Participatory ethnobotany and conservation: a methodological case study conducted with quilombola communities in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest

Abstract

Background: Although multiple studies advocate the advantages of participatory research approaches for ethnoscience, few provide solid contributions from case studies that involve residents in all of the project phases. We present a case study of a participatory approach whose aim is to register ethnobotanical knowledge on the use of plants in two quilombola communities (maroon communities), an important biodiversity hotspot in the Atlantic Forest, Southeast Brazil. Our aim is to provide tools that will empower decision-making related to sustainable use and management among residents.Methods: In phase I, the objectives and activities were defined in meetings with residents to carry out ethnobotanical surveys between two quilombola communities-the Quilombo da Fazenda (QF) and Quilombo do Cambury (QC). In phase II, we offered community partners training courses on how to collect plants and ethnobotanical data. In coordination with the university team and using ethnobotanical methods, community partners interviewed specialists on plants and their uses. In phase III, using the participatory mapping method, residents indicated plot locations and collected plants to calculate the Conservation Priority Index for native species recorded in phase II. Results: In 178 days of fieldwork, two community partners from the QF and three from the QC selected 8 and 11 respondents who reported 175 and 195 plant species, respectively, corresponding to 9 ethnobotanical categories. Based on requests from the local community, booklets and videos with these data were collaboratively produced. A large percentage of species were found to be of great conservation priority-82.1% in the QC and 62.5% in the QF. Virola bicuhyba, Cedrela fissilis, Plinia edulis, and Tabebuia cassinoides are the species most at risk and will be the focus of phase IV, when a participatory management plan will be carried out. Additionally, we present both challenges and opportunities with the hope that others can learn from our successes and failures.

Traditional use of medicinal plants in the Chyangthapu-Phalaicha biological sub-corridor, Panchthar District, Kangchenjunga Landscape, Nepal

“…The information generated will potentially contribute to the conservation and sustainable use of local plant resources [27,28], along with the preservation of cultural and genetic diversity [29,30].…”

We need to appreciate common synanthropic plants before they become rare: Case study in Latgale (Latvia)

“…Furthermore, people may provide both temporal (past vs current) and spatial dimensions with a particular focus on the local context. While the co-production of knowledge might be challenging on some level, it is highly prized by numerous scholars (Raven 2018;Norström et al 2020;Rodrigues 2020). To add, Albuquerque et al (2019a) study emphasises the positive benefit of integrating people's knowledge and needs in conservation activities.…”

Traditional Medicines Amongst Indigenous Groups in Roraima, Brazil: A Retrospective

“…In the quilombola communities in the Atlantic forest in Brazil (RODRIGUES et al, 2020), the Chacobo in Bolivia (PANIAGUA-ZAMBRANA et al, 2018), and the Maya in Guatemala (HITZIGER et al, 2016), local researchers were trained, and the development of the project was planned in collaboration with local communities. Engaging young researchers in the process is crucial, but this is not always easy.…”