Ethnobotany of dye plants in Dong communities of China

Incorporating local ecological knowledge aids participatory mapping for marine conservation and customary fishing management

Transhumance is one of the oldest traditional agricultural practices in Val Senales (Italy) and the Western Pontic Mountains (Turkey), playing a crucial role in shaping alpine ecosystems. This study examines the impact of traditional pastoral management on the distribution of dominant plant species and phytomass levels in summer grazing areas. Grazing routes were analyzed using NDVI values derived from drone-based orthophotos captured at an altitude of 35 m during the peak of the transhumance season in June, allowing for the quantification of vegetation cover and dominant species composition. Ethnographic fieldwork with local shepherds in Finailhof and the Vercenik Valley provided insights into traditional ecological knowledge related to pasture management and seasonal flock movements. Additionally, herbarium methods were employed to identify grazed plant species along the grazing routes. Although both regions share similar alpine climatic conditions, their distinct socio-cultural contexts and land-use histories result in different patterns of grazing impact and phytomass distribution. This bi-disciplinary research examines the relationship between NDVI values, phytomass variation, and dominant plant species in both study sites. The findings highlight the significance of integrating traditional ecological knowledge with remote sensing and ecological field methods to support sustainable pasture management and inform alpine policy frameworks. By combining ecological and ethnographic perspectives, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of the interdependent dynamics between cultural practices and environmental processes in pasture management of high-mountain landscapes.

Protected areas often overlap with Indigenous areas; yet the relationships between protected areas and Indigenous diets are not fully understood. This study investigates the relationships between rural children's dietary diversity, distance from protected areas, the level of protection (IUCN category) and Indigeneity in Myanmar and Cambodia, using three secondary datasets: the World Database of Protected Areas, the World Language Mapping System and the Demographic Health Survey in a novel way. A new dataset of Indigenous population areas in Myanmar and Cambodia was developed using the World Language Mapping dataset and a screening protocol. The relationship between children's dietary diversity and distance from protected areas was assessed using a negative binomial model. A logistic regression model was used for specific food groups. The relationship between dietary diversity and distance from protected areas was non‐linear. Relationships between children's vitamin A‐rich fruit and vegetable consumption and distance from protected areas differed between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous population areas. In Indigenous population areas, the predicted odds of consuming vitamin A‐rich fruits and vegetables increased from 4% in protected areas to 30% at 80 km distance before declining to slightly more than 0% at 200 km from protected areas, whereas children's odds of consuming vitamin A‐rich fruits and vegetables did not appear to be associated with protected area proximity in non‐Indigenous areas. Relationships between distance from protected areas and children's consumption of vitamin A‐rich fruits and vegetables were evident in Myanmar but not Cambodia. Policy implications . Distance from protected areas may be associated with children's diets in Indigenous population areas more than in non‐Indigenous population areas with country‐level differences. Understanding the role of differentiated relationships between diverse land uses and different social groups in different contexts and at varying scales can guide conservation and land use policies that promote equitable health outcomes. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Indigenous knowledge (IK) is a key component of disaster risk management (DRM) and development planning, yet it is often overlooked, with practitioners preferring to use scientific knowledge. Critics of IK have termed it archaic, primitive, a constraint to development and inferior to scientific knowledge, which has contributed to its widespread marginalisation. However, smallholder farmers in rural Zimbabwe have utilised IK for generations, especially in predicting rainfall patterns and managing drought conditions, showing that IK can be a useful tool in DRM. This article presents findings from research on drought vulnerability and coping conducted in Zimbabwe's Buhera and Chikomba districts in 2009, particularly relating to utilisation of IK in smallholder farming communities, and argues that unless IK is documented and preserved, its marginalisation will persist. The research followed a mixed-methods approach whereby both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed. Whilst smallholder respondents were randomly selected for household surveys, snowball sampling was employed for key informant interviews. Respondents indicated that they utilised some indigenous rainfall pattern predictions gained from observing and interpreting plant and animal behaviour. Some cultural practices that were critical to development and utilisation of certain IK were also threatened with extinction. The article argues for 'marrying’ IK and scientific knowledge, in the hope that the two will offset each other's weaknesses, resulting in some kind of hybrid knowledge that will be critical for promoting sustainable agricultural production in Zimbabwe. However, this is not for disregard the challenges associated with knowledge hybridisation, as these two types of knowledge are grounded on differing foundations.

IntroductionSustainable use of biocultural diversity can help achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in many ways. The tribal communities of bio-culturally rich Northeastern India rely heavily on local food resources and knowledge for livelihood security. In this study with Adi women of East Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh, India, we aimed to understand (i) access and use patterns for biocultural plants and animal species from diverse ecosystems and (ii) species diversity and conservation strategies deployed by Adis. We employed a novel participatory approach called “recipe contest” to mobilize Adi women from 15 randomly selected remote and transitional villages. Data collected through interviews, focus group discussions and transect walks from 75 women, were analyzed using qualitative and quantitative methods.ResultsWe found that traditional local food was linked intricately with women’s knowledge, access patterns, and socio-cultural institutions. From an end-user perspective, remote Adi villages had more widespread use of plant species (14 as food; 34 as food-cum-ethnomedicine and 13 as income-generating species) and animal (17) as food in remote than in transitional villages. Further, there were significant differences (p < 0.000; 0244 and 0.000, respectively) across the social groups for use of plant- and animal-derived food and ethnomedicine. Among different land use systems (i.e., Jhum lands, home gardens, and morang forests), the highest diversity for food plant was found in home gardens while that for food-cum-ethnomedicinal plants and animal species was observed in morang forests. Adi women apply traditional agronomic, cultural, and harvest strategies, based on local knowledge and institutions and varying with social systems, to conserve their key local resources. Significant correlations (r = 0.63 to 0.92) were seen between conservation and use of food and animal species. Traditional knowledge on these aspects was linked intricately to the socio-cultural milieu and is transmitted inter-generationally through various social institutions.ConclusionsCultural food practices, crucial to social-ecological resilience and livelihood security of Adi and similar indigenous communities confronting global environmental challenges, need to be mainstreamed with relevant policies for achieving some targets of SDGs.

The objective of this study was to document the traditional knowledge of plants used for textile dyeing by the Tai-Lao ethnic group in Roi Et province in northeastern Thailand. Traditional knowledge of plants used for textile dyeing is disappearing because of modernization including new lifestyles, urbanization, and the introduction of synthetic colors. Textile dyeing with local plants, however, is experiencing a revival connected to ecotourism and global interest in natural products. To exploit that potential, it is important to preserve the local knowledge related to textile dyeing. We interviewed 60 Tai-Lao informants in 15 villages and 9 districts about their dyeing traditions and the species used through individual semi-structured and focus groups interviews. A total of 56 species in 50 genera and 31 families were used for dyeing cotton and silks; most species belonged to Fabaceae (11 spp., 19%) and Anacardiaceae (5 spp., 9%). Trees (36 spp., 65%) were the best represented life form among the dye plants, followed by shrubs and herbs (8 spp., 16% each), and climbers (4 spp., 7%). Bark was the plant part most commonly used for dyeing (25 spp., 42%) followed by leaves (12 spp., 20%), and fruits (9 spp., 15%). Home gardens were the most common habitat of dye plant (30 spp., 53%) followed by community forests (16 spp., 28%). Indigofera tinctoria L. and Pterocarpus indicus Willd. were the most important dye plant species of the Tai-Lao ethnic group as demonstrated by their high use value index (UV = 0.60). Blue/indigo-blue was the color most informants had common knowledge about with an informant consensus factor (ICF) of 0.92 followed by black with ICF = 0.84. Ten different colors were obtained from the 56 plant species. Brown/pale-brown/golden-brown was the color obtained from most dye plant species (14 spp., 25%) followed by green/pale-green/dark-green (13 spp., 23%). Nine different kinds of mordants were used in the dyeing, including alum, chrome (potassium dichromate; K2Cr2O7), copper sulfate (CuSO4), iron oxide (Fe2O3), tamarind juice (tartaric acid), salt (NaCl), lime (calcium oxide; CaO), ash (potassium hydroxide; KOH), and mud. Among the 56 species used for textile dyeing, three are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, including: Dipterocarpus alatus Roxb. & G.Don, Dipterocarpus obtusifolius Teijsm. ex Miq., and Pterocarpus indicus Willd. Documenting these and other species used for textile dyeing will provide additional arguments for their conservation. It will also help to secure the reappearing tradition of textile dyeing with local plants, and hence support the cultural integrity of the Tai-Lao communities, and serve as an example for other communities in Thailand and elsewhere for preserving their traditional knowledge.

Traditional Knowledge (TK) is an experiential knowledge built by people within a long duration and it extends in a wide range. This knowledge has been decaying with time and environmental degradation has become rapid. Finding the decaying traditional knowledge, analyzing its utility and using it for ecological restoration can be considered as heading towards a gap filling pertaining to researches. Even though, identification of forest degradation by applying TK in traditional societies is important in conservation of degraded forests, limited research have been undertaken relating to this research in Sri Lanka. With this limitation, the current study was focused to compile and classify the hidden traditional knowledge on forest conservation which has high level of utility in ecological restoration in Knuckles Range. Seven Grama Niladhrari Divisions out of 56 divisions laid in Knuckles range were selected as the study area using the multi-functional optimization equation and judgmental sampling method. Out of 346 families living in the study area, 120 families were selected by employing simple random sampling method. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, transect walks and observations while 11 group discussions have been made to verify and validate the TK of traditional farmers. Mainly qualitative data analysis methods were used and TK of forest degradation has been compared with the formal forest classifications. The study ascertained that the degradation of the forest cover has been covered by focusing to four main criteria as; a). Qualitative degradation (value of the plant, service done by the plant species to the environment and man.); b) Quantitative degradation (according to the size of the land where the degradation occurs and the number of trees that are being cut.); c). Physical condition of the plant (distribution of the tree and height, connection with the sunlight.) and d). Function of the plant system (interconnection between plants, interdependence between plants). Further, it was revealed that the traditional farmers in the study area had applied six different indigenous criteria to identify the forest degradation, namely; plant species, extent of the land use, location of the plant, change of the composition of the plant, decrease of the harvest and quality of the plants. Under each of criterion, different indigenous methods have been adopted for identifying degradation of plants and conservation of the plant species and rural agricultural systems. As an important finding of this research, it can be highlighted that the traditional methods used to find forests degradation in this research can be applied for identifying and minimizing the degradation of forests which cannot be seen in other areas in Sri Lanka. It was also identified that there is a high potential in those traditional methods with regard to securing the quality of the environment.

Although it boasts a rich historical wealth of traditional ecological knowledge, the rural Eastern Cape of South Africa continues to be an environmental hotspot since the mid-twentieth century, suffering land degradation, overharvesting of resources and water scarcity. Over the years, much research effort has been directed to investigating how local communities use traditional knowledge to manage resources. By and large, the studies argue that traditional knowledge provided effective management strategies in the past, hence communities should continue using it. This raises the question: what is happening with traditional ecological knowledge in contemporary rural Eastern Cape in South Africa? To address this question, this work used snowball sampling to recruit 83 respondents from three villages of Colana, Gogela and Nozitshena for in-depth interviews. The respondents were elderly women and men whose families had at least a two-generation history of living in these villages. Using the meta-theory of critical realism, particularly its analytical tools of abduction, hermeneutics, dynamism and context, this work found that there are multiple factors, exogenous to traditional ecological knowledge, that make it fail to effectively address environmental challenges in the present-day rural Eastern Cape. They include changed worldviews, legal pluralism and changed lifestyles which are a consequence of adverse incorporation of traditional systems into the South African nation-state system. Indigenous practices, traditions, local ethics, taboos, social conventions, and other cultural practices, that ensured the usefulness of TEK, have been abandoned over time. Incorporation of rural traditional systems into the South African nation-state have been largely adverse. There has been little or no integration of TEK and the “imported” lifestyles. The application of the “plug-in” principle in this case, thus, faces a very formidable task despite the reality that it is the way to go to ensure sustainable natural resources management and the achievement of some of the SDGs.

Chapter 26 - The Use of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the Context of Participatory Wildlife Management: Examples From Indigenous Communities in Puerto Nariño, Amazonas-Colombia

Community forestry is a successful development programme of His Majesty's Government (HMG), in the sector of forest management in Nepal. The process of community forestry comprises the assessment of forest resources and drawing‐up of a plan of action for the management of forests. Forest boundary surveying is a mandatory activity in the formal handing over of the forest to the people or Forest User groups (FUG) as they are known in practice. The spatial issues in mapping are more related to the boundary of the forest, location of the forest itself, the geographic characteristics of the forest i.e. slope, aspect, altitude and area covered by particular forest resources i.e. the forest type, Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) and information that could be useful in preparing a better management and implementation plan of the forest. The use of Participatory Geographic Information Systems (PGIS) in the field of community forest management combines the collection of quantitative and qualitative information in a way that is beneficial for the FUG (Jordan, 2000) i.e. mapping the boundary of the forest, block division of the forest area and preparing a multiple resource map. The quantitative spatial components can be collected and managed for sustainable forest management i.e. information on the length of forest boundary, resource distribution, stocking and incidence patterns. Without peoples’ participation in the application of GIS and GPS in mapping the forest, the accuracy cannot always be assured on the one hand, while on the other, the information cannot be properly utilized as the ultimate users of the community forest maps are the local communities themselves. Prior to handing over of the forest areas to the FUGs, transect walks are carried‐out in the relevant areas and features of interest are mapped using GPSs. The data is analysed in a GIS environment and maps i.e. Forest Boundaries, delineating NTFP species as well as the location of poor Households are produced. Assessment of products by plots of the relevant species, are also carried‐out. Thus the participatory GIS, incorporates both indigenous knowledge on spatial aspects of community forest management, as well as social, land cover, and cultural features.

The main aim of this study is to document important ethnomedicinal plants from the Maraog region, located in the district of Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, India. A total of 110 medicinal plant species belonging to 102 genera and 57 families were reported from the study site. All of the species were collected from wild habitats. The rural people of the Maraog region were surveyed through interview methods, group discussions, and participatory observations. In the current study, data were collected from 88 informants through the snowball method. A total of 110 plant species were collected from the study area, including 64 herbs, 24 shrubs, 9 trees, 5 climbers, 3 grasses, and 5 ferns. Most of the plant species, reported from the study area, belong to the Rosaceae and Asteraceae families, each contributing 12 plant species, followed by the Lamiaceae family with 6 plant species. The most used part of the plant in the preparation of herbal medications is the leaves, which have been reported in 62 plants, followed by roots in 14 plants, and flowers and other aerial parts in 9 plants. The ethnomedicinal data were analyzed using “Use Value,” a statistical quantitative method, with Artemisia vestita having the highest use value (1.00), followed by Cannabis sativa (0.79), Rhododendron arboreum (0.79), and Datura stramonium (0.71). Older people were found to have a vast knowledge of wild medicinal plants, while the younger generation’s knowledge was lacking. As a result, traditional knowledge about the use of plants as a source of medicine has decreased day-by-day. Therefore, there is a need to document traditional ethnobotanical knowledge. The data could serve as a basis for research by pharmacological and nutraceutical industries for the development of novel drugs.

This study aims to analyse orally transmitted traditional knowledge of dye and fiber plants utilized in the local communities of Jeollabuk-do, Korea. Data was collected through the participatory rural appraisal (PRA) method involving interviews, informal meetings, open and group discussions, and overt observations with semi-structured questionnaires. Field investigations were conducted through 23 sites from July, 2008 to April, 2010. 49 key informants (17 men and 32 women) were interviewed who have lived over 50 years around the areas of investigation. The average age of the informants was 80 (from 61 to 96 years old). Dye plants were recorded six species, Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala (Maxim.) Wesm., Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zucc., Diospyros kaki Thunb., Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, Persica riatinctoria H.Gross and Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis. Fiber plants were recorded three species, Cannabis sativa L., Gossypium ndicum Lam. and Boehmeria nivea (L.) Gaudich.

ABSTRACTAfrica's unparalleled biodiversity and cultural heritage are closely tied to Indigenous Peoples (IP) and their traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) systems, which offers vital insights into conservation and sustainability. This editorial highlights the active role of African IP in biodiversity conservation and food system resilience, emphasising the urgent need to forge equitable partnerships across knowledge systems rather than subordinating TEK to scientific knowledge (SK). TEK, embedded in centuries of observation and cultural practices, informs ecological processes and sustainable resource use. However, climate change, land dispossession and cultural erosion, among other drivers, threaten these knowledge systems and the communities that uphold them. A collaborative approach that respects Indigenous sovereignty can foster interdisciplinary conservation efforts. This aligns with ongoing efforts at the international scene, such as the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which explicitly recognises the rights of IP, as well as those of other local communities in multiple conservation targets, including land rights, traditional knowledge and access to justice. The challenge remains: How can these international commitments translate into equitable, rights‐based conservation on the ground? It is crucial to ensure that conservation policy and practice are consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and uphold moral responsibility. Equally important is fostering shared interests between conservationists and IP by engaging in open dialogue about conflicts of interest and building trust with Indigenous communities. By integrating these principles, conservation and ecological sciences can move beyond theoretical commitments to genuine, participatory conservation efforts that respect and sustain IP's stewardship of nature.

Intellectual property (IP), creations of the mind, has both a moral and a commercial value. Traditional medical knowledge, such as the medicinal use of herbs, is often associated with genetic resources. Herbal genetic resources exist in nature and are not creations of the human mind; therefore, they cannot be directly protected as intellectual property (IP). They are subject to access and benefit-sharing regulations under international agreements. Patents based on traditional Indian medicine have included the use of turmeric for healing wounds; the antifungal properties of neem and a diabetes medicine made from extract of black plum (Syzygium cumini) were subsequently revoked. IP includes inventions, literary and artistic works, designs and symbols, names and images used in commerce. IP is protected by patents, copyright, trademarks, trade secret, geographical indication, etc. IP law grants the author of an intellectual creation exclusive right for exploiting and benefiting from their creation. Intellectual property right (IPR) is a right of a person or a company to have exclusive authority over the use of its own plans, ideas, or other intangible assets without the worry of competition. This right safeguards creators and other producers and may be enforced by a court via a lawsuit. The plant variety protection and farmers rights act enacted in many countries of the world was designed to protect the new plant and crop variety. On April 26 every year, we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day to promote discussion of the role of IP in encouraging innovation and creativity. According to Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary, or artistic production of which he is the author”. The ethical problems brought up by intellectual property rights are most pertinent when it is socially valuable goods like life-saving medicines and genetically modified seeds that are given intellectual property protection. Traditional knowledge (TK) about the use of medicinal herbs of many nations is highly valuable. TK of various communities has even led to discovery and development of drugs like digitalis, morphine, colchicine, artemisinin, podophyllotoxin, salicin, etc., from various plant species. Biodiversity rich regions of various continents across the globe harbor flora of immense medicinal importance. The fastest growing international drug market for botanical medicines has seriously affected many species almost to the level of extinction because many of their ruthless exploitation in an unsystematic manner. The traditional knowledge is drawing global attention, popularity, and patronization due to awareness regarding the side effects of allopath but this has made the traditional knowledge system prone to ‘biopiracy’ and ‘patenting’ both within the country of origin as well as outside. The false claim on novelty and use of indigenous knowledge for commercial benefits needs to be checked. It is essential not only to preserve the traditional and indigenous knowledge but also to preserve the biodiversity of a locality and culture of the indigenous people from wrongful ownership. The major International Regulations effecting IPRs and traditional knowledge are Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Trade-Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs). The provisions of TRIPs and CBD have tried to develop a system of protection of traditional knowledge globally, which needs to be further strengthened in terms of providing incentives for disclosure and dissemination of valuable traditional knowledge. The disclosure and dissemination of traditional knowledge is to be achieved by linking the grassroots knowledge systems with the global opportunities for financing the commercial use of biological diversity. The developing countries have a rich abundance of indigenous and local knowledge systems, and documentation of this knowledge is of prime importance. This documentation in electronic format would serve as a databank for searching for information before grant of patent and would register the traditional use patterns.

BackgroundThe bush banana (Uvaria chamae P. Beauv.) is a wild edible fruit, but its population has declined recently in Benin. This study assessed the traditional knowledge and use of U. chamae, along with the key factors relevant to its conservation and sustainable management. The study reports (i) traditional knowledge and effective use of the species by local communities in relation to socioeconomic factors, (ii) local perceptions of threats to U. chamae, and (iii) conservation strategies suggested by local communities to ensure its sustainable use and management in Benin.MethodsThis study was carried out in the Guineo-Congolian and Sudano-Guinean zones of Benin where the species occurs. The data were collected from June to December 2021. The study sites were selected based on the occurrence and geographical distribution of U. chamae, while taking into account the representativeness of the diversity of sociolinguistic groups in the overall sample. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 434 respondents belonging to 15 sociolinguistic groups living in the phytodistricts of U. chamae distribution. The relative frequency of citation of the different uses was analyzed in relation to the socioeconomic attributes of the respondents. A principal component analysis was performed to highlight the relationships between the different uses and the sociolinguistic groups. Finally, a linear model was used to assess the effects of the sociocultural factors of the respondents on the use values of U. chamae.ResultsA total of 71 traditional use categories were identified for U. chamae, sixty of which were used by the respondents. Women and elderly members of the Fon, Aïzo and Mahi sociolinguistic groups, particularly those involved in traditional medicine and living in the phytodistrict of Plateau, were the primary users of U. chamae. The main use categories, summarized from all the respondents, were medicinal (97%), food (84.10%), magico-religious (52.92%), firewood (25.52%), and material for handicrafts (7.30%). The most valued plant parts were roots, fruits, leaves, and branches. The main threats to U. chamae are largely due to human activities rather than climatic factors.ConclusionThis study revealed that U. chamae is a multipurpose shrub, mainly used in traditional medicine and as a food source. There is little consensus among local people about its medicinal uses. Investigating the nutritional, biochemical, and toxicological properties of U. chamae extracts could help to verify the claims attributed to the plant. Local communities suggested the promotion of home and botanical gardens as the main conservation measures to ensure the sustainable use and management of U. chamae in Benin.