Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine最新文献

The accelerating erosion of traditional and local ecological and medical knowledge (LEK) systems is increasingly evident in the Global North and across many less marginalised regions of the Global South. This decline is primarily driven by overarching forces, i.e. globalisation, internalised coloniality created worldwide and over decades by non-rural leading classes, and, most remarkably, by a profound detachment from continuous, embodied interactions with nature. At the same time, sustainability-driven agendas and the expanding role of AI in science and daily life intertwine challenges, opportunities, and a few risks for ethnobiology and ethnomedicine in the coming decade. This editorial proposes four plausible scenarios for the evolution of these disciplines, navigating the intricate cobwebs of LEK loss, resilience, adaptation, and, most importantly, trying to open new horizons in the current problematic times. These scenarios are intended to inspire further theoretical and primarily further empirical engagement in the field, alongside a call to urgently foster commoning practices and innovative educational platforms for (re)experiencing LEK.

This study provides a critical reassessment of indigenous Latin American biotechnologies, uniquely integrating ethnographic, historical, and biochemical analyses to reveal their scientific sophistication and contemporary potential. It examines ancestral practices historically overlooked or marginalized, such as microbial fermentation in traditional beverages (masato, pozol, and pulque), medicinal and nutritional uses of plant mucilages, and natural encapsulation methods using clays and plant-derived polymers. We demonstrate that these indigenous biotechnological systems represent more than ethnographic curiosities; they are early examples of empirical technologies anticipating fundamental principles now central to probiotics, encapsulation pharmacology, and sustainable agriculture. By spotlighting previously under-documented practices and emphasizing their deep cultural and ecological integration, this review fosters a more inclusive understanding of scientific knowledge. It underscores both the ethical and epistemological imperative to recognize and incorporate indigenous innovations into contemporary scientific frameworks. This novel perspective not only recovers and revalues historically marginalized knowledge but also promotes intercultural collaboration, ultimately strengthening sustainability and modern biotechnological innovation.

Background: West Africa remains the stronghold for Critically Endangered hooded vultures (Necrosyrtes monachus) and other species of vulture, but these populations are declining. Since anthropogenic threats pose the greatest risks to vultures, it is crucial to understand people's perceptions of these birds, and their ethno-cultural significance, in areas surrounding national parks to inform conservation policy through an understanding of cultural values and practices.

Methods: We used semi-structured interviews to collect data from 450 respondents in nine localities near three protected areas in northeastern Benin: Sota Forest, Trois Rivières Forest, and Alibori Supérieur Forest.

Results: The findings showed that 80% (n = 360) of participants had encountered vultures in the past three years, with the hooded vulture being the most frequently observed vulture species (98% of sightings). We found significant gender-based differences in people's awareness and perceptions of vultures, with men demonstrating greater awareness and more positive perceptions of vultures' roles in carcass disposal and locating missing livestock. Overall, 60% (n = 270) of respondents associated vultures with superstition and witchcraft. Most respondents (70%, n = 315) reported using vulture brains and bones for spiritual and medicinal purposes. Intentional poisoning was the most frequently reported cause of vulture population declines (70%, n = 315). Conservation measures suggested by survey respondents included the protection and restoration of critical nesting habitats (86%, n = 386, raising awareness about threats to vultures (84%, n = 378), equipping ecoguards to safeguard and monitor vulture nests (65%, n = 344), breeding vultures in captivity (60%, n = 270), and enforcing strict penalties for illegal vulture hunting (55%, n = 247). Younger adults (aged 18-30) showed significantly greater support for conservation efforts than older adults (aged > 30).

Conclusion: There is an urgent need for a multidimensional approach to vulture conservation in Benin. This approach should integrate awareness campaigns, population monitoring, better enforcement of environmental legislation, and improved habitat conservation to reverse the declines of these critical species.

In recent years, ethnobiology has undergone significant transformation. A renewed research framework has emerged that prioritizes an ethics of care-one that emphasizes relationships, interdependence, and responsibility towards both human and non-human others throughout all stages of research. This paradigm shift, led largely by Indigenous scholars and researchers from the Global South, invites European ethnobiologists to critically reflect on how they can engage with, contribute to, and learn from these evolving approaches in light of pressing environmental and social challenges. In this Perspective, we explore the future of European ethnobiology in two main ways. First, we reflect on the specificities of a European lens within global ethnobiology, considering how European ethnobiologists might participate more meaningfully in transdisciplinary and intercultural dialogues. Second, drawing on core principles of the emerging global paradigm, we outline five key avenues for future development: (1) deepening commitments to an ethics of care; (2) responding more directly to contemporary challenges; (3) expanding research contexts; (4) reimagining methodological approaches; and (5) enhancing the societal relevance and applied impact of European ethnobiologists, both within and beyond Europe. We highlight current examples of European ethnobiologists already advancing these directions and underscore the field's dynamic evolution. We conclude by identifying critical challenges faced by European ethnobiologists, including the need to engage with rapidly evolving digital technologies and to navigate institutional and epistemic barriers that hinder the co-creation of knowledge across diverse worldviews.

This paper introduces the concept of "malleability" as a lens for understanding human interactions with writhing animals, using leech-human relations as a case study. Our research is based on ethnographic fieldwork among Dagestani healers in Dagestan and Turkey, 2019-2024. We argue that the malleability of leeches influences leeches' capacity for reversibility and shapes human-leech communication through their physical transformations and social roles. Through their flexible bodies, leeches enable nuanced, multisensory exchanges, influencing how humans interpret their actions-whether as cooperative, resistant, or purposeful behaviour. Malleability also mediates human sensory and emotional responses, evoking reactions ranging from disgust to admiration. Our findings reveal that leeches occupy a spectrum of roles in human perception and practice, serving as near-companions or ethical subjects, despite the lack of bioethical protections for their use in research, and as commodities or tools in medical contexts. Their physical and semantic malleability enables this fluid reversibility in human perceptions and practices. Methodologically, we advocate for "immersive duo-ethnography", which incorporates the researchers' bodily experiences as tools for examining non-verbal interactions between writhing animals and humans. This approach reveals significant entanglements at the sensory and cognitive levels, avoiding reliance on oversimplified metaphors about molecular or chemical processes when precise tracking of such mechanisms is unfeasible. By focusing on embodied relationships, our work highlights the complex interplay of physicality and meaning in human-other taxa interactions.

Background: Ethnobiological and gastronomic knowledge of wild foods has long-shaped rural traditions in Italy. In Valdera, Central Tuscany, foraging has been especially important among older generations. This study explores shifts in wild food knowledge and practices over two decades, comparing data collected in 2024 with findings from a 2004 study.

Methods: The study was conducted in Valdera, Central Tuscany, through structured interviews with local residents. Using the same methodological framework as a 2004 survey, participants were asked about wild food plants, mushrooms, and wild animals they recognized, used, and how they incorporated them into traditional dishes. This approach enabled a diachronic comparison of taxa diversity, plant families, and culinary applications. Special attention was given to how social and ecological dynamics, such as aging populations, urbanization, and changing educational backgrounds, influenced the retention or erosion of local traditional knowledge over the past two decades.

Results: A total of 86 folk taxa of wild plants were documented. The findings reveal a decline in the number of recorded taxa, from 59 folk taxa and 28 botanical families in 2004 to 57 folk taxa and 26 families in 2024. Despite the samples including a similar number of informants, the decrease in used folk taxa is significant, with several species absent in 2024, including notable wild greens taxa such as Capsella, Coleostephus, Clematis, Daucus, Epilobium, Helosciadium, Lactuca, Muscari, Rubus, Scabiosa, Potentilla, and Viola spp., as well as a few wild seasoning plants such as Allium roseum, Ammi, Juniperus, and Thymus spp. and wild snack species (Gladiolus, Sulla, Oxalis, Lamium spp.). Shifts in plant family diversity and culinary applications were observed, with a decline in the use of wild leafy plants, wild seasoning plants, and wild plant snacks, possibly associated with a reduced role of women in foraging wild greens and less exposure to nature, i.e., fewer activities done into natural environments such as shepherding and/or collection of wild snacks by children and teenagers. A similar trend was observed in mushroom and animal foraging and hunting, where the interviewees could recall details about 24 taxa of food mushrooms and 62 taxa of wild animals, as well as their culinary transformations, which were often related to the past and their younger lives. The analysis revealed that the age group affects knowledge about local wild plants, mushrooms, and animals. While higher education was linked to better systematization of botanical knowledge, individuals with an agricultural background showed significantly greater practical familiarity with plant uses.

Conclusions: These findings emphasize how traditional plant knowledge is increasingly threatened by social and ecological changes, underscoring the importance of developing conservation strategi

Background: The Hakka are one of the major subgroups of the Han  Chinese in China, with a unique migration history and a rich traditional medicine system. Traditional markets serve as centers for the exchange of Hakka medicinal culture and play a vital role in maintaining residents' health. However, medicinal plants traded in traditional Hakka markets have not been documented in southeastern Guangxi, China.

Methods: We documented the medicinal plants traded in the market of Hakka communities in southeastern Guangxi, China, by interviewing 106 traditional shopkeepers. Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and relative importance value (RI) were used to evaluate the most medicinal plants traded in the market of Hakka communities, and the Jaccard index of similarity (JI) was used to assess the similarity of plants used by Hakka from different communities in China.

Results: We documented 305 medicinal plant species, with the Fabaceae family being the most represented (27 species). In terms of life form, herbs constituted the largest group, accounting for 130 species (42.62%). Regarding plant parts used, leaves were the most commonly utilized, reported for 122 species (32.36%). The recorded medicinal plants exhibit 63 therapeutic effects and are used to treat 117 ailments across 14 disease categories. The most frequently cited medicinal use was for the treatment of physical trauma (126 species, 41.31%), followed by digestive disorders (96 species, 31.47%), skin diseases (90 species, 29.51%), and detoxification (79 species, 25.90%). Twenty-eight plant species had a relative citation frequency (RFC) greater than 0.5, and 23 species had a relative importance (RI) value of ≥ 1.25. A comparative analysis with medicinal plants recorded in Hakka communities of Guangdong and Ganzhou revealed some similarities, with Jaccard index (JI) values of 0.10 and 0.06, respectively.

Conclusion: The local shopkeepers of traditional markets in Hakka communities in southeastern Guangxi are prosperous in their knowledge of medicinal plant use. We recommend conserving these medicinal plants of local people by promoting the traditional market, which fosters people's livelihood through income generation and supports the sustainability of the traditional knowledge system.

Background: Insects are widely recognized as a valuable source of protein and solution to food security, particularly in developing countries like Uganda. This study documents the local knowledge and practices of edible insects consumed and perception and attitudes towards edible insects by different ethnic groups in northern Uganda.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2023 to January 2024 in the districts of Adjumani, Nwoya, Oyam and Zombo in northern Uganda, where 600 questionnaires which comprised of both closed and open-ended questions were administered to randomly selected respondents (60% female, 40% male) in 24 villages spread across four ethnic groups (Acholi, Langi, Alur and Madi). We aimed to find out, whether differences exist in the types of edible insects consumed and which ones were preferred based on ethnicity, age, gender and education level.

Results: Our study revealed that eleven edible insect's species belonging to two orders (Orthoptera and Isoptera) and four families-Tettigoniidae, Termitidae, Gryllotalpidae and Acrididae were consumed as food among the Acholi, Alur, Madi and Langi. These species include: Ruspolia differens, Locusta migratoria, Kraussaria angulifera, Macrotermes subhyalinus, Macrotermes bellicosus, Macrotermes michaelseni, Pseudacanthotermes militaris, Syntermes spp. soldiers, Lanista varelai and Gryllotalpa africana. L. varelai, locally known as 'Ocene-labolo' in Acholi, is reported as edible insect for the first time. Additionally, one unidentified edible insect, locally known as 'Mumu' in Alur or 'Lakwinyekimo' in Acholi, was reported to be used as food. Preference for edible insects varied among the ethnic groups, with R. differens being the most preferred among Alur (85%) and Acholi (41%). Conversely, M. subhyalinus (33%) and M. bellicosus (64%) were the most popular among the Langi and Madi, respectively. The respondents had positive perception on edible insect's consumption as an alternative protein source (98%) to conventional protein source, particularly for insects that were already known to be eaten in the study areas.

Conclusions: The high diversity of utilized edible insects identified in our study area and the responses indicate that entomophagy is a common practice in the region. Therefore, along with being an important delicacy and traditional foods, edible insects can improve household nutrition status by providing an alternative protein source to alleviate food insecurity and malnutrition among rural communities.

Local ecological knowledge is transmitted across generations and arises from various human interactions with the environment. Cultural and socioeconomic variables such as age, sex, educational level and locality can influence both the acquisition and transmission of this knowledge. However, Brazil's diverse environmental contexts reveal gaps in information regarding interactions with local fauna. Given this scenario, this study aims to investigate whether socioeconomic factors influence knowledge about reptile and mammal species in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Additionally, it seeks to provide a list of the recognized animals and document interactions between residents and fauna. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended interviews, resulting in records of 36 species (plus 6 identified only at genus level) in 33 families and 10 orders, of which 53% were non-avian reptile and 47% mammals. We observed three types of interactions between residents and fauna: dietary, medicinal and conflict-related. Among the variables analyzed using a generalized linear model, only locality significantly influenced traditional faunal knowledge in the communities studied.

Background: The Miao people in Hainan possesses a profound historical heritage and unique ethnic culture. Through centuries of confronting survival challenges in tropical rainforest mountains, they have accumulated abundant knowledge of disease prevention and treatment. However, the traditional medicinal knowledge of the Hainan Miao people has been scarcely documented to date. This ethnobotanical study aims to: (1) record Miao people's traditional medicinal knowledge; (2) analyze medicinal properties and threats; (3) put forward suggestions for promoting the development of traditional medical knowledge of the Miao people.

Methods: From 2020 to 2022, 35 key informants (Miao healers, local herbalists, and plants gatherers, age range is 30-99 years) were interviewed in 11 regions of Hainan by means of participatory observation, semi-structured interview, key informant interview, and group discussion. The quantitative analysis employed the use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF), relative frequency of citation (RFC), and similarity index (Cj). The International Classification of Primary Care-2nd (ICPC-2) was used to classify the diseases treated by medicinal plants.

Results: A total of 348 medicinal plant species belonging to 114 families were recorded. These were primarily herbaceous plants (37.71%), with leaves (48.85%) most used, and decoction (39.94%) most frequently employed. Among them, 37 medicinal plants documented in this study were recorded for their medicinal value for the first time, enriching the database of medicinal plant resources. These plants are used to treat 140 different diseases, which can be categorized into 14 disease categories, primarily focusing on the treatment of musculoskeletal (L), respiratory (R), and digestive (D) disease with medicinal plants. The informant consensus factor (ICF) values for these categories are 0.55, 0.51, and 0.5, respectively. In addition, the use value (UV) values of Stephania succifera and Sarcandra glabra are relatively high. Plantago asiatica, Imperata cylindrica, Homonoia riparia, and Aquilaria sinensis had high relative frequency of citation (RFC) values, between 0.05 and 0.16. Furthermore, the Hainan Miao and the Li ethnic groups exhibit a high degree of similarity in their use of medicinal plants due to their similar living environments and the inheritance of traditional medicinal knowledge. In contrast, compared to the Guizhou Miao ethnic group, significant differences arise due to the differing geographical environments and living habits.

Conclusion: This demonstrates that through oral transmission and personal instruction, knowledge of medicinal plants diversity has been passed down from generation to generation, ensuring its continuity and preserving a unique traditional culture for treating various diseases. However, the aging of knowledge holders poses a threat to the loss of traditional