Traditional knowledge and cultural importance of Gardenia erubescens Stapf & Hutch. in Sudanian savanna of Burkina Faso

Abstract

Background Traditional knowledge (TK) on the different uses of under-valued fruit tree species including Gardenia erubescens Stapf & Hutch.—a plant species of least concern (LC) based on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classification yet considered threatened due to overharvesting by a National Assessment in addition to 59 other species in Burkina Faso. This study aimed to collect and synthesize information on traditional knowledge and cultural importance of G . erubescens . This information will contribute to document traditional knowledge systems that are fast eroding due to the lack of transmission of the knowledge and will also highlight G . erubescens as a priority species for conservation given that this species is widely used among householders in rural areas in Burkina Faso. Methods This study assesses TK on the uses and cultural importance (CI) of G . erubescens , among 514 randomly selected respondents across 15 villages bordering three community forest areas located in Eastern and Centre-Western Regions of Burkina Faso through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Additionally, the uses and CI of G . erubescens were evaluated in relation to informant’s gender, ethnicity, generation, and location. Ethnobotanical indices (relative frequency of citation, relative use value, and CI) were computed using generalized linear models, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney tests. Results Results indicated 30 specific uses of G . erubescens of which food values recorded the highest uses as reported by 58.97% respondents followed by medicine (17.22%) with a very low 0.23% for magical uses. Food and medicinal uses were the most important for women while men valued more the species for constructions, cultural, and magical uses. The fruit is the most preferred and marketable part of the plant while the leaves, fruits, roots, leafy twigs, and bark are mainly harvested for pharmacopeia and psycho-magical problems. Conclusions Traditional knowledge on the uses of G . erubescens varied significantly in relation to gender, ethnicity, generations, and case study locations. Despite the importance of G . erubescens for food and other livelihood values, this specie is of LC to the IUCN; yet, a National Assessment considers it as threatened. The multiple uses of this specie based on TK systems for uses such as food, income, medicine, etc. is an indication that G . erubescens if sustainable managed could form an important safety net especially for rural ho...

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Tengger tribe in Ngadisari village, Indonesia

“…Ouedraogo et al . [ 21 ] reported that relative frequency of citation could also be counted based on FL. This is designed to measure species importance for specific purposes.…”

“…Fidelity Level (FL). The relative frequency of citation was calculated using the fidelity level (FL) formula according to Friedman et al [20] and Ouedraogo et al [21]. FL is the percentage of informants who claim to use certain plant species for particular healing processes.…”

“…[ 20 ] and Ouedraogo et al . [ 21 ]. FL is the percentage of informants who claim to use certain plant species for particular healing processes.…”

“…FL shows the percentage of respondents who mention the use of a plant species for the same main purpose. Ouedraogo et al [21] reported that relative frequency of citation could also be counted based on FL. This is designed to measure species importance for specific purposes.…”

Influence of Ayurveda in traditional health practice of tribe of Shahapur and Jawhar forest area of Maharashtra

“…Fidelity level (FL) is used to calculate the relative frequency of citation (Friedman et al 1986, Ouedraogo et al 2019 The percentage of informants who claim to use specific plant species for specific healing processes is referred to as FL. This demonstrates people's preference for a certain plant species in a specific therapeutic therapy.…”