BackgroundMedicinal plants are traded as products with vernacular names, but these folk taxonomies do not always correspond one-to-one with scientific plant names. These local species entities can be defined as ethnospecies and can match, under-differentiate or over-differentiate as compared to scientific species. Identification of plant species in trade is further complicated by the processed state of the product, substitution and adulteration. In countries like Tanzania, an additional dimension to mapping folk taxonomies on scientific names is added by the multitude of ethnicities and languages of the plant collectors, traders and consumers. This study aims to elucidate the relations between the most common vernacular names and the ethnicity of the individual traders among the medicinal plant markets in Dar es Salaam and Tanga regions in Tanzania, with the aim of understanding the dynamics of vernacular names in plant trade.MethodsA total of 90 respondents were interviewed in local markets using semi-structured interviews. The ethnicity of each respondent was recorded, as well as the language of each ethnospecies mentioned during the interviews. Voucher collections and reference literature were used to match ethnospecies across languages.ResultsAt each market, the language of the majority of the vendors dominates the names for medicinal products. The dominant vendors often represent the major ethnic groups of that region. Independent of their ethnicity, vendors offer their products in the dominant language of the specific region without apparently leading to any confusion or species mismatching.ConclusionsMiddlemen, traders and vendors adapt their folk classifications to those of the ethnic groups of the region where they conduct their trade, and to the ethnicity of their main customers. The names in the language of the traders are not forgotten, but relegated in favor of the more salient names of the dominant tribe.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1746-4269-11-10) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

Abstract-The impact of climate change in Tanzania

Background: The genus Aloe has long been known for its use in healthcare and cosmetics. In Tanzania, overexploitation is threatening some Aloe species with extinction and yet, little has been documented on the abundance and biocultural uses. Material and Methods:Semi-structured questionnaires were used to obtain ethnobotanical information from 236 respondents across 22 villages in four regions of Tanzania (Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Mara, Katavi-Rukwa).Results: A total of 23 Aloe species were identified, 20 of which were being used locally and were mostly being collected from the wild. We report the uses of A. mzimbana, A. volkensii subsp. volkensii, A. leptosiphon, A. parvidens and A. bicomitum for the first time in East Africa. The most preferred species were A. lateritia, A. duckeri and A. secundiflora which are three common, widely distributed species. Diseases frequently treated with Aloe species include malaria and general stomachache in humans, and Newcastle disease in chickens. Some Aloe species were found to have gone extinct locally due to over-harvesting. Rare Aloe species were perceived to be less preferred as they mostly occurred far away from settlements. Conclusions:We conclude that the genus Aloe is widely used across Tanzania and needs strong conservation measures to prevent individual species from becoming extinct in the wild.

Background and aims – Many Aloe species are globally threatened due to overharvesting for trade and habitat destruction. CITES regulates their international trade. In Tanzania, 50% of all existing Aloe species had previously been assessed, though some of these assessments were Data Deficient. For those with sufficient data, an update is required as the rate of decline has rapidly increased over the last years. Material and methods – We estimated Area of Occupancy (AOO), Extent of Occurrence (EOO), and number of locations for 22 Tanzanian Aloe species using the Geospatial Conservation Assessment software (GeoCAT). We assessed the reasons leading to their decline based on direct field observations and community perceptions. Key results – We revised the conservation status of 22 Aloe species; two were assessed as Critically Endangered, ten as Endangered, five as Vulnerable, and five as Least Concern. We re-discovered the Critically Endangered Aloe boscawenii, which had not been seen in Tanzania for more than six decades. We propose to downgrade the endemic Aloe dorotheae, Aloe leptosiphon, and Aloe flexilifolia from Critically Endangered to a lower threat level. The community perception on Aloe species availability did not accurately reflect their categorisation based on the IUCN criteria B. We identified agricultural activities and climate change effects as the two main threats to Tanzanian Aloe species.Conclusion – We conclude that overall numbers are declining for 22 Aloe species in Tanzania, mainly due to human activities. We recommend the implementation of laws and policies to protect their natural habitats.