Utilitarian and cognitive aspects in the ethnotaxonomy of plants from the Caatinga in two rural communities in Northeastern Brazil

Reinaldo Farias Paiva De Lucena,Patrícia Muniz De Medeiros,Kallyne Machado Bonifácio,Ângelo G Chaves Alves,Elcida De Lima Araújo,Ulysses Paulino De Albuquerque,José Da Silva Mourão

doi:10.21438/rbgas(2021)082013

Reinaldo Farias Paiva De Lucena, Patrícia Muniz De Medeiros + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.21438/rbgas(2021)082013

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Abstract

This research sought to contribute to plant ethnotaxonomic studies and aimed to describe cognitive and utilitarian aspects used in communities in the semi-arid region of Brazil. The question asked in the interview was: "What plants do you know?" The interviews were conducted with local specialists, using plant names written on cards randomly placed on a table. The informants were asked to organize the cards according to their understanding. Two hundred and one folk generics were recorded in Cachoeira and 185 in Barrocas, both communities located in the Municipality of Soledade (Paraíba). These generics were divided into 65 trees/shrubs, 138 herbs, 10 lianas/creepers, 7 cacti, and 4 bromeliads. A total of 146 monotypic and 24 polytypic folk generic were identified. The life forms were abundant; some of them had already been recorded in the literature but others were recorded for the first time. The morphological and utilitarian aspects were the most used classification criteria. The informants followed no consensus model to organize their classification.

Highlights

According to Hennig (1966), biological classifications have formed a general reference system on biological diversity and are real deposits of information
Carvalho et al (2018), based on an ethnotaxonomy study involving shark fishermen in Northeastern Brazil, showed that the details in the identification and local classification of this fishery resource may contribute to the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the species recorded in the region
Two hundred one folk generics were recorded in Cachoeira and 185 in Barrocas, among which, 158 were shared by both communities

Summary

Introduction

According to Hennig (1966), biological classifications have formed a general reference system on biological diversity and are real deposits of information. In this sense, the local systems (informal) of folk classification are important, as they contain a high richness of information on biology, ecology, and ethology of several groups of animals and plants. Little knowledge of the ethnobiology literature by some researchers do not allow them to understand that the few inclusion levels in the folk classification do not necessarily result from the lack of knowledge of local and traditional cultures, but because these often represent a comprehension culturally based on the natural world. The identification and classification of some insects by people from San Miguel el Grande, Mexico, was not possible because they were

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