How ethnobotany can aid biodiversity conservation: reflections on investigations in the semi-arid region of NE Brazil

Abstract

Ethnobotany is a relatively new discipline but its social and scientific roles are becoming more consistently defined and its importance as a tool for complimenting management and conservation strategies at local and regional levels is now well recognized by the scientific community throughout the world. In the present work we have collected information from four years of ethnobotanical study in an area of caatinga vegetation in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil with the goal of defining a model for conservation and management actions in the region. Drawing on ethnobotanical and ecological information obtained through traditional techniques of ethnobotanical and vegetation surveys, we discuss the uses of 166 native and exotic plant species and suggest specific actions and specific groups of species for conservation and sustainable use programs. We also discuss the limitations of our approach and indicate what information must still be collected in order to construct robust and workable plans of action.

The Use of Herbal Medicine in a Rural Community in Vitória Da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil: An Indication for Pharmacological Studies

“…This survey showed that some 80% of the species with medicinal properties were cultivated in orchards or gardens in backyards of the houses; 15% are considered wild and extracted from the surrounding environments and 5% of the plants were bought at popular markets or drugstores, demonstrating the importance of cultivation as the main source of medicinal plants. Several authors in similar ethnopharmacological studies have also reported that the majority of respondents acquired plants grown in their own backyard cultivars [20,24]. The leaves (78.2%) were the most frequently used plant part for the treatment of diseases, followed by root (8.2%) and seed (6.4%) (Figure 2), which corroborated similar results found in other ethnobotanical studies [29,30].…”

“…São Sebastião is a small rural community of 2,730 inhabitants (1,325 men and 1,405 women, average monthly income of U$ 280), to whom the use of medicinal plants may not only be a tradition but also an economic necessity; indeed, this area still hosts many Brazilian native plants, which are worth thorough study and protection, as elsewhere in Brazil [23,24]. Figure 1 shows the detailed location map of the study area.…”

“…Respondents were asked to associate a medicinal plant with possible health care indications, according to WHO [24,32]. The highest number of citations (106) was for digestive system, while the highest ICF value was obtained for nervous problems (0.…”

The Conservation Efforts of Wood Apple, An Identity Plant of Rembang Regency, Based on Ethnobotany Study

“…The more intensive the cultivation will be resulted in a higher population. Intensity of cultivation of a species is influenced by several aspects of ethnobotany, especially the level of traditional knowledge of the community about the usefulness, the economic value, and the ease of breeding (Albuquerque, 2009).…”

“…It is necessary in order to maintain the traditional knowledge as well as to optimize sustainable use (Albuquerque et al, 2009). Recently, study of traditional knowledge often focuses on the role of demographic factors, such as age, gender, educational level, profession, and live duration in an area because these factors can form traditional knowledge (Ayantunde et al, 2008, Cruz et al, 2013.…”