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Ding X, Zhang L, Ali M, Sherpa S, Sherpa B, Shi Y, He J, Wang Y. Traditional medicinal knowledge of Sherpa people: assessment in Xizang, China. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024:118555. [PMID: 38996950 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The people of the Pan-Himalayan region are among the most isolated and economically disadvantaged populations worldwide. The Sherpa people, located along the China and Nepal border, rely largely on the natural environment to access essential healthcare services. The region's ongoing economic and social developments threaten indigenous medicinal practices and biodiversity. However, there has been limited comprehensive investigation and documentation of traditional medicine and its associated knowledge in this region. AIM OF THE STUDY The aims are to document the traditional medicinal knowledge of the Sherpa community, assess the conservation status of medicinal plants, and explore the historical factors that have influenced their traditional medicine practices. MATERIAL AND METHODS Semi-structured interviews with 78 Sherpa people were conducted in Chenthang Town, Xizang, China. Use reports (URs) was used to determine the most frequently mentioned medicinal plants or a specific ailment or disease category. The International Classification of Primary Care-2nd edition (ICPC-2) was used to transform the original records into an internationally unified classification. RESULTS A total of 51 plant species, one fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis (Berk.) G.H.Sung, J.M.Sung, Hywel-Jones & Spatafora), two lichens (Flavopunctelia soredica (Nyl.) Hale and Parmotrema cetratum (Ach.) Hale), and four minerals were documented, resulting in 824 URs. Ranunculaceae had the most species (5 spp.). The most commonly used method for preparing medicinal substances was decoction (23 species, 40%). Oral application was the preferred route of administration for 81% (41 medicinal substances). Forty-four ailments across 14 ICPC-2 disease categories were documented. Respiratory (320 URs) and digestive (122 URs) categories are among the most common diseases. The top-five ailments were influenza (18 substances; URs = 227), injury blood/lymph/spleen other (11 substances; URs = 66), cough (10 substances; URs = 62), headache (7 substances; URs = 63), and abdominal pain/cramps general (6 substances; URs =37). The most frequently reported medicinal substances were Panax pseudoginseng Wall. (URs = 128) and Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora (Pennell) D. Y. Hong (URs = 79). Two special therapies (hot spring therapy and dietary therapy) were described. In-depth ethnographic information on the livelihood and exchange history of Sherpa people were documented. A total of 25 species were sold, of which four species were listed as VU in the IUCN Red List (2023-1), six species were listed as VU, four species were NT, and one species was EN in the China Biodiversity Red List 2021. CONCLUSION This study provides the first comprehensive documentation of the 58 traditional medicine substances and two special therapies (hot spring therapy and dietary therapy) used by the Sherpa people in Chenthang. Sherpa's medicinal knowledge has been shaped by historical interactions and contemporary trade practices. To better protect the biocultural diversity of the Himalayan region, priority should be given to the rapid assessment of medicinal plants, knowledge, and use status in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyong Ding
- National Centre for Borderland Ethnic Studies in Southwest China, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China;; Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China;.
| | - Li Zhang
- School of Marxism, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China;.
| | - Maroof Ali
- Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Menglun, Mengla, Yunnan 666303, China;.
| | - Shida Sherpa
- Chenthang Town, Rikaze City 857000, Xizang Autonomous Region, China.
| | - Bianba Sherpa
- Chenthang Town, Rikaze City 857000, Xizang Autonomous Region, China.
| | - Yuru Shi
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China;.
| | - Jun He
- National Centre for Borderland Ethnic Studies in Southwest China, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China;.
| | - Yuhua Wang
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Heilongtan, Kunming 650201, Yunnan, China;.
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Haq SM, Khoja AA, Waheed M, Pieroni A, Siddiqui MH, Bussmann RW. Plant cultural indicators of forest resources from the Himalayan high mountains: implications for improving agricultural resilience, subsistence, and forest restoration. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2024; 20:44. [PMID: 38659048 PMCID: PMC11040985 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-024-00685-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
AIM Biocultural legacy practices are intricately tied to forestry resources, ethnic identity, and social cohesiveness. This study aims to determine the plant cultural values of forest resources and identify plant cultural indicators in each ethnic group, which can aid in long-term natural resource management plans in the current debate on socio-environmental and ecological transitions. METHODS Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations were employed to collect data for a comprehensive and systematic ethnobotanical survey from February 2018 to October 2022. RESULTS A total of 330 informants reported 154 plant species from 65 families. Asteraceae was the most prominent botanical family, with herbaceous plant groups outnumbering trees and shrubs. The Gujjar and Pahari groups exhibited the highest level of overlap, followed by significant overlaps between the Gujjar and Kashmiri communities. The close affinity observed between the Gujjar and Pahari groups suggests the horizontal pattern of local plant knowledge between these communities, influenced by their sociocultural interactions and intermarriages. Notably, the Pahari community displayed a rich understanding of medicinal plants and shared unique uses for the reported taxa. This study affirms that both ecological factors and sociocultural influences have played significant roles in shaping local plant knowledge. A total of 31 plant species have been identified as plant cultural markers among all four ethnic groups. We observed a positive correlation between plant cultural values and plant use with the Gujjar and Kashmiri ethnic groups. Artemisia absinthium reported the highest use value of (0.57) with use reports of (189). Adonis aestivalis, Cynoglossum nervosum, Geum elatum, Geranium himalayense, Juncus inflexus, Oxalis acetosella, Polygonatum biflorum, and Salvia hians from the Himalayan region are among the plant taxa whose ethnomedicinal applications are described here for the first time. CONCLUSION Our data show that local and indigenous forest knowledge and practices could significantly contribute to forest conservation and ecological transition. This may happen if stakeholders generate clear frameworks and biocultural conservation strategies aimed at both dynamically preserve natural habitats and ways of traditional management of local natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiekh Marifatul Haq
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia.
| | | | - Muhammad Waheed
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, Piazza V. Emanuele II 9, Pollenzo, 12042, Bra, Italy
| | - Manzer H Siddiqui
- Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, 11451, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rainer W Bussmann
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Department of Botany, Institute of Life Sciences, State Museum of Natural History, Karlsruhe, Germany
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Mattalia G, Svanberg I, Ståhlberg S, Kuznetsova N, Prūse B, Kolosova V, Aziz MA, Kalle R, Sõukand R. Outdoor activities foster local plant knowledge in Karelia, NE Europe. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8627. [PMID: 37244965 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35918-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Wild edible plants, particularly berries, are relevant nutritional elements in the Nordic countries. In contrast to decreasing global trends, approximately 60% of the Finnish population is actively involved in (berry) foraging. We conducted 67 interviews with Finns and Karelians living in Finnish Karelia to: (a) detect the use of wild edible plants, (b) compare those results with the published data about neighbouring Russian Karelians, and (c) document the sources of local plant knowledge. The results revealed three main findings. First, we observed a similarity in wild food plant knowledge among Karelians and Finns from Karelia. Second, we detected divergences in wild food plant knowledge among Karelians living on both sides of the Finnish-Russian border. Third, the sources of local plant knowledge include vertical transmission, acquisition through literary sources, acquisition from "green" nature shops promoting healthy lifestyles, childhood foraging activities performed during the famine period following WWII, and outdoor recreational activities. We argue that the last two types of activities in particular may have influenced knowledge and connectedness with the surrounding environment and its resources at a stage of life that is crucial for shaping adult environmental behaviours. Future research should address the role of outdoor activities in maintaining (and possibly enhancing) local ecological knowledge in the Nordic countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Mattalia
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Venice, Italy.
- Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - I Svanberg
- Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - S Ståhlberg
- Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala Universitet, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - N Kuznetsova
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - B Prūse
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Venice, Italy
- Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - V Kolosova
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Venice, Italy
| | - M A Aziz
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Venice, Italy
| | - R Kalle
- Estonian Literary Museum, Tartu, Estonia
| | - R Sõukand
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia, Venice, Italy
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Bazzicalupo M, Calevo J, Smeriglio A, Cornara L. Traditional, Therapeutic Uses and Phytochemistry of Terrestrial European Orchids and Implications for Conservation. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12020257. [PMID: 36678970 PMCID: PMC9863304 DOI: 10.3390/plants12020257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Orchidaceae family accounts for about 28,000 species, and most of them are mentioned in the folk medicine of nations around the world. The use of terrestrial orchids in European and Mediterranean regions has been reported since ancient times, but little information is available on their medicinal properties, as well as on their phytochemicals and biological activities. However, plant collection for human use is still listed as one of the main threats for terrestrial orchids, alongside other menacing factors such as wrong habitat management and disturbance to symbionts, such as pollinators and mycorrhizal fungi. Therefore, the primary aim of this review was to resume and discuss available information regarding the past and current popular uses of European orchids. We then grouped phytochemical data to evaluate the presence of bioactive compounds of pharmacological relevance, and we discussed whether these could support the therapeutic employment of the different organs. Finally, we briefly debated the sustainability of orchid utilizations, considering the different threatening factors and conservation actions including plant propagation methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Bazzicalupo
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy
- CREA—Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, 18038 Sanremo, Italy
| | - Jacopo Calevo
- Department of Ecosystem Stewardship, Jodrell Laboratory, Royal Botanic Gardens, KEW, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3DS, UK
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Antonella Smeriglio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Science, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, Italy
| | - Laura Cornara
- Department of Earth, Environment and Life Sciences (DISTAV), University of Genova, 16132 Genova, Italy
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Pinke G, Kapcsándi V, Czúcz B. Iconic Arable Weeds: The Significance of Corn Poppy ( Papaver rhoeas), Cornflower ( Centaurea cyanus), and Field Larkspur ( Delphinium consolida) in Hungarian Ethnobotanical and Cultural Heritage. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:plants12010084. [PMID: 36616213 PMCID: PMC9824376 DOI: 10.3390/plants12010084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
There are an increasing number of initiatives that recognize arable weed species as an important component of agricultural biodiversity. Such initiatives often focus on declining species that were once abundant and are still well known, but the ethnographic relevance of such species receives little recognition. We carried out an extensive literature review on the medicinal, ornamental, and cultural applications of three selected species, Papaver rhoeas, Centaurea cyanus, and Delphinium consolida, in the relevant Hungarian literature published between 1578 and 2021. We found a great diversity of medicinal usages. While P. rhoeas stands out with its sedative influence, D. consolida was mainly employed to stop bleeding, and C. cyanus was most frequently used to cure eye inflammation. The buds of P. rhoeas were sporadically eaten and its petals were used as a food dye. All species fulfilled ornamental purposes, either as garden plants or gathered in the wild for bouquets. They were essential elements of harvest festivals and religious festivities, particularly in Corpus Christi processions. P. rhoeas was also a part of several children's games. These wildflowers were regularly depicted in traditional Hungarian folk art. In poetry, P. rhoeas was used as a symbol of burning love or impermanence; C. cyanus was frequently associated with tenderness and faithfulness; while D. consolida regularly emerged as a nostalgic remembrance of the disappearing rural lifestyle. These plants were also used as patriotic symbols in illustrations for faithfulness, loyalty, or homesickness. Our results highlight the deep and prevalent embeddedness of the three iconic weed species studied in the folk culture of the Carpathian Basin. The ethnobotanical and cultural embeddedness of arable weed species should also be considered when efforts and instruments for the conservation of arable weed communities are designed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyula Pinke
- Albert Kázmér Faculty of Mosomagyaróvár, Széchenyi István University, Vár 2., H-9200 Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
| | - Viktória Kapcsándi
- Albert Kázmér Faculty of Mosomagyaróvár, Széchenyi István University, Vár 2., H-9200 Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
| | - Bálint Czúcz
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Via Fermi 2749, 21027 Ispra, Italy
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Fontana NM, Pasailiuk MV, Pohribnyi O. Traditional ecological knowledge to traditional foods: The path to maintaining food sovereignty in Hutsulshchyna. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.720757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The various ecosystems of the Carpathian Mountains spanning Europe, are a rich refuge for culturally important, endemic plant species as well as large carnivores. These biologically diverse landscapes are a principal source of subsistence to 16 million people, including various ethnographic groups. This paper focuses on a case study involving Hutsul communities, an ethnographic group of traditional pastoral highlanders, in the Southeastern Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine. Given ecosystem, climatic, and cultural challenges, especially the rise of illegal logging, commercial harvesting, increased frequencies of flooding, and now a war, Hutsul communities face extensive threats to maintaining socio-ecological resilience in the region. A contributing factor to the region's centuries-long resilience is traditional ecological knowledge upholding food sovereignty as seen through traditional foods derived from Carpathian Mountain ecosystems. Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is as a dynamic, generationally-held knowledge base, where language, gathering practices, landscape and culture inform livelihoods. In this article, we seek to answer the following series of questions within Hutsul communities: (1) What does TEK look like in the region? (2) What are the regional environmental challenges? (3) Given these challenges, what are coping mechanisms and adaptive strategies grounded in TEK, ensuring a resilient food sovereign system? Mixed methodologies guided by community-based participatory action research methods (CBPAR) between 2017 and 2019 provide a rich, context-driven perspective on regional TEK. Radiating out from the historical, cultural Hutsul capital, Verkhovyna, 40 experts (including knowledge holders, elders, foresters, and community members) were interviewed in 8 neighboring villages. We, along with Hutsul experts, explore the presence of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in Hutsulshchyna by identifying 108 culturally important species including wild plants (74 species), cultivated plants (23 species), fungi (9 species) and lichens (2 species); these species are gathered in 10 habitats with varying degrees of human interaction. We analyze species' presence in traditional foods in the past and present day, as well as contextualize regional environmental challenges impacting TEK practices, and responses to these challenges (coping mechanisms and adaptive strategies). Despite various regional challenges, we conclude that TEK provides a resilient foundation for supporting food sovereignty as seen through the presence of traditional foods.
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The Importance of Pine Species in the Ethnomedicine of Transylvania (Romania). PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11182331. [PMID: 36145732 PMCID: PMC9506106 DOI: 10.3390/plants11182331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The geographical and ecological features of Transylvania enable the wide ethnobotanical use of pine species. The aim of this study was to survey the current ethnomedicinal and other traditional use of pine species of Hungarian-speaking ethnic groups in Transylvania and to compare them with earlier reports performed in Transylvania and from other countries related to the Carpathian Basin. Information on pine species was obtained using semi-structured interviews with 515 Transylvanian informants from 18 villages in the period 2007–2019. The young shoots of Abies alba Mill., Picea abies (L.) H. Karst., Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold, and Pinus sylvestris L. were applied to treat respiratory diseases, while the resin was used for dental problems. Syrup and decoction were made from the cones of all species, except Abies alba. Picea abies was the most frequently documented with seven preparations from different parts (even needles), and this species was mentioned in the treatment of 21 diseases. The least recorded was Abies alba, which was applied for coughs and decayed teeth. We recorded the use of the cones and needles of Picea abies for dyspnoea, thyroid glands, and kidney disorders, previously unknown in ethnomedicinal literature. Our data on the pine species confirm their current use and significance in Transylvania.
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Belichenko O, Kolosova V, Kalle R, Sõukand R. Green pharmacy at the tips of your toes: medicinal plants used by Setos and Russians of Pechorsky District, Pskov Oblast (NW Russia). JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2022; 18:46. [PMID: 35715815 PMCID: PMC9205151 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-022-00540-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the hybridization of ecological knowledge has attracted substantial attention from researchers, the coexistence of local and allopathic medicinal traditions in literate societies widely exposed to centralized schooling and medical services has not yet been investigated. To this end, we studied the current and remembered local ethnomedical practices of Setos and neighboring Russians at the border with Estonia. METHODS During 2018-2019, we carried out 62 semi-structured interviews in the Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, NW Russia. For cross-border comparison, we utilized the data from 71 interviews carried out at the same time among Setos in Estonia. The Jaccard Similarity Index and qualitative comparison were used to analyze the data. RESULTS The study participants mentioned 819 uses of 112 taxa belonging to 54 families. More than two-thirds of the uses (565) were quoted by 36 Russian interviewees, while the remaining third (254) were quoted by 26 Seto interviewees, with the top 3 in both groups being Viburnum opulus, Rubus idaeus, and Plantago major. The Seto intraethnic similarity index was lower (0.43) than the interethnic similarity in Estonia (0.52) and comparable to the interethnic similarity in Russia (0.43). Setos in Russia and local Russians rely more on wild plants (86% and 80% of medicinal plants, respectively), while Setos in Estonia and Estonians show less preference to them (63% and 61%, respectively). Nevertheless, Setos tend to source wild plants available in their gardens (33% of plants for Setos in Estonia and 38% in Russia), while Russians prefer to source them in the wild (38%). CONCLUSIONS The preference of both groups in Russia for wild plants over cultivated and purchased plants was inspired by the overall plant literacy, access to nature, and one-to-many knowledge transfer favoring wild plants. Setos in Russia reported a narrower and more homogenous set of plants transferred vertically. However, due to atomization and the erosion of horizontal connections, there are singular plant uses among Setos that overlap with the local Russian set of medicinal plants and differ qualitatively from that of Setos in Estonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Belichenko
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy.
- UMR 208 PALOC, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 47 rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - Valeria Kolosova
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy
| | - Raivo Kalle
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12042, Pollenzo, Bra, CN, Italy
| | - Renata Sõukand
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, 30172, Venice, Italy
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Provision of Ecosystem Services in Riparian Hemiboreal Forest Fixed-Width Buffers. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13060928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The importance of riparian forest protection is widely acknowledged. However, scientific discussions are still ongoing as to the most suitable and effective protection activities for these forests. The quality of the provision of different ecosystem services in protected riparian forest buffers could provide an insight into the impact of protection regulations. Cultural ecosystem services in riparian forests have an important social-ecological context, especially with the growing interest in recreation activities in forests. The aim of our study was to compare provision of different ecosystem services in riparian forest buffers located both adjacent to (0–50 m) and distant from (51–200 m) the stream. In our study, four small-to-medium-sized rivers in Latvia were used. In total, six different indicators of ecosystem services were estimated, based on data from the National Forest Inventory and the European Soil Data Centre. Bayesian ordinal regression was employed to assess the differences between the two buffer strips. Our results showed that the majority of assessed ecosystem service indicators (Recreation potential of the forest ecosystem, Visual quality of the forest landscape, Potential for the presence of medicinal plants and Potential for the presence of nectar plants) were of higher quality in the adjacent (0–50 m) buffer. Only one indicator (Flora with phytoremediation potential) had significantly higher values in the distant buffer strips (estimate 0.24, CI: [0.11, 0.38]). The observed distribution of quality classes showed that, only for the indicator Potential of medicinal plants, the highest quality class was the most common (>60%), for other indicators dominated average quality class estimations. The obtained results suggested that the current protection status that riparian forest buffers have facilitated maintain the provision of several cultural and regulation & maintenance ecosystem services.
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Ethnobotany and Ecosystem Services in a Tidal Forest in Thailand. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14106322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Ecosystem services from ecosystems have been providing different kinds of goods to people living in and around them. Here, the ecosystem services of the tidal forest in Thailand were investigated using the ethnobotanical research method. A total of 101 informants living around a tidal forest in Rayong Province, Thailand was interviewed using the free-listing technique. Totally, 48 species and 992 uses were recorded. Among these, the highest use value species included Cratoxylum cochinchinense, Garcinia cowa, Melientha suavis, and Nelumbo nucifera. Half of the informants received income from selling plant products which varied from 75 to 4000 USD annually without a significant difference between male and female informants. We found a significant correlation between economic value and the number of use-reports. Most economic species are food plants except one which was weaving material. Gender equality is supported by the ecosystem services since the difference in knowledge and generated income were not observed. Significantly, our results support that economic value is one of the most important factors to promote the recognition of traditional uses of local plants or on the other hand, the service from the ecosystem. Therefore, to conserve the existence of traditional knowledge, efforts from various stakeholders, e.g., the communities and the local and central governments, are required.
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Stryamets N, Mattalia G, Pieroni A, Sõukand R. "Mushrooms (and a cow) are A Means of Survival for Us": Dissimilar Ethnomycological Perspectives among Hutsuls and Romanians Living Across The Ukrainian-Romanian Border. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022:10.1007/s00267-022-01619-6. [PMID: 35352199 PMCID: PMC8964239 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-022-01619-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Sustainable forest management highlights the multipurpose use of all forest resources, including the use of wild mushrooms, by a variety of forest users and especially for rural livelihoods. To achieve sustainable forest management, among others, decision-makers and forest managers need to identify the important elements for the livelihoods of local communities dependent on forests. Therefore, our aim is to analyse the importance of contemporary use of wild mushrooms for daily livelihoods in rural areas of the Carpathian Mountains by comparing two ethnic groups, Hutsuls and Romanians, living in a similar ecological environment and formerly belonging to the historical region of Bukovina, but currently split by the border between Ukraine and Romania which have different governments and economic situations. One hundred and twenty-one face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted in the summers of 2018 and 2019. We compared the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of Romanians and Hutsuls living, respectively, in lowlands and mountain areas on both sides of the border. Our results demonstrated the homogenous use of mushroom species for cultural purposes (e.g. ritual foods). Yet, we detected a remarkable difference in the role mushrooms play in providing income: Hutsuls in Ukraine use forest products as a main (rarely additional) source of income, while Romanian Hutsuls use them solely as additional income. Romanians on both sides considered mushrooms mainly as food and did not sell them (probably due in part to less abundance in the area). We also documented the fear of local residents that forest management and protected areas could suppress the right to collect wild mushrooms. The use of mushrooms is an important aspect of local TEK and needs to be considered as a part of sustainable forest management and as a means of poverty reduction in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Stryamets
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Venice, Italy.
- Nature reserve "Roztochya", Sitchovuh Strilciv 7, 81070, Ivano-Frankove, Ukraine.
| | - G Mattalia
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Venice, Italy.
| | - A Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12042, Pollenzo, Bra (Cn), Italy
- Medical Analysis Department, Tishk International University, 44001, Erbil, Iraq
| | - R Sõukand
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Venice, Italy
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Bučar M, Šegota V, Rimac A, Koletić N, Marić T, Alegro A. Green Christmas: bryophytes as ornamentals in Croatian traditional nativity scenes. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2022; 18:15. [PMID: 35272668 PMCID: PMC8908650 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-022-00516-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The bryophytes are a plant group that is smaller than and not as well known as the vascular plants. They are less used and are almost completely neglected in ethnobotanical studies. Traditional nativity scenes depicting the birth of Christ are commonly decorated with both vascular plants and bryophytes. The aim of this study was to document the diversity of decorative bryophytes sold during the Advent season at farmers' markets in Croatia (Southeastern Europe, Balkan Peninsula). METHODS Twenty-eight farmers' markets in the two largest Croatian cities (Zagreb in the continental part and Split in the Mediterranean part) were studied in the search for local vendors selling bryophytes during the pre-Christmas season. The bryophytes collected were identified and analysed with respect to families, growth type, life forms and threat status. RESULTS Among 275 collected specimens, 43 moss and four liverwort species were identified. The mean number of species per vendor was 3.5. The most frequent species were Hypnum cupressiforme, Homalothecium sericeum and Ctenidium molluscum. Mats, wefts and tufts were the most common life-forms, while pleurocarpous prevailed over acrocarpous mosses, as they are usually pinnately branched and form large carpets, suitable for decorations. The overall selection of bryophytes and the decorations made of them were more diverse and abundant in inland Croatia, where 49 vendors at 15 farmers' markets sold goods containing 43 species. In Mediterranean Croatia, at six farmers' markets only 29 vendors sold goods, which contained 18 species. A considerable number of species that are less attractive to harvesters were collected non-intentionally, entangled in carpets of other, more frequent species. Among them, Rhodobryum ontariense and Loeskeobryum brevirostre are rare and insufficiently recorded in Croatia so far. CONCLUSIONS The present study provided a first perspective on the use of bryophytes in traditional nativity scenes in Croatia and Southeastern Europe, contributing to scarce ethnobotanical documentation of the decorative use of bryophytes in Christmas festivities in Europe and globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Bučar
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Vedran Šegota
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anja Rimac
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - Nikola Koletić
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Tihana Marić
- Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, University of Zagreb, Schrottova 39, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Antun Alegro
- Division of Botany, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Marulićev trg 20/II, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
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Bussmann RW, Paniagua Zambrana NY, Ur Rahman I, Kikvidze Z, Sikharulidze S, Kikodze D, Tchelidze D, Khutsishvili M, Batsatsashvili K. Unity in diversity-food plants and fungi of Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2021; 17:72. [PMID: 34972527 PMCID: PMC8719402 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-021-00490-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Republic of Georgia is part of the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot, and human agricultural plant use dates back at least 6000 years. Over the last years, lots of ethnobotanical research on the area has been published. In this paper, we analyze the use of food plants in the 80% of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces. We hypothesized that (1) given the long tradition of plant use, and the isolation under Soviet rule, plant use both based on home gardens and wild harvesting would be more pronounced in Georgia than in the wider region, (2) food plant use knowledge would be widely and equally spread in most of Georgia, (3) there would still be incidence of knowledge loss despite wide plant use, especially in climatically favored agricultural regions in Western and Eastern Georgia. METHODS From 2013 to 2019, we interviewed over 380 participants in all regions of Georgia not occupied by Russian forces and recorded over 19,800 mentions of food plants. All interviews were carried out in the participants' homes and gardens by native speakers of Georgian and its dialects (Imeretian, Rachian, Lechkhumian, Tush, Khevsurian, Psavian, Kakhetian), other Kartvelian languages (Megrelian, Svan) and minority languages (Ossetian, Ude, Azeri, Armenian, Greek). RESULTS The regional division was based primarily on historic provinces of Georgia, which often coincides with the current administrative borders. The total number of taxa, mostly identified to species, including their varieties, was 527. Taxonomically, the difference between two food plant groups-garden versus wild-was strongly pronounced even at family level. The richness of plant families was 65 versus 97 families in garden versus wild plants, respectively, and the difference was highly significant. Other diversity indices also unequivocally pointed to considerably more diverse family composition of wild collected versus garden plants as the differences between all the tested diversity indices appeared to be highly significant. The wide use of leaves for herb pies and lactofermented is of particular interest. Some of the ingredients are toxic in larger quantities, and the participants pointed out that careful preparation was needed. The authors explicitly decided to not give any recipes, given that many of the species are widespread, and compound composition-and with it possible toxic effects-might vary across the distribution range, so that a preparation method that sufficiently reduces toxicity in the Caucasus might not necessary be applicable in other areas. CONCLUSIONS Relationships among the regions in the case of wild food plants show a different and clearer pattern. Adjacent regions cluster together (Kvemo Zemo Racha, and Zemo Imereti; Samegrelo, Guria, Adjara, Lechkhumi and Kvemo and Zemo Svaneti; Meskheti, Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli; Mtianeti, Kakheti, Khevsureti, Tusheti. Like in the case of the garden food plants, species diversity of wild food plants mentioned varied strongly. Climate severity and traditions of the use of wild food plants might play role in this variation. Overall food plant knowledge is widely spread all-across Georgia, and broadly maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer W. Bussmann
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Narel Y. Paniagua Zambrana
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
- Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, Instituto de Ecología-UMSA, Campus Universitario, Cota Cota Calle 27, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Inayat Ur Rahman
- Department of Botany, Hazara University, Mansehra, 21300 KP Pakistan
| | - Zaal Kikvidze
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Shalva Sikharulidze
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - David Kikodze
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - David Tchelidze
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Manana Khutsishvili
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Ketevan Batsatsashvili
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
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Cusens J, Barraclough AMD, Måren IE. Participatory mapping reveals biocultural and nature values in the shared landscape of a Nordic UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jarrod Cusens
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Bergen Bergen Norway
- Centre for Sustainable Area Management (CeSAM) University of Bergen Bergen Norway
| | - Alicia M. D. Barraclough
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Bergen Bergen Norway
- Centre for Sustainable Area Management (CeSAM) University of Bergen Bergen Norway
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Heritage and Environmental Management University of Bergen Bergen Norway
| | - Inger Elisabeth Måren
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Bergen Bergen Norway
- Centre for Sustainable Area Management (CeSAM) University of Bergen Bergen Norway
- UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Heritage and Environmental Management University of Bergen Bergen Norway
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Prūse B, Simanova A, Mežaka I, Kalle R, Prakofjewa J, Holsta I, Laizāne S, Sõukand R. Active Wild Food Practices among Culturally Diverse Groups in the 21st Century across Latgale, Latvia. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:551. [PMID: 34207456 PMCID: PMC8234431 DOI: 10.3390/biology10060551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Local ecological knowledge (LEK), including but not limited to the use of wild food plants, plays a large role in sustainable natural resource management schemes, primarily due to the synergy between plants and people. There are calls for the study of LEK in culturally diverse areas due to a loss of knowledge, the active practice of utilizing wild plants in various parts of the world, and a decline in biodiversity. An ethnobotanical study in a border region of Latvia, characterised by diverse natural landscapes and people with deep spiritual attachments to nature, provided an opportunity for such insight, as well as the context to analyse wild food plant usages among different sociocultural groups, allowing us to explore the differences among these groups. Semi-structured interviews were carried out as part of a wider ethnobotanical field study to obtain information about wild food plants and their uses. The list of wild food plant uses, derived from 72 interviews, revealed a high level of homogenisation (in regards to knowledge) among the study groups, and that many local uses of wild food plants are still actively practiced. People did not gather plants as a recreational activity but rather as a source of diet diversification. The results provide evidence of the importance of safeguarding ecological and cultural diversity due to high local community dependency on natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baiba Prūse
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (J.P.); (R.S.)
- Institute for Environmental Solutions, “Lidlauks”, Priekuļi Parish, LV-4126 Priekuļi County, Latvia; (I.M.); (I.H.); (S.L.)
- Department of Latvian and Baltic Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia, Rainis Boulevard 19, LV-1586 Riga, Latvia
| | - Andra Simanova
- Institute for Environmental Solutions, “Lidlauks”, Priekuļi Parish, LV-4126 Priekuļi County, Latvia; (I.M.); (I.H.); (S.L.)
- Department of Latvian and Baltic Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Latvia, Rainis Boulevard 19, LV-1586 Riga, Latvia
| | - Ieva Mežaka
- Institute for Environmental Solutions, “Lidlauks”, Priekuļi Parish, LV-4126 Priekuļi County, Latvia; (I.M.); (I.H.); (S.L.)
| | - Raivo Kalle
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Italy;
| | - Julia Prakofjewa
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (J.P.); (R.S.)
| | - Inga Holsta
- Institute for Environmental Solutions, “Lidlauks”, Priekuļi Parish, LV-4126 Priekuļi County, Latvia; (I.M.); (I.H.); (S.L.)
| | - Signe Laizāne
- Institute for Environmental Solutions, “Lidlauks”, Priekuļi Parish, LV-4126 Priekuļi County, Latvia; (I.M.); (I.H.); (S.L.)
| | - Renata Sõukand
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (J.P.); (R.S.)
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Majeed M, Bhatti KH, Pieroni A, Sõukand R, Bussmann RW, Khan AM, Chaudhari SK, Aziz MA, Amjad MS. Gathered Wild Food Plants among Diverse Religious Groups in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan. Foods 2021; 10:foods10030594. [PMID: 33799901 PMCID: PMC7999103 DOI: 10.3390/foods10030594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent ethnobotanical studies have raised the hypothesis that religious affiliation can, in certain circumstances, influence the evolution of the use of wild food plants, given that it shapes kinship relations and vertical transmission of traditional/local environmental knowledge. The local population living in Jhelum District, Punjab, Pakistan comprises very diverse religious and linguistic groups. A field study about the uses of wild food plants was conducted in the district. This field survey included 120 semi-structured interviews in 27 villages, focusing on six religious groups (Sunni and Shia Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and Ahmadis). We documented a total of 77 wild food plants and one mushroom species which were used by the local population mainly as cooked vegetables and raw snacks. The cross-religious comparison among six groups showed a high homogeneity of use among two Muslim groups (Shias and Sunnis), while the other four religious groups showed less extensive, yet diverse uses, staying within the variety of taxa used by Islamic groups. No specific plant cultural markers (i.e., plants gathered only by one community) could be identified, although there were a limited number of group-specific uses of the shared plants. Moreover, the field study showed erosion of the knowledge among the non-Muslim groups, which were more engaged in urban occupations and possibly underwent stronger cultural adaption to a modern lifestyle. The recorded traditional knowledge could be used to guide future development programs aimed at fostering food security and the valorization of the local bio-cultural heritage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Majeed
- Department of Botany, Hafiz Hayat Campus, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Punjab 50700, Pakistan; (M.M.); (K.H.B.)
| | - Khizar Hayat Bhatti
- Department of Botany, Hafiz Hayat Campus, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Punjab 50700, Pakistan; (M.M.); (K.H.B.)
| | - Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo/Bra (Cuneo), Italy; (A.P.); (M.A.A.)
- Department of Medical Analysis, Tishk International University, Erbil 4401, Iraq
| | - Renata Sõukand
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Mestre, Italy;
| | - Rainer W. Bussmann
- Department of Ethnobotany, Institute of Botany, Ilia State University, Tbilisi 0162, Georgia;
| | - Arshad Mahmood Khan
- Department of Botany, Govt. Hashmat Ali Islamia Degree College Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi 46000, Pakistan;
| | - Sunbal Khalil Chaudhari
- Department of Botany, Sargodha Campus, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan;
| | - Muhammad Abdul Aziz
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, 12042 Pollenzo/Bra (Cuneo), Italy; (A.P.); (M.A.A.)
| | - Muhammad Shoaib Amjad
- Department of Botany, Women University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Bagh 12500, Pakistan
- Correspondence:
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Belichenko O, Kolosova V, Melnikov D, Kalle R, Sõukand R. Language of Administration as a Border: Wild Food Plants Used by Setos and Russians in Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, NW Russia. Foods 2021; 10:foods10020367. [PMID: 33567706 PMCID: PMC7915562 DOI: 10.3390/foods10020367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Socio-economic changes impact local ethnobotanical knowledge as much as the ecological ones. During an ethnobotanical field study in 2018-2019, we interviewed 25 Setos and 38 Russians in the Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast to document changes in wild plant use within the last 70 years according to the current and remembered practices. Of the 71 botanical taxa reported, the most popular were Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Vaccinium oxycoccos, Vaccinium myrtillus, Betula spp., and Rumex acetosa. The obtained data was compared with that of 37 Setos and 35 Estonians interviewed at the same time on the other side of the border. Our data revealed a substantial level of homogeneity within the plants used by three or more people with 30 of 56 plants overlapping across all four groups. However, Seto groups are ethnobotanically closer to the dominant ethnic groups immediately surrounding them than they are to Setos across the border. Further study of minor ethnic groups in a post-Soviet context is needed, paying attention to knowledge transmission patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Belichenko
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, 30172 Venice, Italy; (V.K.); (R.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Valeria Kolosova
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, 30172 Venice, Italy; (V.K.); (R.S.)
- Institute for Linguistic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tuchkov Pereulok 9, 199004 St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Denis Melnikov
- Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Popov St. 2, 197376 St Petersburg, Russia;
| | - Raivo Kalle
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Bra (Cn), Italy; or
| | - Renata Sõukand
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, 30172 Venice, Italy; (V.K.); (R.S.)
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Stryamets N, Mattalia G, Pieroni A, Khomyn I, Sõukand R. Dining Tables Divided by a Border: The Effect of Socio-Political Scenarios on Local Ecological Knowledge of Romanians Living in Ukrainian and Romanian Bukovina. Foods 2021; 10:foods10010126. [PMID: 33430148 PMCID: PMC7827627 DOI: 10.3390/foods10010126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Local cuisine is an important reservoir of local ecological knowledge shaped by a variety of socio-cultural, economic, and ecological factors. The aim was to document and compare the current use of wild and semi-cultivated plant food taxa by Romanians living in Romania and Ukraine. These two groups share similar ecological conditions and historically belonged to the same province, but were divided in the 1940s by the creation of a state border. We conducted 60 semi-structured interviews with rural residents. The contemporary use of 46 taxa (plus 5 cultivated taxa with uncommon uses), belonging to 20 families, for food consumption were recorded. Romanians in Romanian Bukovina used 27 taxa belonging to 15 families, while in Ukraine they used 40 taxa belonging to 18 families. Jams, sarmale, homemade beer, and the homemade alcoholic drink "socată" are used more by Romanians in Southern Bukovina, while tea, soups, and birch sap are used more in Northern Bukovina. We discuss the strong influence of socio-political scenarios on the use of wild food plants. Cross-ethnic marriages, as well as markets and women's networks, i.e., "neighbors do so", may have had a great impact on changes in wild food use. In addition, rapid changes in lifestyle (open work market and social migration) are other explanations for the abandonment of wild edible plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nataliya Stryamets
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (G.M.); (R.S.)
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +38-097-960-3016
| | - Giulia Mattalia
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (G.M.); (R.S.)
| | - Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, 12042 Pollenzo, Bra, Italy;
- Medical Analysis Department, Tishk International University, Erbil 44001, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
| | - Ihor Khomyn
- Nature Reserve “Roztochya”, Sitchovuh Strilciv 7, 81070 Ivano-Frankove, Ukraine;
| | - Renata Sõukand
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Informatics and Statistics, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy; (G.M.); (R.S.)
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Pawera L, Khomsan A, Zuhud EA, Hunter D, Ickowitz A, Polesny Z. Wild Food Plants and Trends in Their Use: From Knowledge and Perceptions to Drivers of Change in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Foods 2020; 9:foods9091240. [PMID: 32899857 PMCID: PMC7555794 DOI: 10.3390/foods9091240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild food plants (WFPs) are often highly nutritious but under-consumed at the same time. This study aimed to document the diversity of WFPs, and assess perceptions, attitudes, and drivers of change in their consumption among Minangkabau and Mandailing women farmers in West Sumatra. We applied a mixed-method approach consisting of interviews with 200 women and focus group discussions with 68 participants. The study documented 106 WFPs (85 species), and Minangkabau were found to steward richer traditional knowledge than Mandailing. Although both communities perceived WFPs positively, consumption has declined over the last generation. The main reasons perceived by respondents were due to the decreased availability of WFPs and changes in lifestyle. The contemporary barriers to consuming WFPs were low availability, time constraints, and a limited knowledge of their nutritional value. The key motivations for their use were that they are free and “unpolluted” natural foods. The main drivers of change were socio-economic factors and changes in agriculture and markets. However, the persistence of a strong culture appears to slow dietary changes. The communities, government and NGOs should work together to optimize the use of this food biodiversity in a sustainable way. This integrated approach could improve nutrition while conserving biological and cultural diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Pawera
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 16500 Praha-Suchdol, Czech Republic;
- The Indigenous Partnership for Agrobiodiversity and Food Sovereignty, c/o The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Via dei Tre Denari 472, 00054 Rome, Italy
| | - Ali Khomsan
- Department of Community Nutrition, Faculty of Human Ecology, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia;
| | - Ervizal A.M. Zuhud
- Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia;
| | - Danny Hunter
- Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, via dei Tre Denari 472/a, 00054 Rome, Italy;
| | - Amy Ickowitz
- Center for International Forestry Research, Bogor 16115, Indonesia;
| | - Zbynek Polesny
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 16500 Praha-Suchdol, Czech Republic;
- Correspondence:
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Prakofjewa J, Kalle R, Belichenko O, Kolosova V, Sõukand R. Re-written narrative: transformation of the image of Ivan-chaj in Eastern Europe. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04632. [PMID: 32904257 PMCID: PMC7452402 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to understand the role of viral narratives and the involvement of social media into the invention of tradition. We took as an example the recently highly promoted Ivan-chaj, a tea made from the fermented leaves of willowherb, a plant little known and used in Europe until a few years ago. Relying on a wide variety of sources circulating on the Internet (videos, various texts and visuals) and robust empirical field research results, we used mixed methods to analyze this specific case in order to understand if people adopt new teachings and if their acceptance leads to practical output. The results showed that the new teachings spread quickly, supported by narratives based on a wide variety of interaction points that viralized the message, also causing an economic impact. It is clear that the change of status and the economic success that Ivan-chaj now enjoys is due to the virality of the narrative, which has reshaped the image of Ivan-chaj from an "outcast" imitation and tea substitute into the national healthy drink. Having appeared in Russia, mostly as a Russian cultural marker, the narrative went viral and spread beyond its borders where neighbors have tried in turn to embrace Ivan-chaj as their own cultural marker by proclaiming it a local tradition. Indeed, narratives regarding Ivan-chaj spread easily in countries sharing some linguistic, historical and/or cultural elements with Russia (via the nexus of the Soviet Union).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Raivo Kalle
- University of Gastronomic Sciences of Pollenzo, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Kolosova
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Italy.,Institute for Linguistic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
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Foraging in Boreal Forest: Wild Food Plants of the Republic of Karelia, NW Russia. Foods 2020; 9:foods9081015. [PMID: 32751145 PMCID: PMC7466288 DOI: 10.3390/foods9081015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 07/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
While the current consumption of wild food plants in the taiga of the American continent is a relatively well-researched phenomenon, the European taiga area is heavily underrepresented in the scientific literature. The region is important due to its distinctive ecological conditions with restricted seasonal availability of wild plants. During an ethnobotanical field study conducted in 2018-2019, 73 people from ten settlements in the Republic of Karelia were interviewed. In addition, we conducted historical data analysis and ethnographical source analysis. The most widely consumed wild food plants are forest berries (three Vaccinium species, and Rubus chamaemorus), sap-yielding Betula and acidic Rumex. While throughout the lifetime of the interviewees the list of used plants did not change considerably, the ways in which they are processed and stored underwent several stages in function of centrally available goods, people's welfare, technical progress, and ideas about the harm and benefit of various products and technological processes. Differences in the food use of wild plants among different ethnic groups living in the region were on the individual level, while all groups exhibited high variability in the methods of preparation of most used berries. The sustainability of berry use over time has both ecological and economical factors.
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Vári Á, Arany I, Kalóczkai Á, Kelemen K, Papp J, Czúcz B. Berries, greens, and medicinal herbs-mapping and assessing wild plants as an ecosystem service in Transylvania (Romania). JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2020; 16:13. [PMID: 32131856 PMCID: PMC7057653 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-020-0360-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wild edible plants as well as medicinal herbs are still widely used natural resources in Eastern Europe that are frequently accessed by the local population. Ethnobotanical studies rarely give insight to the specific ecosystems in which wild food and medicinal plants grow in a spatially explicit way. The present work assesses the potential of different ecosystems to provide wild plants for food and medicinal use based on 37 selected plant species, gives an estimate on the actual use of wild plants, and allows insights into the motivation of local people to collect wild plants. METHODS A number of interdisciplinary methods were used: participatory stakeholder workshops with experts scoring the provisioning capacity of ecosystem types, GIS for representing results (capacity maps), basic data statistics for actual use assessment, and interviews for analysing motivations. RESULTS Capacity to provide wild edible plants was assessed highest in broad-leaved forests and wetlands, while for medicinal herbs, orchards were rated best. We could find a multitude of motivations for gathering that could be grouped along four main lines corresponding to major dimensions of well-being (health, habit/tradition, nutrition/income, pleasure/emotional), with health reasons dominating very clearly the range (59% of answers), which can be interpreted as a combination of modern "green" values with a traditional lifestyle. We detected some distinct patterns of motivations between the different social groups analysed with more fundamental needs associated with lower level socio-ecological background. CONCLUSION This case study provides an example on the importance of wild plants for locals from several points of view. We emphasize the relevance of these local stakeholder views to be included in decision-making and ecosystem management, which can be achieved by the presented workflow for mapping and assessment of ecosystem services which is also compatible with EU-suggested Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágnes Vári
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary.
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, GINOP Sustainable Ecosystems Group, Tihany, Hungary.
| | - Ildikó Arany
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Ágnes Kalóczkai
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - Katalin Kelemen
- Milvus Group Association, Crinului Str. 22, 540343, Târgu Mureş, Romania
| | - Judith Papp
- Milvus Group Association, Crinului Str. 22, 540343, Târgu Mureş, Romania
| | - Bálint Czúcz
- MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Vácrátót, Hungary
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Kalle R, Belichenko O, Kuznetsova N, Kolosova V, Prakofjewa J, Stryamets N, Mattalia G, Šarka P, Simanova A, Prūse B, Mezaka I, Sõukand R. Gaining momentum: Popularization of Epilobium angustifolium as food and recreational tea on the Eastern edge of Europe. Appetite 2020; 150:104638. [PMID: 32113918 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The local use of wild food plants represents a reservoir for the biocultural diversity of human diet and is therefore being extensively studied; yet the effects of the introduction of novel uses into specific biocultural conditions have been little researched. Rosebay willowherb Epilobium angustifolium L. has been intensively promoted in Europe since the mid-18th century. The expert recommendations did not provide any links to local uses thus raising the question of the legitimacy and diffusion of its food use in modern times. To understand if and to what extent those recommendations have influenced local uses, we compared them with the results of our ethnobotanical field study and the ethnographic literature in Russia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine. Of the 599 people interviewed, nine used E. angustifolium as a food and 59 as a recreational tea. Thirty-four of those who claimed to use E. angustifolium lived in two regions of Russia. The majority of the recorded tea uses were of recent origin, following a popular trend. Few food uses of E. angustifolium were recorded in Finland, where a trend towards culinary experimentation coincides with a general trend toward the consumption of healthy wild food; yet these uses are difficult to maintain due to the problems in recognizing the plant during its early stages of growth. The popularization of E. angustifolium as a food had more effect in times of hardship, when it was seen as a means of survival and its promotion was advocated. The translation error repeatedly appeared in botanical and later popular literature, whose authors did not clearly differentiate at that time between local uses and suggestions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raivo Kalle
- Kuldvillane OÜ, Umbusi Village, Põltsamaa Parish, Jõgeva County, 48026, Estonia; University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II 9, Pollenzo, Italy
| | - Olga Belichenko
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, Venice, Italy.
| | - Natalia Kuznetsova
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, Venice, Italy; Institute for Linguistic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tuchkov Pereulok 9, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Valeria Kolosova
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, Venice, Italy; Institute for Linguistic Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Tuchkov Pereulok 9, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Julia Prakofjewa
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, Venice, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Mattalia
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, Venice, Italy
| | - Povilas Šarka
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, Venice, Italy
| | - Andra Simanova
- Institute for Environmental Solutions, Lidlauks, Priekuļu Parish, Priekuļu County, Latvia
| | - Baiba Prūse
- Institute for Environmental Solutions, Lidlauks, Priekuļu Parish, Priekuļu County, Latvia
| | - Ieva Mezaka
- Institute for Environmental Solutions, Lidlauks, Priekuļu Parish, Priekuļu County, Latvia
| | - Renata Sõukand
- Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Via Torino 155, Mestre, Venice, Italy
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Xu M, Heidmarsson S, de Boer HJ, Kool A, Olafsdottir ES. Ethnopharmacology of the club moss subfamily Huperzioideae (Lycopodiaceae, Lycopodiophyta): A phylogenetic and chemosystematic perspective. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2019; 245:112130. [PMID: 31376517 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2019.112130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The most speciose subfamily Huperzioideae (Lycopodiaceae, Lycopodiophyta) contains about 276 species, and some (ca. 20 species) have traditionally been used for the treatment of e.g., dementia, rheumatism and traumatic injury. Ethnopharmacological studies have also contributed to the development of huperzine A as a drug lead, a compound first isolated from the club moss Huperzia serrata (Thunb. ex Murray) Trevis. AIM OF THE REVIEW This review, with a phylogenetic and chemosystematic perspective, intends to highlight plant identification challenges in these taxa with examples from club moss phytochemical and ethnopharmacological studies, as these lead to data inconsistency and confusion. We suggest that future studies should include more details on plant identification including for example plant specimen images and DNA barcoding data. An integrative approach combining DNA barcoding and chemical fingerprinting is also introduced. MATERIALS AND METHODS Literature concerning ethnopharmacology and chemosystematics of Huperzioideae club mosses was searched from databases, e.g. PubMed, Web of Science, SciFinder, etc. Plant names were retrieved from original publications, and compared with up-to-date taxonomic and phylogenetic status. Ethnobotanical uses and herbal preparations were summarized. Production of certain pharmaceutically interesting compounds, such as the alkaloid huperzine A, was explored in a phylogenetic context. RESULTS Most traditionally used club mosses are associated with psychoactivity, followed by medicinal uses against rheumatism and traumatic injury. Herbs are often prepared as infusions, decoctions or tinctures, and this implies importance of water- or aqueous-alcohol-soluble substances, such as alkaloids. Most ethnopharmacological papers on club mosses need to update or correct plant names according to recent taxonomic nomenclature, and there are still a number of unidentified species with traditional use. Advanced LC-MS chemical profiling techniques, enable distinction of genotypes of the same species as well as annotation of potential chemotaxonomic markers. In combination with DNA barcoding, chemosystematics could also help us select plant taxa with higher pharmaceutical potential. Caution should be taken when interpreting bioassay results, in terms of compounds or extract preparation and bioassay standardization. CONCLUSION Huperzioideae club mosses have interesting pharmaceutical potential supported by ethnopharmacological investigations. Bioprospecting of these plants should be preceded by careful plant identification to produce consistent and reproducible data. We expect that DNA barcoding and LC-MS-based chemical fingerprinting could facilitate and improve ethnopharmaceutical studies in selection of club moss taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maonian Xu
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Iceland, IS-107, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Starri Heidmarsson
- Akureyri Division, Icelandic Institute of Natural History, IS-600, Akureyri, Iceland
| | - Hugo J de Boer
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, NO-0318, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anneleen Kool
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, NO-0318, Oslo, Norway
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Svanberg I, Lindh H. Mushroom hunting and consumption in twenty-first century post-industrial Sweden. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2019; 15:42. [PMID: 31426821 PMCID: PMC6700795 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-019-0318-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pre-industrial diet of the Swedish peasantry did not include mushrooms. In the 1830s, some academic mycologists started information campaigns to teach people about edible mushrooms. This propaganda met with sturdy resistance from rural people. Even at the beginning of the last century, mushrooms were still only being occasionally eaten, and mostly by the gentry. During the twentieth century, the Swedish urban middle class accepted mushrooms as food and were closely followed by the working-class people. A few individuals became connoisseurs, but most people limited themselves to one or two taxa. The chanterelle, Cantharellus cibarius Fr., was (and still is) the most popular species. It was easy to recognize, and if it was a good mushroom season and the mushroomer was industrious, considerable amounts could be harvested and preserved or, from the late 1950s, put in the freezer. The aim of this study is to review the historical background of the changes in attitude towards edible mushrooms and to record today's thriving interest in mushrooming in Sweden. METHODS A questionnaire was sent in October and November 2017 to record contemporary interest in and consumption of mushrooms in Sweden. In total, 100 questionnaires were returned. The qualitative analysis includes data extracted from participant and non-participant observations, including observations on activities related to mushroom foraging posted on social media platforms, revealed through open-ended interviews and in written sources. With the help of historical sources, including earlier studies and ethnographical data collections, a diachronic analysis is given to describe the changes over time. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION During the last 100 to 140 years, Sweden has changed from a mycophobic to a mycophilic society with a passionate interest in the utilization of wild mushrooms. In the late twentieth century, various social institutions connected with mushroom hunting evolved. Evening classes, study circles, clubs, exhibitions, consultants, and a wide array of handbooks promoted this interest. In the early twenty-first century, mushrooming has become widely accepted, especially among the middle class, but also among Swedes in general. The so-called hipster-generation, born in the 1990s, harvests mushrooms due to their interest in producing their own food. This group often uses social media to identify edible species. Most people who go mushrooming gather only a few species. There are, however, some dedicated individuals who have become hobby specialists and who know a wide diversity of taxa. A few study participants reported that they were afraid of not being able to distinguish between poisonous fungi species and edible ones and therefore refrain from picking any wild mushrooms at all. However, they still consume cultivated mushrooms, such as Agaricus bisporus (J.E. Lange) Imbach, bought in grocery stores or served in cafes and restaurants. CONCLUSION Swedish society has changed rapidly during the last decades and so has the interest in mushrooming among its members. Throughout the second part of the twentieth century, the flow of information about mushrooms has continued through lecturers, courses, media, exhibitions, and even associations. Walking in forestland is also an important leisure activity for many urban Swedes, and in the early twenty-first century, mushrooming has also become a thriving pastime among people with an urban lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingvar Svanberg
- Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala University, Box 514, 754 22 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hanna Lindh
- Institute for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Uppsala University, Box 514, 754 22 Uppsala, Sweden
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Mediterranean Wild Edible Plants: Weeds or "New Functional Crops"? Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23092299. [PMID: 30205584 PMCID: PMC6225202 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Mediterranean basin is a biodiversity hotspot of wild edible species, and their therapeutic and culinary uses have long been documented. Owing to the growing demand for wild edible species, there are increasing concerns about the safety, standardization, quality, and availability of products derived from these species collected in the wild. An efficient cultivation method for the species having promising nutraceutical values is highly desirable. In this backdrop, a hydroponic system could be considered as a reproducible and efficient agronomic practice to maximize yield, and also to selectively stimulate the biosynthesis of targeted metabolites. The aim of this report is to review the phytochemical and toxic compounds of some potentially interesting Mediterranean wild edible species. Herein, after a deep analysis of the literature, information on the main bioactive compounds, and some possibly toxic molecules, from fifteen wild edible species have been compiled. The traditional recipes prepared with these species are also listed. In addition, preliminary data about the performance of some selected species are also reported. In particular, germination tests performed on six selected species revealed that there are differences among the species, but not with crop species. “Domestication” of wild species seems a promising approach for exploiting these “new functional foods”.
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Czúcz B, Kalóczkai Á, Arany I, Kelemen K, Papp J, Havadtői K, Campbell K, Kelemen M, Vári Á. How to design a transdisciplinary regional ecosystem service assessment: a case study from Romania, Eastern Europe. ONE ECOSYSTEM 2018. [DOI: 10.3897/oneeco.3.e26363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
There is a broad diversity of concepts and methods used in ecosystem service (ES) mapping and assessment projects with many open questions related to the implementation of the concepts and the use of the methods at various scales. In this paper, we present a regional ES mapping and assessment (MAES) study performed between 2015 and 2017 over an area of ~900 km2in Central Romania. The Niraj-MAES project supported by EEA funds and the Romanian government aimed at identifying, assessing and mapping all major ES supplied by the Natura 2000 sites nested in the valleys of the Niraj and Târnava Mică rivers amongst the foothills of the Eastern Carpathians. Major ES in this culturally and ecologically rich semi-natural landscape were determined and prioritised in cooperation with local stakeholders. Indicators for the capacities of individual services were modelled with a multi-tiered methodology, relying on the involvement of regional thematic experts. ES with appropriate socio-economic data were also evaluated economically. The whole process was supervised by a stakeholder advisory board endowed with a remarkable decision-making position, giving feedback and recommendations to the scientists at the critical nodes of the process, thus ensuring salience and legitimacy. In addition to simply presenting the dry facts about the approaches (assessment targets, methods) and outcomes, we also identify several key decisions on the design of the whole assessment process related to (1) the role of conceptual frameworks, (2) stakeholder involvement, (3) the selection of ES to assess (priority setting), (4) the development of models and indicators and (5) the interpretation of outcomes, for which we give a detailed description of the decision process. We found that conceptual frameworks can have a pivotal role in structuring and facilitating communication amongst the participants of a MAES project and that a broad and structured involvement of stakeholders and (local) experts creates a sense of ownership and thus can facilitate local policy uptake. We argue that priority setting and the development of indicators should be an iterative process and we also give an example how such a process can be designed, enabling an efficient participation of a broad range of experts and the collaborative development of simple ES models and indicators. Finally, we discuss several general issues related to the interpretation of results of any kind of MAES and the follow-up of regional MAES projects.
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Jaradat NA, Zaid AN, Hussen F, Issa L, Altamimi M, Fuqaha B, Nawahda A, Assadi M. Phytoconstituents, antioxidant, sun protection and skin anti-wrinkle effects using four solvents fractions of the root bark of the traditional plant Alkanna tinctoria (L.). Eur J Integr Med 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eujim.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Shikov AN, Tsitsilin AN, Pozharitskaya ON, Makarov VG, Heinrich M. Traditional and Current Food Use of Wild Plants Listed in the Russian Pharmacopoeia. Front Pharmacol 2017; 8:841. [PMID: 29209213 PMCID: PMC5702350 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Historically Russia can be regarded as a “herbophilious” society. For centuries the multinational population of Russia has used plants in daily diet and for self-medication. The specificity of dietary uptake of medicinal plants (especially those in the unique and highly developed Russian herbal medical tradition) has remained mostly unknown in other regions. Based on 11th edition of the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR, we selected 70 wild plant species which have been used in food by local Russian populations. Empirical searches were conducted via the Russian-wide applied online database E-library.ru, library catalogs of public libraries in St-Petersburg, the databases Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and search engine Google Scholar. The large majority of species included in Russian Pharmacopoeia are used as food by local population, however, aerial parts are more widely used for food. In this review, we summarize data on medicinal species published in Russia and other countries that are included in the Russian Pharmacopoeia and have being used in food for a long time. Consequently, the Russian Pharmacopoeia is an important source of information on plant species used traditionally at the interface of food and medicine. At the same time, there are the so-called “functional foods”, which denotes foods that not only serves to provide nutrition but also can be a source for prevention and cure of various diseases. This review highlights the potential of wild species of Russia monographed in its pharmacopeia for further developing new functional foods and—through the lens of their incorporation into the pharmacopeia—showcases the species' importance in Russia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrey N Tsitsilin
- All Russian Research Institute Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (VILAR), Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Michael Heinrich
- Research Cluster Biodiversity and Medicines, Centre for Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy, UCL School of Pharmacy, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Wiersum KF. New Interest in Wild Forest Products in Europe as an Expression of Biocultural Dynamics. HUMAN ECOLOGY: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL 2017; 45:787-794. [PMID: 29213177 PMCID: PMC5698370 DOI: 10.1007/s10745-017-9949-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In Europe, interest in wild forest products is increasing. Such products may be interpreted in a biological sense as deriving from autonomously growing forest species or in a biocultural sense as reflecting dynamics in human living with biodiversity through re-wilding of earlier domesticated species. In this article I elaborate the idea that the new interests reflect biocultural dynamics. First, I identify these dynamics as involving both domestication and re-wilding and characterize these processes as involving biological, environmental, and cultural dimensions. Next, I present a comparative review of two approaches to re-wilding forest production in the Netherlands: meat production from new types of natural grazing systems, and food production from plants re-introduced to the wild. The first approach is based on the stimulation of naturally occurring ecological processes and the second on the stimulation of new forms of experiencing bio-cultural heritage. The examples demonstrate that the new interests in wild forest products involve both a return to earlier stages of domestication in an ecological sense and a new phase of acculturation to evolving socio-cultural conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. F. Wiersum
- Forest and Nature Conservation Policy group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Urban Foraging: A Ubiquitous Human Practice Overlooked by Urban Planners, Policy, and Research. SUSTAINABILITY 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/su9101884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Pieroni A, Sõukand R. Are Borders More Important than Geographical Distance? The Wild Food Ethnobotany of the Boykos and its Overlap with that of the Bukovinian Hutsuls in Western Ukraine. J ETHNOBIOL 2017. [DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-37.2.326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Trends in wild food plants uses in Gorbeialdea (Basque Country). Appetite 2017; 112:9-16. [PMID: 28087368 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2017.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Despite wild food plants' potential nutritional and economic value, their knowledge and consumption is quickly decreasing throughout the world. We examine how the consideration that a wild plant use is within the cultural tradition of a given area relates to its consumption by analysing 1) current perception and 2) past and present use of six wild plants' food-uses, of which only three are locally perceived as being part of the local tradition. Research was conducted in Gorbeialdea, an area in the Basque Country with a clearly marked Basque identity opposed to the Spanish identity. Overall, there is a clear decrease in the knowledge and consumption of the selected uses and especially of the three uses acquired from local sources (i.e., the consumption of the raw leaves of Fagus sylvatica and Rumex acetosa and of the fruits of Pyrus cordata). The trend is likely driven by the disappearance of the traditional agrarian lifestyle. Among the uses not acquired from local sources, the use recently adopted from another Basque-speaking area (i.e., macerating the fruits of Prunus spinosa to elaborate a liqueur) is now considered part of the local tradition by young generations, whereas the use acquired from southern Spanish migrants (i.e., using Laurus nobilis leaves as condiments) is not. While lifestyle changes largely explain overall trends in wild edibles consumption, other cultural aspects -in our case study the stigmatization of a given source of information associated to cultural identity- might help shape which new uses of wild plants become embedded in local traditions.
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Bussmann RW, Paniagua Zambrana NY, Sikharulidze S, Kikvidze Z, Kikodze D, Tchelidze D, Khutsishvili M, Batsatsashvili K, Hart RE. A comparative ethnobotany of Khevsureti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tusheti, Svaneti, and Racha-Lechkhumi, Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo), Caucasus. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2016; 12:43. [PMID: 27659258 PMCID: PMC5034577 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-016-0110-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo in Georgian language) is part of the Caucasus biodiversity hotspot, and human agricultural plant use dates bat at least 6000 years. However, little ethnobiological research has been published from the region since the 1940s. Given the lack of recent research in the region, the present study we report on plant uses in Skartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus. We hypothesized that, (1) given the long tradition of plant use, and the isolation under Soviet rule, plant use both based on homegardens and wild harvesting would be more pronounced in Georgia than in the wiser region, (2) the Soviet occupation would have had broad influence on plant use, and (3) there would still be incidence of knowledge loss despite wide plant use. METHODS Fieldwork was conducted in Khevsureti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tusheti, Svaneti, and Racha in July-August 2013, July-August 2014, and September-October 2015. Interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with 170 participants (80 women and 90 men) after obtaining their oral prior informed consent. All interviews were carried out in the participants' homes and gardens by native speakers of Georgian and its local dialects (Svan, Tush, Khevsur, Psav), or, where participants spoke these as their native language, Armenian, Russian, or Greek. RESULTS In the present study we encountered 480 plant species belonging to 249 genera of 95 families being used in the research region. The highest number of species and of unique species were reported from the remote Tusheti-Khevsureti region. Informant consensus and number of use reports were highest for each region in the food and medicinal use categories. Of the 480 plants being used in the research region 282 species were exclusively wild-harvested, 103 were grown in homegardens, and 84 were both grown in gardens and sourced in the wild. CONCLUSIONS Plant species, and uses, found in our study, both for Georgia in general, as well as for its regions, showed clear relations to the wider Caucasus - Asia Minor - Balkans cultural complex. However, plant use in Georgia was much more diverse than reported in other studies from Eurasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer W. Bussmann
- William L. Brown Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166-0299 USA
| | - Narel Y. Paniagua Zambrana
- Herbario Nacional de Bolivia, Instituto de Ecología-UMSA, Campus Universitario, Cota Cota Calle 27, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Shalva Sikharulidze
- Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Zaal Kikvidze
- 4-D Research Institute, Ilia State University, 5, Cholokasvili Ave, 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - David Kikodze
- Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - David Tchelidze
- Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Manana Khutsishvili
- Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Ketevan Batsatsashvili
- Institute of Botany and Bakuriani Alpine Botanical Garden, Ilia State University, Botanikuri St. 1, 0105 Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Robbie E. Hart
- William L. Brown Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, P.O. Box 299, St. Louis, Missouri 63166-0299 USA
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Sõukand R, Pieroni A. The importance of a border: Medical, veterinary, and wild food ethnobotany of the Hutsuls living on the Romanian and Ukrainian sides of Bukovina. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2016; 185:17-40. [PMID: 26965364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Recent studies have shown that groups sharing the same or very similar environments, but with diverse cultural backgrounds (e.g. different ethnos and/or religion) have considerably different knowledge of folk (medicinal) plant uses. Yet, it is not clear to what extent various factors (such as culture, economy, isolation, and especially social and political situations) contribute to such differences in the utilization of the same natural resources. AIM OF THE STUDY This paper addresses the effect of border created in 1940 and subsequent separation of a single ethnic group on changes in their folk use of medicinal and wild food plants. The Hutsuls of Bukovina had been homogenous for centuries, but were separated in 1940 as a result of the formation of state borders between Romania and the former Soviet Union (now Ukraine). The aim of the study is to analyse if the belonging to this different states for 75 years have induced different changes in local plant use within communities that share a common historical legacy and environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS In depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 42 people in May 2015. Collected data were analysed, and comparisons were made between the data gathered on the two sides of the border for different use categories: medicinal, wild food and veterinary plants, as well as other remedies. Recently collected data were also compared with historical data obtained for the region, medicinal plant folk uses in Romania and medicinal plant uses of The State Pharmacopeia of the Soviet Union. RESULTS Divergences in current medicinal plant use are much greater than in the use of wild food plants. The majority of the wild food taxa, including those used for making recreational teas, are also used for medicinal purposes and hence contribute to the food-medicine continuum, representing emergency foods in the past and serving as memory markers for possible future food shortages. Compared with the historical data, considerable changes have occurred within specific medicinal applications and less in the taxa used. The influence of the Soviet State Pharmacopeia on present ethnomedicine on the Ukrainian side is minimal. CONCLUSIONS Hutsul herbal ethnomedicine on the Ukrainian side of the border has continued to evolve (the abandonment of some uses and the adoption of others), whereas on the Romanian side it has undergone significant erosion with a proportionally smaller adoption of new uses and the leaving behind of possibly more "traditional" uses than on the Ukrainian side. In sum, current ethnomedicinal practices of Hutsuls living on both sides of the border are more extensive than those reported in historical sources. Yet the unknown sampling method employed to collect the historical data and possible skipping of "ordinary" uses by folklorists and ethnographers does not allow for definitive conclusions to be drawn. Cross-cultural and cross-border ethnobotany represents one of the most powerful means for addressing the issue of change and variability of medicinal plant uses and heritage, and further studies in other areas of Eastern Europe and beyond need to address the trajectory proposed by the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Sõukand
- Estonian Literary Museum, Vanemuise 42, Tartu 51003, Estonia.
| | - Andrea Pieroni
- University of Gastronomic Sciences, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9, I-12060 Pollenzo, Italy.
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Kang J, Kang Y, Ji X, Guo Q, Jacques G, Pietras M, Łuczaj N, Li D, Łuczaj Ł. Wild food plants and fungi used in the mycophilous Tibetan community of Zhagana (Tewo County, Gansu, China). JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2016; 12:21. [PMID: 27251364 PMCID: PMC4890536 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-016-0094-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of the study was to investigate knowledge and use of wild food plants and fungi in a highland valley in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Region on the north-eastern edges of the Tibetan Plateau. METHODS Field research was carried out in four neighbouring villages in a mountain valley of the Diebu (Tewo) county, surrounded by spruce forests. The study consisted of 30 interviews with single informants, or group interviews (altogether 63 informants). Apart from collecting voucher specimens, we also identified fungi using DNA barcoding. RESULTS We recorded the use of 54 species of vascular plants. We also recorded the use of 22 mushroom taxa, which made up the largest category of wild foods. Fruits formed the largest category of food plants, with 21 species, larger than the wild greens category, which consisted of 20 species eaten after boiling or frying and 7 as raw snacks. We also recorded the alimentary use of 10 species of edible flowers and 3 species with underground edible organs. On average, 20.8 edible taxa were listed per interview (median - 21). The most listed category of wild foods was green vegetables (mean - 7.5 species, median - 8 species), but fruits and mushrooms were listed nearly as frequently (mean - 6.3, median - 6 and mean - 5.8, - median 6 respectively). Other category lists were very short, e.g., flowers (mean - 1.3, median - 1) and underground edible parts (mean - 0.7, median - 1). Wild vegetables are usually boiled and/or fried and served as side-dishes, or their green parts are eaten as snacks during mountain treks (e.g., peeled rhubarb shoots). Wild fruits are mainly collected by children and eaten raw, they are not stored for further use. The most widely used wild staple foods are Potetilla anserina roots, an important ceremonial food served on such occasions as New Year or at funerals. They are boiled and served with sugar and butter. The most important famine plants remembered by people are the aerial bulbils of Persicaria vivipara. Flowers are used as children's snacks - their nectar is sucked. CONCLUSIONS The number of wild taxa eaten in the studied valley is similar to that of other Tibetan areas. The structure of wild food plant taxa is also very typical for Tibetan speaking areas (e.g., the use of rhubarb shoots, Potentilla anserina, Persicaria vivipara). The studied community show a high level of mycophilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Kang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, People's Republic of China
- Yangling Vocational & Technical College, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongxiang Kang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolian Ji
- Yangling Vocational & Technical College, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Quanping Guo
- Forestry Academy of Bailongjiang Forestry Administration Bureau, Liangshui, Gansu, 746010, People's Republic of China
| | - Guillaume Jacques
- French National Centre for Scientific Research, Centre de recherches linguistiques sur l'Asie orientale, 2 rue de Lille, Paris, 75007, France
| | - Marcin Pietras
- Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, University of Gdansk, Wita Stwosza 59, Gdańsk, 80-308, Poland
- Institute of Dendrology Polish Academy of Sciences, ul Parkowa 5, Kórnik, 62-035, Poland
| | - Nasim Łuczaj
- University of Glasgow (Bachelor of Art degree course), Glasgow, UK
| | - Dengwu Li
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Łukasz Łuczaj
- Department of Botany, Institute of Applied Biotechnology and Basic Sciences, University of Rzeszów, Werynia 502, Kolbuszowa, 36-100, Poland.
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Konsam S, Thongam B, Handique AK. Assessment of wild leafy vegetables traditionally consumed by the ethnic communities of Manipur, northeast India. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2016; 12:9. [PMID: 26822996 PMCID: PMC4731935 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-016-0080-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The NE region of India falls in the global hotspot of biodiversity. Wild edible plants (WEPs) are widely consumed in the daily diet of the local people. WEPs are critical for the sustenance of ethnic communities and also as a source of income. However, WEPs received a little attention in research activities, economic development, biodiversity conservation and sustainable management. Many are largely ignored and remained unexplored. With a view of reducing the gap in traditional knowledge and tapping the hidden potential resources for proper utilization, exploitation, and sustainable management of WEPs are crucial. METHODS Surveys were conducted at 20 major markets in all districts of Manipur throughout different seasons from August 2012 to March 2014. A total of 154 avid plant collectors and sellers were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire, formal, informal and extensive interactions to gather detailed information about these species. An integrated assessment of 68 wild leafy vegetables was also carried out to prioritize them for proper exploitation, conservation, and sustainable management. RESULTS A total of 68 wild edible vegetables belonging to 42 families were documented which are being used by indigenous communities for nutritive and therapeutic purposes. Of these species, 54 are perennial (79 %) while others are annual (19 %). Herbaceous plants make up the highest proportion of edible plants. Leaves are dominant edible part followed by shoot and stem, and most are consumed through cooked food. Further, 57 species (84 %) are commonly available, and 11 (16 %) are rare. According to integrated assessment, 2 species have highest integrated value, 26 species have high value, 31 species have general value and 9 species are of low value. The majority of the species have a high or general value. CONCLUSION Manipur has rich wild vegetable resources. However, many of them are seldom collected or cultivated given their importance in sustaining and diversifying diet. A comprehensive assessment indicated that majority of these plants have high value. Priority species require further research into their nutritional components to understand the potential as a source of future food and nutritional security. They should be promoted for integration into the agricultural system and income generation for local sustenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surjata Konsam
- Plant Systematics and Conservation Laboratory (PSCL), Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Takyelpat, Imphal, 795001, Manipur, India.
| | - Biseshwori Thongam
- Plant Systematics and Conservation Laboratory (PSCL), Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Takyelpat, Imphal, 795001, Manipur, India.
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Kujawska M, Łuczaj Ł, Typek J. Fischer's Lexicon of Slavic beliefs and customs: a previously unknown contribution to the ethnobotany of Ukraine and Poland. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2015; 11:85. [PMID: 26704421 PMCID: PMC4690239 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0073-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Historical ethnobotanical studies are important, even if they are only descriptive, because they help to throw light on the missing chains needed for diachronic analysis. However, the documentation of traditional uses of plants in some countries, e.g. Ukraine, is still fragmentary. The aim of this contribution is to fill the gap and present a portion of the data set, from western Ukraine, which was collected by Adam Fischer, a Polish ethnographer from Lviv, in the 1930s. These data were originally gathered to be published in the first part of the Lexicon of Slavic beliefs and customs, dedicated to plant uses in traditional Slavonic culture. The idea of writing the Lexicon arose in 1929 during the I Congress of Slavic Philologists in Prague and was intended to be a joint international enterprise, but has never actually been fulfilled. METHODS In this article we used information from south-eastern Poland at that time - nowadays western Ukraine, collected in four provinces, 11 counties and 28 localities by Fischer's collaborators. The majority of the information was accompanied by voucher specimens, which were determined by botanists at the Jan Kazimierz University. These data are still unpublished and stored on filecards in the archives of the Polish Ethnological Society in Wrocław, Poland. In our analysis we applied two indices: one to measure general plant versatility - Use Value, and another regarding medicinal plants - Relative Importance Value. RESULTS In total, 179 plant taxa used in peasant culture in the western Ukraine in the 1930s were registered. The species which achieved the highest Use Values were: Achillea millefolium, Allium sativum, Vinca minor, Hypericum sp. and Juniperus communis. Among the collected plant names, Polish names dominate (59%) over clearly Ukrainian and Ruthenian ones (31%). The remaining 10% of names were of unclear origin or could have been used by both groups. The most salient use categories were medicinal, followed by ritual - chiefly plants used in church ceremonies, followed by animal wellbeing (veterinary and fodder). However we learn very little about plant management in the peasant culture from the data set. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of the archival data threw new light on plant use and management in the Galicja region in the interwar period. It also increased our understanding of the central role of plants in spheres such as folk medicine, church ceremonies and animal wellbeing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Kujawska
- Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology, University of Łódź, ul. Pomorska 149/153, 90-236, Łódź, Poland.
| | - Łukasz Łuczaj
- Department of Botany, Institute of Applied Biotechnology and Basic Sciences, University of Rzeszów, Werynia 502, 36-100, Kolbuszowa, Poland.
| | - Joanna Typek
- Institute of History, Faculty of Sociology and History, University of Rzeszów, ul. Rejtana 16 C, 35-959, Rzeszów, Poland.
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Arı S, Temel M, Kargıoğlu M, Konuk M. Ethnobotanical survey of plants used in Afyonkarahisar-Turkey. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2015; 11:84. [PMID: 26701098 PMCID: PMC4690277 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-015-0067-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/30/2015] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The traditional knowledge about plants and their uses in Turkey is disappearing in recent years because the new generations of villagers migrate to big cities for a better life. Afyonkarahisar located at the intersection of roads and phytogeographical regions (Mediterranean, Iran-Turan, and Euro-Siberian) has more than 2500 plant species. This richness of plant diversity promotes the indigenous commuity for the traditional use of wild plants. The aim of the study is to show wild plants' ethnobotanical usages associated with medicinal, food, fodder, and household goods in 31 settlements within the boundaries of Afyonkarahisar province. METHODS The ethnobotanical data were collected from 46 informants by means of semi-structured interviews from 2012 to 2014. Ethnobotanical uses of plants of the study area were conducted in the vicinity of Afyonkarahisar (5 districts, 8 towns, 15 villages, and 3 neighborhood centers). RESULTS One hundred and thirty plant taxa belonging to 39 families were recorded and collected. Hundred and seventy-eight different uses of these plants were documented and used generally for medicinal (84), food (68), fodder (16), household goods (3), dyes (3), handicrafts (3) and religious (1). CONCLUSION This study provides interesting uses of plants in the local community of Afyonkarahisar and its surrounding area, in what purpose they make use of plants, how they make use of them and obtained results will contribute to economy of villagers. Since the local people, especially in villages, are poor and do not have health care, they use the plants to treat illnesses, food, fodder, household goods and other uses (evil eye). Also this study will light the way for posterity for next generations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Süleyman Arı
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Science & Arts Faculty, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
| | - Mehmet Temel
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Science & Arts Faculty, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
| | - Mustafa Kargıoğlu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Science & Arts Faculty, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
| | - Muhsin Konuk
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Üsküdar University, 34662, Istanbul, Turkey.
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