Plant Species In Home Gardens Research Articles

Local knowledge of homegarden plants in Miao ethnic communities in Laershan region, Xiangxi area, China

BackgroundHomegardens are small-scale land use systems with significant implications for local livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development due to their diverse flora and fauna. Conducting homegarden surveys enables researchers to gain insights into the traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous communities, preserve homegarden biodiversity, and promote sustainable livelihoods. This study has two objectives: first, to collect, record, and organize data on homegarden plants and related traditional knowledge from three communities in the Laershan Plateau, and second, to analyze the species and functional diversity of homegarden plants in the region while exploring the factors that contribute to the heterogeneous distribution of these plants among the communities of three townships.MethodsThis research employed field surveys in the Laershan Miao Autonomous Region in Xiangxi, China, from September 2021 to August 2023. Data were collected through observation and semi-structured interviews. The study utilized descriptive statistics and quantitative analysis, including the Relative Importance Value (RI), Use Value Index (UV), Jaccard Index (JI), and Comprehensive Index of Land Use Degree (La), to examine the diversity of local homegarden plants and related traditional knowledge, as well as community heterogeneity.ResultsThe study area exhibited rich biodiversity, with 152 plant species recorded belonging to 62 families and 124 genera. These findings highlight the importance of homegarden plants in maintaining ecological balance and enhancing system resilience against disturbances. Homegarden plants serve multiple functions such as food, ornamental, medicinal, and fodder purposes, with edible and trade plants having the most abundant knowledge. Furthermore, this research revealed that communities with similar forest resource compositions may have similar homegarden plant compositions, demonstrating the connection between cultural exchange among different communities and patterns of plant species distribution.ConclusionsThe Laershan region boasts diverse homegarden plant species crucial for ecological balance and resilience. Their multifunctionality reflects human impact. Plant diversity varies with residents' lifestyles, needs, and cultural exchanges. The close connection between plants and local life is clear. Factors like resource distribution, cultural exchange, and lifestyle influence plant distribution. Further research is needed for conservation and sustainable development. Future research should focus on culturally valuable plant species and traditional knowledge applications.

Diversity, structure, and application of self organizing map on plant species in homegardens

Diversity, structure, and application of self organizing map on plant species in homegardens

Documentation of Plant Species in Homegardens of Three Physiographic Regions of Hassan District, Karnataka

The study was conducted in homegardens of the villages in three physiographic regions, Malnad, Semi-Malnad, and Maidan region of Hassan district, to document information on plant species in home gardens. In total, 299 plant species (96 trees, 82 shrubs, 70 herbs, and 52 climbers) belonging to 86 families and 232 genera were found growing naturally or cultivated from the homegarden. The family Fabaceae had the highest number of species, followed by Cucurbitaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Apocynaceae. The most common of the plants were ornamental (94 spp.), followed by medicinal (68 spp.), edible fruit (44 spp.) and vegetable (56 spp.), and other uses (38 spp.). The findings of the study, home gardens are a type of production system that is kept for the purpose of collecting a variety of products and are key avenues for species conservation and food.

MEDICINAL PLANT USED FORTHE TREATMENT OF MUSCULAR SPRAIN BY THE TANGKHUL TRIBE OF UKHRUL DISTRICT, MANIPUR, INDIA

Ukhrul district of Manipur is a hilly region predominantly inhabited by the Tangkhul tribe. The Tangkhul people of this hilly region are mainly dependent on the forest and are quiet familiar with local herbs found in the village surroundings and forest areas not only for their food but also provide a major part of the medicine for the treatment of various diseases and ailments especially for the poor people living in the district.Recent ethnomedicinal survey (2016 – 2017) among the Tangkhul community revealed the use of 35 species of angiosperms, covering 34 genera and 25 families which they use to treat muscular sprain.The present study was carried out through structured questionnaires in consultations with the elders and Tangkhul practitioners.Some significant medicinal plants which are used by the Tangkhul tribe for the treatment of muscular sprain are Argyreia nervosa, Cyperus rotundus, Equisetum ramosissinum,Homskioldia sanguine,Mikania cordata, Xylosma longifolia, etc. Plantation of medicinal plant species in home gardens and farm areas has shown its commercial potential and steps for conserving economically significant diverse plants of this hilly region.

Homegarden Ethnobotany of Two Saibatin Villages in Lampung, Indonesia: Species Diversity, Uses, and Values

Since homegardens reflect a culture of a particular ethnic group, the study in homegardens provide unique insights into ethnobotany. The Saibatin sub-tribe in Lampung has extensive uses for plants, but an ethnobotanical study of their homegardens are still lacking. This study aimed to describe the structure and composition of the Saibatin community homegarden and to explain the diversity of plants and the usage patterns through an ethnobotany perspective. The study also aimed to elaborate species with social-economic and ecological functions and to describe the overall functions of homegardens. Ethnobotanical data were collected using participant observation methods, which were complemented by questionnaires. We determined the key respondents and common respondents using the purposive sampling and snowball sampling method, while homegarden plant species diversity was identified using vegetation analysis methods. The results showed that 3 size categories of homegardens are present in this area, including narrow, medium, and broad. The homegarden structure consisted of hadap/tangebah (front yard), gelekhan (side yard), and kudan (backyard). Six types of habitus composed the homegarden structure, namely herbaceous, epiphytes, shrubs, trees, succulents, and vines. The homegarden species richness index (DMg) in Way Jambu Village (WJA) (17.34) was higher than Labuhan Mandi Village (LMA) (16.87). Even so, the homegarden plant diversity (H’) and evenness (J ) in LMA was higher than WJA. There were 16 plant usage categories used by the Saibatin community (WJA 15; LMA14). Foodstuffs were the usage category of homegardens with the highest number of species in both villages. The species ICS value ranges between the two villages were relatively similar. The highest ICS species in WJA was Cocos nucifera while in LMA was Cymbopogon citratus. By studying ethnobotany of Saibatin sub-tribe homegarden we conclude that the three main roles of the homegardens are to provide social-economic impacts, ecological services, and representing the cultural value of Saibatin community identity

Ethnobotanical knowledge of home garden plant species and its effect on home garden plant diversity in Thies region of Senegal

Home gardens are the first source of immediate contact between people and plants since the gardens are within homesteads. Most home garden studies in Senegal concentrate on food security and economic benefits; no research has been carried out on the social and ecological contexts of home gardening in Senegal. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the way people interact with the home garden plants and how such an interface influences plant diversity. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ethnobotanical knowledge associated to home garden plants and its effect on plant diversity conservation in home gardens. A sample of 30 home gardens was selected from the three main departments of the region and was used to collect plant species data. Data were collected from informants who were selected basing on recommendations from village leaders. Techniques used were plant inventory, participatory observations and individual interviews. Species nomenclature was based on Senegal analytical flora and the world plant list; comparison of effect between different variables was analyzed in analytical software R using simple linear regression analysis. A total of 96 plant species were identified; all species were found to be useful plants divided into eight functional groups. Fifty-four percent (54%) were food species, 40% medicinal, 32% ornamental, 14% commercial, 7% fodder, 4% sacred, 4% ceremonial and 3% cosmetic. Citrus limon was the most frequent (80%) and preferred species in the home gardens. Food plant species are the most diversified, abundant and rich use category. There is a relationship between uses of species and species diversity (P value < 0.001). Species diversity in the home gardens increases as the spectrum of use increases; thus, species with more than one use were highly diversified; people prefer multipurpose species for multiple benefits. This study expresses home gardens as diversified agroecosystems for sustainable biodiversity conservation of useful plant species.

INVENTARISASI TANAMAN PEKARANGAN DAN PEMANFAATANNYA SEBAGAI BAHAN PANGAN OLEH MASYARAKAT TANJUNGAN, DI KABUPATEN TANGGAMUS, LAMPUNG

The diversity of homegarden’s plants in the tropics region is very high. Therefore, homegarden can be a conservation site for local species. In addition, homegarden plays an important role in providing food resources for rural communities, especially for farmers. The community at Tanjungan Village is one of the communities in Lampung that almost entirely work as farmers. Ethnobotanical studies of the community are still rarely carried out, therefore this research was conducted. The purpose of this study is to explain the composition of homegarden plants in Tanjungan Village. Secondly to explain the diversity of homegarden plant species used as daily food. The third to describe a source of homegarden plants acquisition at Tanjungan Village. Research data were collected using participant observation interview methods and questionnaires, then the data were analyzed using qualitative approach. The results showed that as many as 155 species, 15 cultivars, and 5 variants belonging to 58 families compiled the diversity of homegarden plants at Tanjungan Village. Recorded as many as 13 use categories of homegarden plants which food is the highest category of species (66 species and 11 cultivars 34 families). Fabaceae is the family with the highest number of food species (6 sp.). The most commonly found food plants are gedang (Carica papaya) with the frequency of discovery 27 times. The source of the acquisition of the seeds of the garden plants in Pekon Tanjungan, namely the collection from neighbors, seeds from the garden, spontaneous growing seeds, sellers of plant seeds, and the distribution of seedlings from the local agricultural service.AbstrakKeanekaragaman tanaman pekarangan di wilayah tropis sangat tinggi sehingga pekarangan dapat menjadi situs konservasi bagi spesies lokal. Selain itu, pekarangan memainkan peran penting dalam menyediakan sumber makanan untuk masyarakat pedesaan, terutama bagi para petani. Masyarakat Pekon Tanjungan, di Kabupaten Tanggamus, Lampung hampir seluruhnya bekerja sebagai petani. Sejauh ini, studi etnobotani pada pekarangan masyarakat tersebut masih jarang ditemukan. Oleh karena itu dilakukan penelitian ini dengan tujuan, pertama menginventarisasi spesies dan komposisi tanaman pekarangan di Pekon Tanjungan. Kedua, menganalisis spesies tanaman pekarangan yang digunakan sebagai bahan pangan. Ketiga, mengetahui sumber perolehan tanaman pekarangan di Pekon Tanjungan. Data penelitian dikumpulkan dengan menggunakan metode wawancara observasi partisipan dan kuesioner, kemudian data dianalisis menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa 155 spesies, 15 kultivar, dan 5 varian yang tergolong dalam 58 famili tumbuhan menyusun keanekaragaman tanaman pekarangan di Desa Tanjungan. Tercatat sebanyak 13 kategori penggunaan tanaman pekarangan. Bahan pangan merupakan kategori guna dengan jumlah spesies tertinggi (66 spesies dan 11 kultivar 34 famili). Sebagian besar spesies tersebut berasal dari suku Fabaceae yakni sebanyak 6 spesies. Tanaman pangan yang paling banyak ditemukan adalah gedang (Carica papaya) dengan frekuensi penemuan 27 kali. Sumber perolehan bibit tanaman pekaraga di Pekon Tanjungan, yaitu tetangga, kebun, benih tumbuh spontan, penjual bibit tanaman, dan dinas pertanian setempat.Kata Kunci: etnobotani pekarangan, sumber bahan pangan, komposisi tanaman pekarangan, pekon tanjungan

Homegarden Plant use and their Traditional Management Practice in Bule Hora District, West Guji Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Homegardens are one of the most diverse agroforestry systems and make a vital contribution to meet various household needs, especially for smallholder farmers in developing countries. Hence, this study aimed to assess the homegarden plant use and their traditional ways of management in Bule Hora district of Southern Ethiopia. A total of forty-eight households were randomly selected from three kebeles. Of which, seven key informants were selected purposively by criteria of age, good indigenous knowledge and long residence. Data were collected using focus group discussion, questionnaire, field observation and field work. Frequencies, relative frequencies, abundance and relative densities were used to analyze the data. A total of 70 plant species belongs to 39 families were identified. The Fabaceae had highest number of species 10 (14.29%), followed by Euphorbiaceae, Myrtaceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae and Solanaceae with 4 (5.71%) species each. Tree accounted for the lion’s share of the plant habit. The use category of homegarden plant showed that food crops (40.98%), income sources (32 %), construction (14%), medicinal (13.3%), fuel (13%), shading (10%), soil fertility (10%), ornamentals (9.6%), live fence (8.30%), spices (7%), stimulants (5.3%), and fodder were identified. The distribution of homegarden plant species showed that Ensete ventricosum, Coffee arabica and Brassica carinata were the first dominant and frequent plant species. The people manage their homegarden traditionally through hand weeding, nursery preparation, organic fertilizer application, fencing and runoff controlling. So, the community had strong tradition on agroforestry practices and domestication on economically important plants to improve their livelihood.

Medicinal plants in homegardens of four ethnic groups in Thailand

Ethnopharmacological relevanceHomegardens are important habitats for medicinal plants and traditional knowledge, especially among indigenous groups in remote areas. In homegardens, medicinal plants and traditional knowledge are well conserved through human management and ease of access. Aim of the studyTo understand the drivers of diversity and the composition of homegardens with focus on medicinal plants, including exotic species, and their uses. We compare the homegardens of four ethnic groups in northern Thailand (Thai Yuan, Lahu, Karen, and Lisu). MethodsWe inventoried all medicinal species in 195 homegardens from four villages belonging to the four ethnic groups. The owners were asked to point out all useful species in their homegardens. For any medicinal species, they were then interviewed about their main and secondary uses, medicinal properties, plant part used, preparation methods, and route of administrations. ResultsWe recorded 95 medicinal homegarden plant species ranging from 20–59 species per village and ethnic group. Most of the medicinal plants had a primary use as food plants, which demonstrated the close relationship between local food and medicine in the lives of these ethnic groups. Many of the medicinal plants were also used as food additives, ornamentals, or materials, showing that medicinal plants are not an exclusive category in the homegardens. The number of homegarden plants varied almost four-fold from 58 species in one village to 211 in the most species rich village. The number of medicinal homegarden plants varied accordingly from 20 to 59 in the poorest and the richest villages. Five medicinal species were found in all villages, but 70% of the medicinal plants were found in only one village. Infection & infestation, Nutritional disorders, and Digestive system disorders were the three most important medicinal use categories for plants in the homegardens, and all three categories were found in most of the studied homegardens. Of the 95 species with medicinal uses, 26 (27%) were exotic, which shows that local people amplify the spectrum of alternative ways to treat their illnesses. ConclusionHomegardens are an important source of ethnomedicinal species and knowledge. These species are beneficial for treating acute and common ailments; they are easy to access and can be prepared by simple methods, which are suitable for treating disorders, such as infections or any digestive system ailments. Medicinal plants in homegardens have been important in improving health, at least, at the family level.

Floristic composition and utilization of ethnomedicinal plant species in home gardens of the Eastern Himalaya

BackgroundHome gardens are popular micro land-use system and are socioeconomically linked with people for their livelihood. In the foothill region of Eastern Himalaya, very less documentations are available on species richness of the home gardens, particularly on the ethnomedicinal plants. We assumed that the home garden owners of the study site are domesticating ethnomedicinal plants which are not easily accessible to them in the wild due to distant forest. This study was planned to explore and document the diversity and population status of ethnomedicinal plants in the home gardens along with its ethnomedicinal use.MethodsThe present study was conducted in the home gardens of Cooch Behar district of West Bengal from May 2017 to May 2018. A multidisciplinary approach like collection of plant specimen, interview with structured questionnaire for documenting the utilization pattern, and quadrat methods for population study was applied. We selected 150 study sites randomly in the village cluster. The owners of the gardens were the respondents for the household survey. The study documented diversity, population size, and medicinal uses of ethnomedicinal plant species identified by the garden owners growing or being grown in their gardens.ResultsA total of 260 plant species were reported, of which, 53 were utilized for different ethnomedicinal applications. These 53 species were represented by 35 families and 45 genera. Most of these ethnomedicinal species were woody perennials (37.73%). Cocus nucifera dominated the list with highest number of use followed by Hibiscus rosa-sinensis. The use value of the species varied from 0.006 to 0.53, while the fidelity value (%) ranged from 2.29 to 93.75%. The leaves of the plants were mostly used for ethnomedicinal applications (19 species) followed by fruits (12 species) and bark (9 species), and the least was the root (7 species). We documented 20 different ailments/diseases cured by using these plants. In some cases, more than one species are used to cure a disease or ailment. As many as 10 species were used to cure only stomach-related problems. Some more diseases like cough and cold and jaundice were treated using six and four species, respectively.ConclusionThis documented list of 260 plant species including 53 ethnomedicinal ones from the home gardens of the study area indicates that these gardens are key in maintaining diversity and source of healthcare system in agricultural dominant landscape. Documenting such ecological status and traditional applications becomes a prerequisite for developing conservation and management strategies of home gardens to be included in the mainstream conservation processes.

Diversity and Management of Useful Homegardens Plant Species in Arba Minch Town, Southern Ethiopia: Implication for Plant Diversity Conservation and Food Security

Homegardens host a significant portion of plant biodiversity and played an important role towards the development of early agriculture and domestication of crops and fruit trees, a still ongoing process. The study was conducted on homegardens of Arba Minch town, Southern Ethiopia with the aim of documenting the indigenous knowledge on categorization, use and management of useful plants species in ho-megardens. A random sample of 100 homegardens from four sub-cities of Arba Minch town was used to collect useful plant species data. Techniques used were focus group discussion, semi-structured interviews, home garden tour and free listing. A total of 138 useful plant species were documented, of which 12.36% were edible plants, 11.90% income source plants, and 8.92% shade plants. Fabaceae was the dominant family represented by 17 species, followed by Euphorbiaceae with 10 species and Asteraceae and Poaceae with 6 species each. Homegarden size of the study area ranged from 220 to 1235 m2 with an average size of 727.5 m2. The age of homegarden is ranged from 10 years old to 50 years old with an average age of 30. The number of species in the homegarden ranges from 10 to 45 with the average of 27.5. The study indicates that homegardens are contributing to food security, income generation and livelihoods in Arba Minch town through production of ornamental, food plants, fodder, medicinal, timber and construction. The study recommended that the management of useful plant species in homegardens will be scaled up and further expanded and assisted by agricultural extensions in urban areas in Ethiopia.

Functional diversity of home gardens and their agrobiodiversity conservation benefits in Benin, West Africa

BackgroundUnderstanding the functional diversity of home gardens and their socio-ecological determinants is essential for mainstreaming these agroforestry practices into agrobiodiversity conservation strategies. This paper analyzed functional diversity of home gardens, identified the socio-ecological drivers of functions assigned to them, and assessed the agrobiodiversity benefits of home gardens functions.MethodsUsing data on occurring species in home garden (HG) and functions assigned to each species by the gardeners, the study combined clustering and discriminant canonical analyses to explore the functional diversity of 360 home gardens in Benin, West Africa. Next, multinomial logistic models and chi-square tests were used to analyze the effect of socio-demographic characteristics of gardeners (age, gender, and education level), agro-ecological zones (humid, sub-humid, and semi-arid), and management regime (single and multiple managers) on the possession of a functional type of home gardens. Generalized linear models were used to assess the effect of the functions of home gardens and the determinant factor on their potential in conserving agrobiodiversity.ResultsSeven functional groups of home gardens, four with specific functions (food, medicinal, or both food and medicinal) and three with multiple functions (more than two main functions), were found. Women owned most of home gardens with primarily food plant production purpose while men owned most of home gardens with primarily medicinal plant production purposes. Finding also showed that multifunctional home gardens had higher plant species diversity. Specifically, crops and crop wild relatives occurred mainly in home gardens with food function while wild plant species were mostly found in home gardens with mainly medicinal function.ConclusionsHome gardening is driven by functions beyond food production. These functions are mostly related to direct and extractive values of home gardens. Functions of home gardens were gendered, with women mostly involved in home food gardens, and contribute to maintenance of crops and crop wild relatives while men were mostly home medicinal gardeners and contribute to the maintenance of wild plant species in home gardens. Although multiple functional home gardens were related to higher plant diversity, there was no guarantee for long-term maintenance of plant species in home gardens.

Plants in traditional home gardens: richness, composition, conservation and implications for native biodiversity in Benin

Home gardens have received increasing attention and have been insistently presented as hotspots for agro-biodiversity over the last decades. However, apart from their exceptional high plant species diversity, there is little quantitative evidence of the effectiveness of plant species conservation in home gardens. This study examined this issue by assessing (i) the size and membership of garden flora and the contribution to the maintenance of the national flora, (ii) how home garden flora connects to the larger ecosystem it belongs to and (iii) the conservation status of plant species at the home garden level. 360 home gardens distributed in three agro-ecological zones and nine phyto-geographical districts in Benin were visited and inventoried. Diversity parameters at different taxonomic levels were calculated. Species accumulation and spatial occupancy, multivariate methods and rarity index were also used for data analysis. Findings showed that the 360 studied home gardens hosted up to 14.21% of plant species and 44.32% of plant families of the national flora. Home garden flora was constantly dominated by exotic plant species but strongly connected to their surrounding ecosystems, being composed of at least 60% of plant species from their phyto-geographical districts. Finally, home garden plant species were mostly rare and threatened at the home garden level. In this study, we acknowledge the contribution of home gardens to the maintenance of plant species diversity at regional and global levels than local level. Based on the observed prevalence of exotic species, HG effectiveness in sustainably conserving native plant species biodiversity remains questionable.

English

The study was conducted on homegardens of Hawassa city, Southern Ethiopia with the aim of documenting useful plant species; identifying the internal and external household factors related to useful plant species diversity in and around home gardens and examining its contribution to household food security and income generation. A random sample of 120 homegardens from eight sub-cities of Hawassa city was used to collect useful plant species data. Techniques used were focus group discussion, semi-structured interviews, home garden tour, market survey, free listing, priority ranking, and preference ranking. A total of 258 useful plant species were documented, of which 47.29% were ornamental plants, 29.75% food plants, and 15.89% medicinal plants. Fabaceae was the dominant family represented by 9 genera and 20 species, followed by Euphorbiaceae and Asteraceae with 17 and 16 species each respectively. Homegarden size of the study area ranged from 220 to 1235 m2 with a mean size of 571 m2. The age of homegarden is ranged from 15 years old to 55 years old with a mean aged of 28. The number of species in the homegarden ranges from 10 to 45 with the mean of 23. The study indicates that home gardens are contributing to food security, income generation and livelihoods in Hawassa city through production of ornamental, food plants, fodder, medicinal, timber and construction. The study recommended that the management of useful plant species in homegardens will be scaled up and further expanded and assisted by agricultural extensions in urban areas in Ethiopia. Key words: Urban home garden, plant species diversity, household livelihood, food security.

Medicinal plants cultivated in Bapedi traditional healers homegardens, Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Plants used for medicinal purposes are very common feature in Bapedi traditional healer's home-gardens, but information about their diversity and application is not available. To investigate medicinal plants found in Bapedi healer's home-gardens, 51 traditional health practitioners were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire in 17 municipalities of the Limpopo Province of South Africa, during the first half of 2013. A total of 43 plant species (67.4% indigenous and 32.5% exotics) from 32 families, mostly from the Asteraceae and Apocynaceae (9.3% each) were documented. Species cultivated in home-gardens were used to treat three major groups of ailments that include sexually transmitted infections (44.1%), chronic diseases of life style (44.1%) and reproductive ailments (32.5%). The exotics Catharanthus roseus (54.9%) and Carica papaya (15.6%) was the most cultivated. Threatened (11.6%) and protected (6.9%) species are also present in home-gardens, mostly due to their unavailability in natural areas. This study concludes that the practice of cultivating medicinal plant species in home-gardens is a positive development that in the long term will sustain both species and accompanying indigenous knowledge, as well as preserve the cultural identity of the Bapedi.

Magic Plants of Amazonia and Their Contribution to Agrobiodiversity

This article relies on ethnographic and household survey data to examine the contribution of magic plants to the overall diversity of plant species managed by rural households in the municipality of Borba, Amazonas state, Brazil. The resulting analysis shows that more than 27 percent of the species managed in smallholder farming communities in Borba are believed to have symbolic powers or magical properties. Furthermore, while households that managed magic plants did not demonstrate a significantly higher average of plant species than those households that did not, households with magic plants did manage a significantly higher average of plant species in home gardens. Drawing on qualitative data, this article discusses the usage of such magic plants, exploring their symbolic powers and their relationship to gender and healing while also considering the ambiguities in their classification. To conclude, it is argued that magic plants and their meanings represent more than an anthropological novelty, but hav...

Agroforestry practices and flora composition in backyards in Hiwane, Hintalo Wejerat of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Backyard (home garden) agroforestry practice is most popular in the northern part of the country. This backyard agroforestry is practiced as a mixture of crops (vegetables, herbs) and trees (fruits and fodder trees) to provide diversified products to the cultivators. This study found over 40 species of plants maintained in home garden of the study area. Furthermore, agroforestry practice in backyard has a crucial role in the improvement of livelihoods to small scale farmers in the study area through direct subsistence production, indirect subsistence production (such as foods, fuel wood, fodder and shade to the cultivators) and income generation. Furthermore, it has helped to conserve many species of plants in a small areas with providing diversify needs to the farmers. However, we found that availability of water has significantly affected the home garden plant species diversity (t-test, n = 13, p < 0.05). Additionally, there is a high correlation between the diversity of vegetables (leafy, fruit and root and tuber crops, spice and herbs in combination) kept in backyards and availability of water (Number of plant species = 6.11767 (± 0.14790) -0.27023 (± 0.01349) distance from the river r2 = 0.9733, F1, 11 = 401.1 (P < 0.001) planting trees provide rural households with wood products for own consumption as well for sale and play role in decreasing soil degradation. Furthermore, our findings also suggest that households consider a number of attributes in making decision to backyard agroforestry practice. These results can be used by policy makers to promote home garden agroforestry practice in the study area by creating conducive water supply and considering households’ backyard size and roofing system. Key words: Agroforestry, home garden, backyard, Ethiopia, Tigray.

Uso y manejo de Ibervillea millspaughii (Cogn.) C. Jeffrey, Melothria pendula L. y otras especies silvestres de la familia Cucurbitacea: Posibles procesos de domesticación incipiente

Se presenta información sobre el uso y manejo de algunas especies silvestres de la familia Cucurbitaceae, con el fin de analizar procesos incipientes de domesticación. Ibervillea millspaughii es una especie perenne con raíces globosas masivas, distribuida desde Tamaulipas hasta Belice. Las raíces de esta planta se utilizan para el tratamiento del reumatismo, inflamaciones y dolores musculares. Comúnmente se recolectan las raíces de individuos en poblaciones silvestres. Pero, en algunas comunidades de Quintana Roo la gente tolera y promueve la presencia de esta planta en áreas antropogénicas y se practica su cultivo en huertos. Melothria pendula se distribuye desde Estados Unidos hasta Argentina. Sus frutos, así como sus hojas y tallos jóvenes son consumidos como alimento, y también son empleados en la medicina tradicional. Esta especie generalmente se recolecta de poblaciones silvestres y arvenses, pero en la región de la Montaña de Guerrero es común la práctica de tolerar individuos en áreas antropogénicas, o dispersar intencionalmente sus semillas para aumentar su disponibilidad. Tanto el uso como la propagación de esta especie pueden ser selectivos pues la gente distingue entre variantes "amargas" y "dulces", prefiriendo las "dulces". Sicyos parvijlorus, Cyclanthera dissecta, C. langaei y C. ribijlora , son consumidas como verduras en distintos lugares de México. Sobre estas plantas, además de la recolección, se practican formas de tolerancia en áreas antropogénicas. Las formas de manejo identificadas en las especies mencionadas posiblemente estén ocasionando procesos de domesticación incipiente, pero éstos aún deben ser evaluados.