Traditional uses and beneficial effects of various species of berry-producing plants in eastern Canada

Weber, John T.

doi:10.1139/cjb-2021-0086

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…], Fett‐Neto et al., 1992). The CWR and WUS definitions are not mutually exclusive; many CWR are wild‐harvested and used directly, including many berry fruits native to Canada (Davidson, 1995; Kuhnlein & Turner, 2020; Small, 2013; Weber, 2021). Conservation of WUS genetic resources provides the basis to safeguard their diversity and the opportunity to adapt to pressures such as climate change (Heywood, 1999; Khoury et al., 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An inventory of crop wild relatives and wild‐utilized plants in Canada

et al. 2022

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In the face of global pressures of change and biodiversity loss, crop wild relatives (CWR) and wild‐utilized species (WUS) urgently require conservation attention. To advance conservation, we assembled a national inventory of CWR and WUS in Canada. To assess current ex situ conservation of these plant species, we gathered a virtual metacollection of accession data from botanical gardens and national genebanks. The inventory includes 779 CWR and WUS taxa (658 distinct species), with 263 (222 distinct species) that are related to food crops of national and global importance such as blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.), apple (Malus domestica (Suckow) Borkh.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and saskatoon (Amelanchier spp.). Sixty‐one food crop relatives are prioritized for breeding potential, and sixteen due to conservation threats. Although most food crop CWR are represented in ex situ collections (91% of species), representation of within‐species diversity is low (median = 5% of Canadian ecogeographic types represented per species). Poor representation of within‐species diversity demands an integrative conservation strategy that emphasizes in situ protection, especially focusing on wild populations in Canada's southern ecoregions where diversity is concentrated. While genebank collections represent higher accession counts per species, botanical gardens include living collections of fruit crop relatives and other woody perennials that are well situated to raise broader awareness of CWR and WUS. To promote further conservation action, we present a web application that enables conservation planners and practitioners to identify local CWR and WUS and to identify within‐species ecogeographic types that are underrepresented in ex situ conservation systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An inventory of crop wild relatives and wild‐utilized plants in Canada

et al. 2022

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“…Traditionally, plant-based products have been used for different purposes. Several centuries ago, people around the world employed different parts of plants, including leaves, as a natural remedy for various pathological conditions (81). Numerous reports regarding the use of leaf products for the treatment of many human diseases have been made (82)(83)(84).…”

Section: Antioxidant Antibacterial and Anticancer Effects Of Leavesmentioning

confidence: 99%

From by-products to new application opportunities: the enhancement of the leaves deriving from the fruit plants for new potential healthy products

Regolo,

Giampieri,

Battino

et al. 2024

Front. Nutr.

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In the last decades, the world population and demand for any kind of product have grown exponentially. The rhythm of production to satisfy the request of the population has become unsustainable and the concept of the linear economy, introduced after the Industrial Revolution, has been replaced by a new economic approach, the circular economy. In this new economic model, the concept of “the end of life” is substituted by the concept of restoration, providing a new life to many industrial wastes. Leaves are a by-product of several agricultural cultivations. In recent years, the scientific interest regarding leaf biochemical composition grew, recording that plant leaves may be considered an alternative source of bioactive substances. Plant leaves’ main bioactive compounds are similar to those in fruits, i.e., phenolic acids and esters, flavonols, anthocyanins, and procyanidins. Bioactive compounds can positively influence human health; in fact, it is no coincidence that the leaves were used by our ancestors as a natural remedy for various pathological conditions. Therefore, leaves can be exploited to manufacture many products in food (e.g., being incorporated in food formulations as natural antioxidants, or used to create edible coatings or films for food packaging), cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries (e.g., promising ingredients in anti-aging cosmetics such as oils, serums, dermatological creams, bath gels, and other products). This review focuses on the leaves’ main bioactive compounds and their beneficial health effects, indicating their applications until today to enhance them as a harvesting by-product and highlight their possible reuse for new potential healthy products.

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“…Wild berries are the most widely used plant food stewarded and consumed by Indigenous Peoples in the United States and Canada (Karst & Turner, 2011; Lantz & Turner, 2003; Migicovsky et al, 2022; Speller & Forbes, 2022; Weber, 2022). In his book, Native American Ethnobotany , Moerman (1998) documents approximately 162 different berry species used by Indigenous Peoples in North America.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate and land‐use change impacts on cultural use berries: Considerations for mitigative stewardship

Mucioki

2024

Plants People Planet

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Societal Impact StatementCultural use berries are prized foods and medicines across the United States and Canada, with almost 200 different species used by Indigenous Peoples. Berries are increasingly being impacted by environmental and land‐use change. Berry habitats, how and when berry plants reproduce, and the volume of berries available for harvest each year are shifting widely. These changes are impacting access to, availability of, and consumption of berries. Biocultural stewardship practices, like low‐intensity fire, transplanting, and thinning, can be used in response to these stressors to support berry plant health and productivity as well as a sustained relationship with this important food.SummaryAlmost 200 different species of berries are used for food and medicine by Indigenous Peoples, with unparalleled nutritional and cultural significance among plant foods. Environmental and land‐use change is increasingly compromising access to, availability of, and consumption of berries. In this review, I consider (a) how climate and land‐use change are impacting cultural use berries across species and places, as documented by Indigenous Peoples and in the scientific literature, and (b) how stewardship practices are being applied to promote resilience and sustainability in berrying landscapes experiencing stress. Climate impacts on Arctic and subarctic berry species include earlier ripening, changes in taste, or increased variability in abundance. These same regions are experiencing a proliferation of shrubs, while forests throughout the lower 48 and Canada are suffering from suffocating fuel loads and stand densities that are not conducive to berry habitat for many species. In the Pacific West, berries are influenced by prolonged droughts and increasing spring and summer temperatures. Climate change impacts are amplified by shifts in land use for forestry and agriculture. Biocultural stewardship practices, like low‐intensity fire, thinning, transplanting, and cultural care, can be used to mitigate these impacts and promote berry microclimate habitats. There is opportunity for intertribal networking and knowledge sharing around berry stewardship practices that will support local and regional climate change responses.

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Traditional uses and beneficial effects of various species of berry-producing plants in eastern Canada

Cited by 7 publications

References 30 publications

An inventory of crop wild relatives and wild‐utilized plants in Canada

An inventory of crop wild relatives and wild‐utilized plants in Canada

From by-products to new application opportunities: the enhancement of the leaves deriving from the fruit plants for new potential healthy products

Climate and land‐use change impacts on cultural use berries: Considerations for mitigative stewardship

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