Local knowledge about fodder plants in the semi-arid region of Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

BackgroundThis study evaluated local knowledge of the fodder plants of the Caatinga in northeast Brazil (seasonal dry forest). Specifically, the goal was to catalog local knowledge regarding the use of native and exotic forage plants in two rural communities located in the state of Paraíba (northeast Brazil), to provide information for nutritional investigations and to verify how the knowledge of these resources is distributed.MethodsThe communities were followed for three consecutive years, and interviews were conducted with 44 families (20 men and 24 women). Nine of these individuals were determined by the snowball technique to be key informants who held more specific knowledge about the topic. The data were structured into a database and statistically analyzed.ResultsOverall, 136 plants from 37 families and 113 genera were cited, and the knowledge of men was at a higher level than that of women (p < 0.05). Participants demonstrated a sophisticated knowledge of nutritional characteristics such as nutritional value, palatability, availability and productivity. Native plants were highlighted over the exotic, especially for species of the families Cactaceae, Bromeliaceae and Fabaceae.ConclusionsThe great diversity of plants cited by the informants demonstrates the potential of local vegetation and the importance of traditional knowledge in the research process and in the characterization of forage resources. This diversity also favors the selection of promising species for future biotechnological investigations.

Prioritizing fodder species based on traditional knowledge: a case study of mithun (Bos frontalis) in Dulongjiang area, Yunnan Province, Southwest China

“…Documenting fodder plants and promoting suitable types of tree fodder for use in home gardens or croplands could be an efficient way to improve sustainable livestock rearing and to change the free grazing style to stall feeding in the mountain without damaging the environment. A combination of traditional and scientific knowledge has been shown to optimize the selection of useful fodder plants [11]. …”

“…Traditional knowledge of fodder plants has been documented in studies of different indigenous groups in several countries, such as Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, India, and Mexico [11–13]. In China, there is an urgent need to document farmers’ knowledge of fodder plants and apply it to the design of tree-crop-livestock systems which could improve smallholder farming [14, 15].…”

Ecosystem services provided by bromeliad plants: A systematic review

“…Ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies reported that at least one bromeliad species is commonly used by several communities and ethnic groups to treat diseases (Agra, Baracho, Nurit, Basílio, & Coelho, 2007;Albertasse, Thomaz, & Andrade, 2010;De Almeida, Rangel, Ramos, & Silva, 2011;Bieski et al, 2012;de Feo & Soria, 2012;Juárez-Vázquez et al, 2013;Kujawska, Zamudio, & Hilgert, 2012;Nunes et al, 2015;Sreekeesoon & Mahomoodally, 2014). Ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies reported that at least one bromeliad species is commonly used by several communities and ethnic groups to treat diseases (Agra, Baracho, Nurit, Basílio, & Coelho, 2007;Albertasse, Thomaz, & Andrade, 2010;De Almeida, Rangel, Ramos, & Silva, 2011;Bieski et al, 2012;de Feo & Soria, 2012;Juárez-Vázquez et al, 2013;Kujawska, Zamudio, & Hilgert, 2012;Nunes et al, 2015;Sreekeesoon & Mahomoodally, 2014).…”

Definición participativa de indicadores para la evaluación de la sustentabilidad predial en dos sistemas campesinos del sector Boyeco, Región de la Araucanía

“…Reflejo de ello, el hecho que exista una concepción de sostenibilidad más relacionada con los medios o modos de vida de los pequeños productores (Machado y Ríos, 2016). La importancia ecológica del conocimiento tradicional ha adquirido un creciente reconocimiento (Toledo y Barrera-Bassols, 2008) y sus aplicaciones agroecológicas son diversas, desde su contribución al desarrollo rural (Diepart, 2010), la articulación del conocimiento entre actores (Cuéllar y Calle, 2011), como potencial de adaptación y mitigación frente al cambio climático (Altieri y Nicholls, 2013), el conocimiento respecto de propiedades de especies nativas (Nunes et al, 2015), entre otros.…”