Changes in homegardens in relocation villages, a case study in the Baiku Yao area in Southern China

Abstract

Background Baiku Yao is an ancient branch of the Yao people in China who have the custom of maintaining homegardens. The local government has relocated some villagers to improve their livelihood. To study the characteristics of Baiku Yao homegardens and the impact of relocation, we conducted an ethnobotanical study on homegardens in the relocated villages of Huaili and Yaozhai and in the ancient villages of Yaoshan and Duonu from January 2019 to May 2022. Method Data on homegarden plants were collected through semi-structured interviews with homegarden households. A total of 4 villages (i.e., two relocated and two ancient villages) were selected for detailed investigation. In each village, 60 homegardens were chosen randomly. In addition, the RFC index and Jaccard value were used to analyze and evaluate the homegarden plants we recorded. Result The study recorded a total of 213 species of homegarden plants with approximately 11 functions. Baiku Yao homegardens are small in size but rich in species and functions, and their utilization efficiency is extremely high. The Jaccard value shows that the homegarden plants in Huaili and Yaozhai have the highest similarity. Neighborhood sharing and market purchasing are the two most important sources of local homegarden plants. Additionally, medicine and food are the two most important uses of homegarden plants. Ornamental plants also play a significant part, especially in relocated villages. The comparisons indicate that the diversity of homegarden plants in the investigated ancient villages is better preserved than in relocated villages. Due to frequent exchanges between the villages and the outside world, Yaoshan Village, as an older relocated village, maintains a good traditional culture in its homegardens. As a newly relocated village, Duonu Community has developed a complicated homegarden system with only much less plant diversity. The development of local tourism has also impacted the composition of homegarden plants. The study found that plants such as Zea mays, Morus alba, and Capsicum annuum are closely related to local life and livelihood. Conclusion The traditional knowledge of homegarden plants in investigated ancient villiages maintained good diversity and has been affected much less by the modernization and tourism industry development compared to the relocated villages. The composition of homegarden plants is closely connected to the local livelihood. In the future development of Baiku Yao communities, protecting homegarden plant diversity and functional diversity is crucial.

People's migrations and plants for food: a review for fostering sustainability

“…Mandatory relocations accounted for 3% of the migration flows. They could have been supported by long-term governmental policies [36] or occurred in more violent processes [37]. For 13% of the migration flows, we could not identify the main reason for the migration.…”

“…Lindl. [36]. In arid and semi-arid regions from Benin, people who did internal migrations cultivate vegetables such as Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench., Corchorus olitorius L., S. macrocarpon L., Vernonia amygdalina Delile; fruits (e.g.…”

“…This can help to boost local economies and create more vibrant communities; d. Further fostering social networks: Food can be a powerful way to bring people together and create a sense of community [40,68]. Dining together, people could connect with others who share a common interest and build meaningful relationships; e. Contributing to amplifying agrobiodiversity: for the case of cultivated plants, agrobiodiversity can be improved in multicultural contexts, favoring in situ conservation of diverse plant genetic resources [36,53]; f. Strengthening food sovereignty: By respecting diversity and inclusivity, migrants' foods can assist governance movements related to autonomy and collective efforts for the improvement of food systems [40,71].…”

Ethnoecology of home garden landscapes on Seliu Island, Belitung District, Indonesia

“…However, even if the community has a large home garden land and has a good economic ability to buy home garden land, if the awareness of the importance of green open space around the house is low, their home garden has a narrow size because almost all the land around the house is used. In addition, there is still a lack of understanding about the importance of home gardens or green open spaces, even though home gardens help mitigate environmental change, enable farmers to ensure food availability, protect the origin of species, and improve biogeochemical processes (Hu et al 2023), and improve aesthetics. A recent study reported that home garden owners have significantly higher life satisfaction and mental well-being than non-home garden owners due to intergroup differences in sociodemographic factors (e.g., higher income), time spent outside the home (e.g., longer working hours), and personality traits (e.g., less neuroticism) (Lehberger and Sparke 2023).…”

Local knowledge of homegarden plants in Miao ethnic communities in Laershan region, Xiangxi area, China

“…Learning and protecting traditional knowledge related to gardens can promote biodiversity conservation and maintain local livelihoods [ 19 , 21 ]. Additionally, the reasons for potential differences in homegarden plants and traditional knowledge between different communities need to be further elucidated [ 22 ].…”