Evaluating different methods used in ethnobotanical and ecological studies to record plant biodiversity.

Henrique Costa Hermenegildo Silva,Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque,Marcelo Alves Ramos,Luiz Carlos Marangon,Lucilene Lima Santos,Rinaldo Luiz Ferreira Caraciolo

doi:10.1186/1746-4269-10-48

Abstract

BackgroundThis study compares the efficiency of identifying the plants in an area of semi-arid Northeast Brazil by methods that a) access the local knowledge used in ethnobotanical studies using semi-structured interviews conducted within the entire community, an inventory interview conducted with two participants using the previously collected vegetation inventory, and a participatory workshop presenting exsiccates and photographs to 32 people and b) inventory the vegetation (phytosociology) in locations with different histories of disturbance using rectangular plots and quadrant points.MethodsThe proportion of species identified using each method was then compared with Cochran’s Q test. We calculated the use value (UV) of each species using semi-structured interviews; this quantitative index was correlated against values of the vegetation’s structural importance obtained from the sample plot method and point-centered quarter method applied in two areas with different historical usage. The analysis sought to correlate the relative importance of plants to the local community (use value - UV) with the ecological importance of the plants in the vegetation structure (importance value - IV; relative density - RD) by using different sampling methods to analyze the two areas.ResultsWith regard to the methods used for accessing the local knowledge, a difference was observed among the ethnobotanical methods of surveying species (Q = 13.37, df = 2, p = 0.0013): 44 species were identified in the inventory interview, 38 in the participatory workshop and 33 in the semi-structured interviews with the community. There was either no correlation between the UV, relative density (RD) and importance value (IV) of some species, or this correlation was negative.ConclusionIt was concluded that the inventory interview was the most efficient method for recording species and their uses, as it allowed more plants to be identified in their original environment. To optimize researchers’ time in future studies, the use of the point-centered quarter method rather than the sample plot method is recommended.

Highlights

This study compares the efficiency of identifying the plants in an area of semi-arid Northeast Brazil by methods that a) access the local knowledge used in ethnobotanical studies using semi-structured interviews conducted within the entire community, an inventory interview conducted with two participants using the previously collected vegetation inventory, and a participatory workshop presenting exsiccates and photographs to 32 people and b) inventory the vegetation in locations with different histories of disturbance using rectangular plots and quadrant points
This study aimed to: a) compare the efficiency of recording species according to methods for accessing local knowledge about native resources used in ethnobotanical studies; and b) analyze whether plant recognition is related to the structure of the vegetation, using different methods for inventorying the vegetation in areas with different histories of disturbance on the landscape
Methods used in ethnobotanical studies for accessing local knowledge about native plants Of the 62 species listed in the participatory workshop, 38 were recognized, nine were mistaken for different species, and 15 were not identified

Summary

Introduction

This study compares the efficiency of identifying the plants in an area of semi-arid Northeast Brazil by methods that a) access the local knowledge used in ethnobotanical studies using semi-structured interviews conducted within the entire community, an inventory interview conducted with two participants using the previously collected vegetation inventory, and a participatory workshop presenting exsiccates and photographs to 32 people and b) inventory the vegetation (phytosociology) in locations with different histories of disturbance using rectangular plots and quadrant points. Questions regarding the accuracy and timeliness of species’ surveys should be considered when choosing the most recommended methods for rapid assessment. Because conservation is, according to Diegues [6], “the management of human use of organisms and ecosystems, to ensure the sustainability of such use,” it would be desirable to incorporate ethnobotanical methods, along with their comparison, into the process of the rapid assessment of plants to clarify which methods are the timeliest and most accurate. Researchers have compared ethnobotanical methods for inventorying plant species and information regarding vegetation [5,7] that recorded the uses of local vegetation and species, which can lead to more accurate recommendations for their conservation

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