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Luo J, Li Q, He J, Yan J, Zhang S, Chang X, Wu T. Local knowledge of homegarden plants in Miao ethnic communities in Laershan region, Xiangxi area, China. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2024; 20:37. [PMID: 38500123 PMCID: PMC10946099 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-024-00676-x] [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: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Homegardens are small-scale land use systems with significant implications for local livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development due to their diverse flora and fauna. Conducting homegarden surveys enables researchers to gain insights into the traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous communities, preserve homegarden biodiversity, and promote sustainable livelihoods. This study has two objectives: first, to collect, record, and organize data on homegarden plants and related traditional knowledge from three communities in the Laershan Plateau, and second, to analyze the species and functional diversity of homegarden plants in the region while exploring the factors that contribute to the heterogeneous distribution of these plants among the communities of three townships. METHODS This research employed field surveys in the Laershan Miao Autonomous Region in Xiangxi, China, from September 2021 to August 2023. Data were collected through observation and semi-structured interviews. The study utilized descriptive statistics and quantitative analysis, including the Relative Importance Value (RI), Use Value Index (UV), Jaccard Index (JI), and Comprehensive Index of Land Use Degree (La), to examine the diversity of local homegarden plants and related traditional knowledge, as well as community heterogeneity. RESULTS The study area exhibited rich biodiversity, with 152 plant species recorded belonging to 62 families and 124 genera. These findings highlight the importance of homegarden plants in maintaining ecological balance and enhancing system resilience against disturbances. Homegarden plants serve multiple functions such as food, ornamental, medicinal, and fodder purposes, with edible and trade plants having the most abundant knowledge. Furthermore, this research revealed that communities with similar forest resource compositions may have similar homegarden plant compositions, demonstrating the connection between cultural exchange among different communities and patterns of plant species distribution. CONCLUSIONS The Laershan region boasts diverse homegarden plant species crucial for ecological balance and resilience. Their multifunctionality reflects human impact. Plant diversity varies with residents' lifestyles, needs, and cultural exchanges. The close connection between plants and local life is clear. Factors like resource distribution, cultural exchange, and lifestyle influence plant distribution. Further research is needed for conservation and sustainable development. Future research should focus on culturally valuable plant species and traditional knowledge applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Luo
- College of Biology and Environmental Science, Jishou University, Hunan, 416000, China
| | - Qiang Li
- College of Biology and Environmental Science, Jishou University, Hunan, 416000, China
| | - Jianwu He
- College of Biology and Environmental Science, Jishou University, Hunan, 416000, China.
- National and Local United Engineering Laboratory of Integrative Utilization Technology of Eucommiaulmoides, Jishou University, Hunan, 416000, China.
| | - Jin Yan
- College of Biology and Environmental Science, Jishou University, Hunan, 416000, China
| | - Shujie Zhang
- College of Biology and Environmental Science, Jishou University, Hunan, 416000, China
| | - Xuepei Chang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jishou University, Hunan, 416000, China
| | - Tao Wu
- College of Biology and Environmental Science, Jishou University, Hunan, 416000, China
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Duan S, Han F, Li F, Yang Z. Spatial evaluation of the ecological value importance of national park in Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 320:115943. [PMID: 36056501 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon (YTGC) region is one of China's vital gene banks of mountain biological species resources. It is also an experimental site for biologists worldwide to study how organisms differentiate in the exceptional environment of the plateau. Evaluating the importance of the ecological value and identifying extremely important regions to national parks to implement the strictest conservation is significant to protecting and preserving global biodiversity. YTGC as the study area, and a comprehensive evaluation model conformed to ecological value attributes was established: (i) evaluation of ecosystem service function, including water retention, soil and water conservation and biodiversity maintenance; (ii) evaluation of ecological vulnerability, including soil erosion and geological disasters; (iii) evaluation of ecological conservation, including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs), Global 200 Ecoregions (G200), Biodiversity Hotspots (BH), Endemic Bird Areas (EBAs) and Priority Areas for Biodiversity Conservation in China (PABCC). Identifying as extremely important, important, and general important regions, then mosaicked with the maximum value. The results show: first, the extremely important regions of ecosystem service are about 30,242.90 km2 (45.64%), distributed in most regions flowing southwest along the Yarlung Zangbo River. Second, the ecological vulnerability regions are about 26,561.65 km2 (40.06%), concentrated and contiguously distributed in the valley regions along the Yarlung Zangbo River and the high-altitude glacier-covered regions. Third, the extremely important regions for ecological conservation are mainly distributed in Milin County (39.86%) and Medog County (36.33%), which also presents a clustered distribution in the highly high mountains with apparent differentiation along the Yarlung Zangbo River valley in Milin County and the vertical natural belt centered on the Namjagbarwa and the Galabai Leifeng. Finally, we proposed that the integrated extremely important regions of ecological value should be divided into national parks for strict conservation; at the same time, it is also a reference for considering the construction of biodiversity conservation corridors when roads pass through the extremely important regions. This study presents a reliable and integrative method for effectively identifying conservation priority areas at small-medium scales, which can be applied to other PAs planning and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuaifei Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Fang Han
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Feng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhaoping Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Yinebeb M, Lulekal E, Bekele T. Composition of homegarden plants and cultural use in an indigenous community in Northwest Ethiopia. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2022; 18:47. [PMID: 35725611 PMCID: PMC9210745 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-022-00545-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Homegardens in Northern Ethiopia received little investigation into the diversity of plants and no study and recording in the Gozamin District. This study was used to fill the gap in how cultural use and cultural importance conserve species diversity in homegardens in the different agroclimatic zones in northwestern Ethiopia. METHODS The study district and 12 kebeles were chosen using multistage and stratified random selection procedures based on traditional agroclimatic zones in the Gozamin District, Northwest Ethiopia, respectively. The number of plots chosen in each homegarden was determined by the homegarden's size, which ranges from 0.015 to 0.5 ha. These data were gathered by putting plots with a distance gradient from home (size: 10 × 10 m each). A semi-structured interview and complete plant inventory were conducted to document the informant's knowledge of plant species. Sørensen's similarity indices and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices were used to compare the similarity of sites and three agroclimatic zones, respectively. Direct matrix ranking, cultural importance (CI), the relative frequency of citation, and cultural value were used in quantitative analysis to compare the most common multipurpose plants. RESULTS A total of 238 culturally important plant species from 81 families were identified. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed that there was a significant difference among the three agroclimatic zones species diversity (H = 103.4, Hc = 111.2, p < 0.05). Of the total plant species recorded, 59% were reported to be utilized for environmental uses, 35% were food crops, and 35% were medicinal plant species. The same was true for the three agroclimatic zones; food and medicinal uses were the first and second most important use categories, respectively. The similarity index for 64% of the sites investigated was less than 0.5. Cordia africana (FC = 125) was the most culturally significant species with a value of 2.23 on the CI index. CONCLUSION Homegardens are multifunctional systems. The presence of different agroclimatic zones, cultural uses, cultural importance, and cultural value of the species are central to conserving plant species in the area. As the size of the garden increases, so does the diversity of species and uses. Our findings suggest that conservation strategies should take into account the links between plant composition and cultural importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metsehet Yinebeb
- Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- Biology Department, Kotebe University of Education, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
| | - Ermias Lulekal
- Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Tamrat Bekele
- Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, College of Natural Sciences, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Phytochemical profile of Tibetan native fruit "Medog lemon" and its comparison with other cultivated species in China. Food Chem 2022; 372:131255. [PMID: 34627084 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Tibet's native fruit resources have not been explored and remain underutilized due to geographical isolation. "Medog lemon" (ML), an ethno-species of wild citron, is an important functional food and dietary resource for the local people in southeastern Tibet. Herein comprehensive characterization of components of ML were firstly performed with an integrated strategy based on UHPLC-QE Orbitrap MS. A total of 196 components were characterized, among which 33 were detected from Citrus genus for the first time, and 55 were identified as potential new phytochemicals. The chemical comparison of ML with cultivated citron and fingered citron based on partial least squares-discriminant analysis model and univariate analysis revealed the distinct chemical composition of ML and in which more than 30 differentiated components were identified. The distinct morphological and chemical characters, as well as its good antioxidant properties, indicated ML as a potential new food resource that can be beneficial for human health.
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Yang M, Jiang Z, Wen M, Wu Z, Zha M, Xu W, Zhang L. Chemical Variation of Chenpi (Citrus Peels) and Corresponding Correlated Bioactive Compounds by LC-MS Metabolomics and Multibioassay Analysis. Front Nutr 2022; 9:825381. [PMID: 35284442 PMCID: PMC8905505 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.825381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The peel of Citrus reticulata “Chachi” (CP) possesses various health-promoting benefits and is not only one of the most famous Chinese herbal medicine, but also an ingredient in fermented foods. In the present study, the effects of storage years (1-, 3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, and 11-years) on the chemical profiling and potential bioactive compounds of CP were compared by metabolomics and in vitro bioactivity analysis. With the increase of storage time, the content of hesperidin significantly decreased, but nobiletin, 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone, and tangeretin were increased. Meanwhile, the antioxidant activity of CP was enhanced. Phenolic acids, flavonol glycosides, fatty acids, and alkyl glycosides were marker compounds that were responsible for distinguishing the storage time of CP. Correlation analysis suggested that some polyphenols including quercetin-glucoside, quinic acid, trihydroxydimethoxyflavone, and rutin were potential antioxidant compounds in CP. The dichloromethane and n-butanol fractions showed the better antioxidant capacity and inhibitory effects on glucose-hydrolysis enzymes. They mainly contained ferulic acid, nobiletin, 3,5,6,7,8,3′,4′-heptamethoxyflavone, kaempferol, and hesperidin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects of Ministry of Education, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Zongde Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects of Ministry of Education, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Mingchun Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects of Ministry of Education, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhenfeng Wu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China
- Zhenfeng Wu
| | - Minyu Zha
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects of Ministry of Education, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Wen Xu
- The Second Clinical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, International Joint Laboratory on Tea Chemistry and Health Effects of Ministry of Education, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Liang Zhang
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Chen WY, Yang T, Yang J, Qiu ZC, Ding XY, Wang YH, Wang YH. Wild plants used by the Lhoba people in Douyu Village, characterized by high mountains and valleys, in southeastern Tibet, China. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2021; 17:46. [PMID: 34301287 PMCID: PMC8305498 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-021-00472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Douyu Village, inhabited by the Lhoba people, is situated within the Eastern Himalayas, in southeastern Tibet, China. The village is located among high mountains and valleys, which feature complex terrain with cold and dry climates and distinctive vegetation types and species. The Lhoba people in this village are isolated from other groups in China. The Lhoba people have lived in this village since the 15th century and mainly depended on gathering, hunting, and swidden agriculture before the 1960s. Because they have a long history and live under extreme climatic, geographical, and ecological conditions, the Lhoba people in Douyu Village may have unique traditional knowledge about wild plants. Thus, this research aims to record the traditional botanical knowledge of the Lhoba people in Douyu. METHODS An ethnobotanical study was conducted on the Lhoba people in Douyu Village in Longzi County, Tibet, China. Semi-structured interviews and group discussions with informed consent were used in the study. We interviewed 41 informants (14 key informants) between 18 and 75 years of age. All information was collected, organized, and compiled into "use reports" for quantitative analysis. The informant consensus factor (ICF) was used to determine the homogeneity of the informants' knowledge of medicinal plants, while the cultural importance index (CI) was used to estimate the cultural importance of shared species. RESULTS A total of 91 wild species (90 vascular plants and 1 fungus) belonging to 71 genera and 39 families utilized by the Lhoba people in Douyu were documented. Of these species, Pimpinella xizangense and Wikstroemia lungtzeensis are endemic to Longzi County, while Sinopodophyllum hexandrum and Paeonia ludlowii are endangered species in China. All habitats, from the field vegetation at the valley bottoms to the alpine shrubland and meadows, were used for plant collection, and the numbers of species of plants collected from the various vegetation types (except for fields) decreased with increasing altitude. Our study found that 55 species are edible plants and fungi, 29 species are medicinal plants, and 38 species are used for other purposes. Medicinal plants are used for 11 categories of diseases, among which diseases of blood-forming organs (ICF = 0.96) and gastrointestinal diseases (ICF = 0.95) exhibited the highest ICF values. Based on the CI values, the most important plants in this study area are Berberis xanthophloea, B. kongboensis, Sinopodophyllum hexandrum, Vicatia thibetica, and Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. gyantsensis. Moreover, a comparison of the wild plants used by Lhoba ethnic groups in three counties in China showed significant differences among these regions. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that the wild plants utilized by the Lhoba people in Douyu Village are highly diverse, at 90 plant and one fungal species, which reflects not only the number of species but also their diversified functions. The extreme climatic, geographical, and ecological conditions of Douyu within the high mountains and valleys of the Eastern Himalayas potentially affect the Lhoba people's culture, including plant utilization practices, and contribute to the rich diversity of the wild plants used by the local people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
| | - Tao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Jun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhu-Chuan Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Xiao-Yong Ding
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Yu-Hua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yue-Hu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
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Sustainability Assessment of Traditional Agroecosystems in the High Region of Yaonáhuac, Puebla, Mexico. ENVIRONMENTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/environments8050040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A Sustainability Index for Traditional Agroecosystems (SITA) applied in Yaonáhuac, Puebla, Mexico was built. The index was composed of 16 indicators, with which the analysis of diversity-resilience, self-management-autonomy, integration, and self-sufficiency was carried out. To determine the type of sustainability, 62 in-depth interviews were applied to inhabitants of the municipality of Yaonáhuac. The results showed that the following indicators increased the sustainability of home gardens: soil fertility properties, agricultural heterogeneity, linking practices with the home garden, family participation, non-participation in government subsidies, agricultural local knowledges, uses of plants, material of the fence or boundary, productive diversity, and destination of crops. It was found that 29 home gardens showed super strong sustainability and 31 had strong sustainability. The SITA can be used to research small-scale traditional agroecosystems with similar characteristics to monitor their sustainability, as well as to assist in decision-making and promote agroecological management from the home. The shown data represent initial information to monitor and propose agroecological transitions in that region.
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Shi Y, Zhang L, Wang L, Li S, Qiu Z, Ding X, Wang Y. Quality blues: traditional knowledge used for natural indigo identification in southern China. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2021; 17:25. [PMID: 33827630 PMCID: PMC8028174 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-021-00454-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As one of the oldest traditional dyes, people worldwide have used natural indigo for centuries. Local people have unique knowledge about indigo identification, which is crucial for indigo quality control and determining the dyeing effects. However, such traditional knowledge is rarely documented and explained. Therefore, the aims of this study were to document and assess the traditional knowledge used by local people when identifying natural indigo paste as well as quantitatively explore the characteristics and material basis of such traditional knowledge. METHOD Three field surveys were conducted between 2019 and 2020. A total of 283 traditional indigo-paste artisans were interviewed in Guizhou, Yunnan, and Fujian Provinces. The frequency of citation, mention index, and fidelity level of each indigo-paste quality criterion were calculated to determine the most commonly used, recognized, and important quality criteria. To explore the characteristics and material basis of the traditional knowledge, we analyzed 21 indigo-paste samples using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection (HPLC-DAD), pH, and particle size analyses. RESULTS Local people possess unique knowledge to identify natural indigo. Based on this knowledge accumulated over thousands of years, four criteria (color, taste, touch, and dyeing ability) were chosen by local people, and using these criteria, nature indigo was divided into five quality grades. The best quality indigo paste was judged according to the following folk criteria: dark blue in color with a purple-red luster; smooth and difficult to wipe off; having a sweet, bitter or spicy taste; and easy cloth dyeing. Additionally, the higher the contents of indigo and indirubin-especially indirubin-the better is the quality of the indigo paste. Within the pH range of 9-12, high-quality indigo-paste was more acidic. There was no significant relationship between particle size and quality. CONCLUSION The ancient methods used by local people for identifying natural indigo are comprehensive and unique. By documenting the various folk quality criteria and conducting quantitative analyses, this study revealed the importance of indirubin and pH for assessing the quality of indigo paste. These findings differ from existing quality standards for synthetic indigo. Amid rapid modernization, traditional knowledge remains invaluable as a world heritage of humanity that warrants preservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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, Kunming, 650201 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Libin Zhang
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Lu 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, Kunming, 650201 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Shan Li
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
- Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan Institute of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091 China
| | - Zuchuan Qiu
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Xiaoyong Ding
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Kunming, 650201 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 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, Kunming, 650201 China
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Chen B, Akamine H. Distribution and utilization of homestead windbreak Fukugi (Garcinia subelliptica Merr.) trees: an ethnobotanical approach. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2021; 17:11. [PMID: 33618759 PMCID: PMC7898781 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-021-00434-3] [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: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Garcinia subelliptica (Fukugi in Japanese) is an evergreen tropical tree, first identified in Batanes, the Philippines, which has been planted as a homestead windbreak and in coastal forests extensively on the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan. This article focuses on the traditional uses and cultural values of Fukugi trees and provides ethnobotanical information for the conservation scheme of this important tree species. METHODS A combination of ecological and ethnobotanical approaches was applied in this study. Extensive field surveys were conducted to collect dimensions of relatively large trees, and in-depth interviews with the village leaders and knowledgeable persons were conducted to collect ethnobotanical data. RESULTS Fukugi trees have been primarily planted as homestead or farmland windbreaks. Timber was harvested during difficult times, for example, after WWII, and used for recreational purposes for children or farmers. The fruits were also eaten on some remote islands. Old-growth Fukugi trees are widely found in sacred sites, within cities, and as symbolic trees. The older generations respect Fukugi trees; however, the cultural significance valued by older generation seems to be lacking in the younger generation. We argue that Fukugi is a cultural keystone species in Okinawa, which underpins Ryukyu culture and has transformed islands into a pleasant land, a unique place, and shared identity for the community. CONCLUSIONS Fukugi windbreaks provide significant ecosystem services, such as biodiversity in the forest, reducing soil erosion, and spiritual and cultural values. A combination of biophysical environment, as well as tradition and custom, has played an essential role in tree species selection for windbreaks. The positive impacts that anthropogenic activities have had on the sustainability of woody species, namely, the active utilization of tree species, may have enabled the species to sustain. Strategies for protecting old-growth Fukugi trees, in addition to restoration of damaged trees, are needed to improve the sustainable management of Fukugi trees in Okinawa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bixia Chen
- Department of Subtropical Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara Town, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan
- The United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24, Korimoto, Kagoshima, 890-0065, Japan
| | - Hikaru Akamine
- Department of Subtropical Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, University of the Ryukyus, 1 Senbaru, Nishihara Town, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan.
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