Local Knowledge and Conservation Priorities of Medicinal Plants near a Protected Area in Brazil

Abstract

We investigated the influence of socioeconomic factors (age, gender, and occupation) on the local knowledge of medicinal plants in the Araripe National Forest, Brazil, and the priority of conservation of the species as perceived by people. Additionally, priority species for in situ conservation were identified by calculating conservation priority (CP). Initially, free lists were developed with 152 informants in order to identify the plants known and used by them. Based on the most cited plants in these lists, a salience analysis was performed to identify the ten most prominent tree species. In a second moment, through a participatory workshop, these ten species were classified by the perception of local experts as to their environmental availability and intensity of exploitation. Then, the population size of the forest plant species was quantified through a phytosociological sampling and the conservation priority index (CP) of the species was calculated. A total of 214 ethnospecies were cited by the informants, which were identified in 167 species. Local knowledge was influenced by socioeconomic factors, with positive correlation between age and local knowledge and difference in knowledge among professions. Among the ten most prominent tree species in terms of their medicinal importance, Hancornia speciosa was highlighted as a priority for conservation in the experts’ perception because it has low environmental availability and a high exploitation rate. The ten species were ordered by the CP differently from the ordering made by the local experts’ perception, indicating that people’s perception of species conservation status may not correspond to the actual situation in which they are found in the forests. Conservationist measures based on the perception of informants need complementary ecological studies on the species accessed.

Indigenous knowledge and rangelands’ biodiversity conservation in Tanzania: success and failure

“…Moshi et al ( 2010 ), reported that, local people from the North-Western Tanzania have rich culture of traditional herbal plants due to their inter-ethnic interactions with different people such as Rukiga and Banyakole from Uganda and Tutsi and Hutu from Rwanda. Although utilization of medicinal plants is condemned to cause local species extinction (da Silva et al 2019 ), most elders have Indigenous and Local Knowledge of identifying key plant species required priority for conservation. For example, plants such as Ageratum conyzoides, Biden pilosa, Boerhavia diffusa, Caparis tomentesa, Combretum collinum and Latana camara have been given conservation priorities by Haya people due to their potential medicinal value (Moshi et al 2010 ).…”

Cactus: Chemical, nutraceutical composition and potential bio‐pharmacological properties

“…inner gel is used as lenitive for skin (Italy); joint dislocation and tonsillitis: apply aerial parts boiled, heated, or made into a poultice with salt once a day for one to 2 weeks (Turkey); diarrhea: drink decoction (Philippines); piles and toothache (Lesotho); acne: topical application; diabetes: eat raw or cooked (Mexico); bronchitis and rheumatism: drink one glass of the decoction three times a day or compress the mashed stem to affected muscles (Turkey); antispasmodic, diuretic, emollient, astringent, diarrhea, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome and benign prostatic hypertrophy (India); tuberculosis: cook peeled jelly-type branch with wild onion and ghee until dry and eat after meal three times a day (India); bronchitis and fatigue (Brazil) (Ahmet Sargin, 2015;Belayneh et al, 2012;da Silva et al, 2019;Estrada-Castillón et al, 2018;Güneş, Savran, Paksoy, Koşar, & Çakılcıo glu, 2017;Kose, Moteetee, & Van Vuuren, 2015;Mautone, De Martino, & De Feo, 2019;Pandita et al, 2013;Raj et al, 2018;SS Semenya & Potgieter, 2014;Siew et al, 2014;Tantengco, Condes, Estadilla, & Ragragio, 2018;Tshikalange, Mophuting, Mahore, Winterboer, & Lall, 2016) Ns Cyst and goiter: applied by pounding gently as a poultice (Philippines); dandruff (Ethiopia); malaria (Italy); postpartum hemorrhage: combined with Periploca linearifolia Quart.Dill. & A.Rich., the juice is collected, filtered, and used as ink to write on paper as a charm hung around the neck (Ethiopia) (Arquion, Galanida, Villamor, & Aguilar, 2015;…”

“…The methanolic leaf extract of P. aculeate exhibited antioxidant activity assessed by 44.99 Trolox/kg (da Silva et al, 2019; Silva, Seifert, Schiedeck, Dode, & Nora, 2018) and DPPH scavenging activity (Souza et al, 2016). The ethyl acetate (IC 50 = 168 μg/ml), hexane (IC 50 = 244 μg/ml), methanol (IC 50 = 278 μg/ml), and ethanol (IC 50 = 540 μg/ml) extracts of Pereskia bleo leaves exhibited antioxidant activity as determined by DPPH scavenging assay (Hassanbaglou et al, 2012; Sim, Sri Nurestri, & Norhanom, 2010).…”

Uso, conhecimento e conservação de Myracrodruon urundeuva: uma revisão sistemática

“…A taxa de mortalidade em plantios é de aproximadamente 20% (Nunes et al, 2015). Os parâmetros teor de água e número médio de folhas produzidas estão diretamente relacionados com a sobrevivência da planta em regiões semiáridas (Araújo et al, 2019).…”

“…Já Lucena et al (2011) apontam outras formas de uso, a exemplo de construções, ornamentação, sistemas agroflorestais, apicultura e aplicações industriais, como curtumes. Por essa versatilidade de usos a aroeira é definida como espécie polivalente (Barros, Nascimento & Medeiros, 2016), sendo considerada por Araújo et al (2019) a espécie arbórea mais explorada da Caatinga. A maior parte da exploração é proveniente do extrativismo de populações naturais, sendo necessário o desenvolvimento e emprego de práticas racionais de uso, buscando a conservação da espécie (Oliveira et al, 2013).…”