differ in the two communities were recorded. A total of 128 species were reported in use by both communities, out of which 64 were common to both communities. The plant species used only in Chirauli accounted for 44 and that in Dhikurbari are 20. Tharu community of Chirauli reported higher number of plant species for medicinal, fodder and forage, fuel wood and timber than that of migrated people of Dhikurbari. Banko Janakari Vol.15(2) 2005 pp28-33