Traditional uses of wild and tended plants in maintaining ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa

Abstract

Background Many communities in developing countries rely on ecosystem services (ESs) associated with wild and cultivated plant species. Plant resources provide numerous ESs and goods that support human well-being and survival. The aim of this study was to identify and characterize wild and tended plant species, and also investigate how local communities in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa perceive ESs associated with plant resources. Methods The study was conducted in six local municipalities in the Eastern Cape Province, between March 2016 and September 2021. Data on socio-economic characteristics of the participants, useful plants harvested from the wild and managed in home gardens were documented by means of questionnaires, observation and guided field walks with 196 participants. The ESs were identified using a free listing technique. Results A total of 163 plant species were recorded which provided 26 cultural, regulating and provisioning ESs. Provisioning ESs were the most cited with at least 25 plant species contributing towards generation of cash income, food, traditional and ethnoveterinary medicines. Important species recorded in this study with relative frequency of citation (RFC) values > 0.3 included Alepidea amatymbica, Allium cepa, Aloe ferox, Artemisia afra, Brassica oleracea, Capsicum annuum, Cucurbita moschata, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Opuntia ficus-indica, Spinacia oleracea, Vachellia karroo and Zea mays. Conclusion Results of this study highlight the importance of plant resources to the well-being of local communities in the Eastern Cape within the context of provision of essential direct and indirect ESs such as food, medicinal products, construction materials, fodder, regulating, supporting and cultural services. The ESs are the basis for subsistence livelihoods in rural areas, particularly in developing countries such as South Africa. Therefore, such body of knowledge can be used as baseline data for provision of local support for natural resource management initiatives in the province and other areas of the country.

Integrating traditional ecological knowledge into US public land management: Knowledge gaps and research priorities

“…For much of the 20th century, society broadly valued local knowledge of flora and fauna due to potential economic contributions of new foods, medicines or other products. While the benefit of TEK for identifying and managing these resources is still important (Turner et al, 2000;Chapman, 2008;McCallum and Carr, 2012;Rodenburg et al, 2012;Maroyi, 2017Maroyi, , 2022Nalau et al, 2018;Strenchok et al, 2018;Guerrero-Gatica et al, 2020;Abbas et al, 2022), ecocultural resources have been more holistically valued within the framework of 'Cultural Ecosystem Services' (CESs). Cultural ecosystem services include intangible, yet invaluable, functions beyond supplying commodities, such as providing inspiration, aesthetically pleasing views, a sense of place, cultural vitality, and recreational, educational and fellowship opportunities Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 07 frontiersin.org (Paudyal et al, 2016;Pascua et al, 2017).…”

Sustainable Use of Cruciferous Wastes in Nanotechnological Applications

“…There are over 30 wild species and their hybrids plus many controlled cultivated varieties. Due to their high importance in agriculture, Brassica plants have been the subject of numerous publications [14][15][16][17][18].…”

“…Nowadays, as noted in the references mentioned above, the cruciferous vegetables are becoming more and more present in restaurants because they are very healthy (Figure 3). The following is a summary of the healthiest crucifers in terms of their chemical composition and the benefits they bring to human health [8,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31].…”

“…Nowadays, as noted in the references mentioned above, the cruciferous vegetables are becoming more and more present in restaurants because they are very healthy (Figure 3). The following is a summary of the healthiest crucifers in terms of their chemical composition and the benefits they bring to human health [8,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. -vitamin C is fundamental in the regeneration of αtocopherol, and in the prevention and treatment of malignant and degenerative diseases -vitamin B9 it is strongly important in the prevention of megaloblastic anemia, neuropsychiatric disorders and various forms of cancer in the fetus during pregnancy, also reducing the risk of neural tube defects.…”

Floristic diversity of native wild ornamental plants of Aravalli Hill Range: a case study from district Rewari, Haryana, India

“…The floriculture sector is always on the lookout for new goods, technology, and market gaps to fill. In comparison, the price of domestication and maintenance of WOPs species is likewise relatively low (Negrelle et al 2012;Maroyi 2022).…”