Ethnobotanical studies in Brazil: an analysis of the man-sustainable development relationship

Abstract

Ethnobotany is inserted in a subarea of botany that lies in the interface between traditional/popular knowledge and conventional scientific knowledge. However, there are several interpretations on the subject. Thus, this study, of qualitative nature, seeked to track the conceptual trends of this area in Brazil, by conducting a bibliographical survey. We selected 12 studies published between 1998-2022, available in the databases Scielo, CAPES, and Google Scholar, in English and Portuguese, carried out by Brazilian researchers in the country and published in national and international journals. According to our survey, there is an expressive number of researchers and studies available on the subject, and that these help to improve the knowledge on ethnobotany, providing support for future studies on the area. According to the data obtained, we observed that 12 articles address the concepts of ethnobotany, traditional populations, use of therapeutic resources, as well as rescuing traditional knowledge of communities. It was also observed that the loss of traditional knowledge and anthropic actions are not discussed very often in these articles. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a critical eye on these actions, creating more discussions in the context of preservation and environmental conservation.