Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine最新文献

Background: Aseer province is a semi-arid region in Southwestern Saudi Arabia. It represents a rich source of ethnobotanical knowledge and plant biodiversity. However, this knowledge has been passed verbally devoid of documentation.

Methods: In the present work, we carried out for the first time an ethnobotanical survey, using quantitative parameters (relative frequency of citation (RFC); informant consensus factor (ICF); fidelity level (FL%); relative popularity level (RPL), and rank-order priority (ROP)), to provide insights into the traditional use of medicinal plants (MPs) in the Aseer province.

Results: One hundred and fifty informants, aged 18 to over 60, mentioned 80 different plant species belonging to 38 families of angiosperms to treat 9 ailments. A comparison with the literature in nearby areas revealed 10 species used as MPs only in the Aseer region. Syzygium aromaticum and Mentha spicata had the highest RFC (0.71). The level of agreement among the informants, for plant species used against dermatological problems, was remarkably high (ICF = 0.88). A lower level of agreement (ICF = 0.66-0.86) was noticed among the informants concerning the use of MPs to treat insect bites, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, skeletomuscular disorders, toothache, mouth inflammation, stress and insomnia, and cold and respiratory tract diseases. In addition, 36 plant species, mentioned by at least 9 informants, had healing efficacity (FL%) ranging between 32 and 100. Among these species, 12 were grouped as popular (RPL = 0.54-1).

Conclusion: The present documentation on MPs can efficiently provide as a basis for additional pharmacological and phytochemical research and conservation studies.

Background: The Tibetan wooden bowls are common utensils and feature obvious Tibetan cultural traits. However, research on Tibetan wooden bowls is limited, especially the ethnobotanical study related to wooden bowl production. This study will explore the traditional knowledge related to the use of plants in the production of Tibetan wooden bowls as well as the cultural connotations and social significance of these bowls in Benzilan Town through an ethnobotanical investigation.

Materials and methods: In August 2024 and March 2025, we employed key informant interviews, semi-structured interviews, and participatory observations to conduct an ethnobotanical investigation of Tibetan wooden bowls in Benzilan Town. Also, we used relative frequency of citation (RFC) and informant consensus factors (ICF) to indicate the different perceptions of different vocational groups and villages in terms of plants used as raw materials. And we documented and analyzed the plants used to lacquer and dye through participatory observation.

Result: We recorded a total of 18 plant species used in different stages of Tibetan wooden bowl production, belonging to 16 families, of which 13 plant species are used as raw materials, and 6 plant species are used for lacquering and dyeing. Among these plant species, Taxus yunnanensis (can be used as both raw material and dye material) and Torreya yunnanensis are under official protection due to their rarity. All the raw materials are collected from these plants in a reasonable manner.

Conclusion: The skilled craftsmen of Benzilan Town possess a wealth of traditional knowledge about Tibetan wood bowl making. This traditional knowledge not only promotes the sustainable use of resources but also contributes to the preservation and inheritance of traditional wood bowl crafting techniques. Furthermore, Tibetan wooden bowls, as important handicrafts, have not only driven the development of ethnic tourism but also stimulated the local economy. More importantly, the flourishing of the Tibetan wooden bowl industry not only helps preserve and pass down Tibetan culture but also fosters the dissemination of Tibetan culture. This case study may also encourage other similar regions to pay more attention to their local traditional handicrafts and provide a basis for subsequent studies.

Background: Peasants in preindustrial Norway and Sweden refused to touch edible macrofungi even during times of scarcity or famines, although this free food resource was abundantly available and authorities encouraged gathering mushrooms to enrich the diet since the eighteenth century. Urbanization and gradual changes of attitudes have turned mushroom gathering in forests and meadows into an important leisure activity. In recent decades, city foragers have discovered the funnel chanterelle, Craterellus tubaeformis (Fr.) Quél. This delicious edible mushroom has quickly become one of the most popular species for hobby gatherers. Our article follows the journey of the funnel chanterelle from an ignored food resource to a popular seasonal delicacy served also in luxury restaurants, discussing how, when and why attitudes and habits have changed.

Methodology: For the historical background, this qualitative ethnomycological study uses a rich corpus of newspapers in the Swedish and Norwegian newspaper databases at the Swedish and Norwegian National Libraries. Data on contemporary mushroom hunter knowledge of C. tubaeformis have been obtained from responses to a questionnaire from 2017 with a hundred respondents. The study has also benefited from the authors' participatory observations, own experiences as mushroom gatherers, and conversations with mushroom pickers in Norway and Sweden. Cookery books, mushroom identification guides and other printed works have also been utilized.

Results: Urbanization caused a change in the relationship with nature: urban foragers are a fairly new phenomenon in Sweden and Norway but they have significant impact on food habits. City foragers discovered and have focused extensively on the funnel chanterelle ever since the end of the 1970s. It is now one of the most popular edible mushrooms in Sweden and Norway, widely publicized in newspapers, discussed in evening classes for novice mushroom gatherers, and presented in books and TV and internet food shows. Media and in recent decades also internet can be identified as the main information sources for urban gatherers. Attitudes have changed among others due to transformations in lifestyle, internationalization, and the fashion of consuming more local foods, as well as a strong need for leisure and perceiving nature as the best place for it, and gathering as a meaningful activity in nature.

Conclusions: The funnel chanterelle is easy to identify, harvest and prepare. It is regarded as wild food with a wide range of uses, harvested for both personal consumption and commercial purposes, and now well-integrated in the Nordic cuisine. The urban population perceives mushrooms and various other wild foods as a normal part of the diet and modern food, in contrast to their peasant ancestors who thought fungi were animal food only. Contemporary human-fungi relations in Scandinavia have multiple mea

Background: In Central Mexico is located an ecoturistic town in Nanacamilpa, state off Tlaxcala. The main activity of the villagers in the summertime is the ecotourism activity including gastronomic use of wild mushrooms. The aim of this paper is to describe the traditional knowledge of mushrooms and discuss the role and perspectives in the business of ecotourism.

Methods: Interviews in town and local school and forest trips with local experts were the main techniques used. To compare the number of mushrooms mentioned by persons of different age category and gender, during a free-listing task, a two-way ANOVA test was used. The local names used by interviewed persons were compared by a Chi-square analysis. A person-mushrooms network was performed using ANINHADO program.

Results: A list of 61 species of mushrooms was generated, including 43 traditional names, selling prices, and criteria for distinguishing edible mushrooms during collection. No differences were found in the mushroom species mentioned by gender, indicating that both men and women prefer the same species. In the case of 10 most mentioned mushrooms by age group, the mushroom mentioned was dependent on the age class. The network analysis shows that experts are familiar with nearly all the mushroom species mentioned (49.0%), whereas non-experts only recognize the most notable species (9.0%).

Conclusions: Several wild mushroom species are important to the community of San Felipe Hidalgo; however, Lyophyllum spp. have true cultural significance. It is necessary to include activities related to mushrooms at school level to reinforce traditional knowledge of young people. Expert mushroom collectors are reliable and qualified people for the identification of wild species.

Background: This study explores how socioeconomic factors and the availability of medicinal plant resources influence the perception of disease risk in a local medical system. It addresses the role of traditional knowledge and the care and prevention practices used by the community, highlighting the interactions between cultural, social and environmental aspects.

Methods: The research was conducted in the community of Serra Grande, Lagoa do Ouro, Pernambuco, with 95 participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data on socioeconomic factors, perceived risk of disease (using ranking and Likert scale), and perceived availability of medicinal plants. The data were analyzed with Generalized Linear Models using R software.

Results: Age was the only socioeconomic factor with a significant influence on the perception of risk of disease, being higher among individuals aged between 51 and 70. In addition, the results indicated that the perception of risk of disease is negatively influenced by the availability of medicinal plant resources, i.e., a lower availability of plants is associated with a higher perception of risk. 117 species of medicinal plants used by the community were identified, with the Fabaceae and Lamiacae families standing out.

Conclusions: The study highlights the complexity of risk perception in rural communities, influenced by social, cultural and environmental factors. Effective public health policies must integrate these dynamics, creating adaptive strategies that strengthen community resilience and preserve traditional knowledge and resources essential for health.

Background: The traditional medicine of the indigenous Pataxó Hãhãhãi (PH) people, Brazil, is in jeopardy because of the significant fragmentation of their biological and cultural aspects. In addition to providing plants that can treat the complaints that these people face, the current endeavor has attempted to retrieve and document their traditional and local medicine, which is nearly forgotten.

Methods: Using the Participatory Ethnobotany approach, Pataxó Hãhãhãi, H.D.S. (author), an indigenous person who lives in the PH territory, led the project from outlining the objectives with his people to fieldwork. It was collectively decided to focus on the plants involved in the three most common complaints of the PH people: diabetes, worms, and hypertension. The plants recommended by the experts were collected, and data on their traditional and academic knowledge were compiled.

Results: The Participatory Ethnobotany approach proved to be effective, as it facilitated impacts on several phases of the work. The 175 medicinal plants, as well as their ancient healing practices indicated by 19 experts, were recovered and registered. Forty-three species were indicated for those complaints, and 79% of them supported their use in the scientific literature.

Conclusion: In an unprecedented way, an indigenous ethnobotanist retrieved and documented the plants and medicinal practices of his people, which were subjected to many attacks and fragmentations over the years. People learned about the recovery of plants for their three primary illnesses, making their use safe and efficient.

Background: In Kwilu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, almost 99% of the population eats a variety of edible caterpillars. Many plant species used by humans are also eaten by these caterpillars. Intensive human use of these plants could lead to their gradual extinction. This would directly affect the caterpillars that feed on them and reduce their protein supply to local populations. Assessing these pressures requires a basic understanding of the species involved.

Methods: Semi-structured surveys were conducted with 180 randomly selected informants in the two most populated areas of Kwilu (Masi-Manimba and Idiofa). Questions focused on the 'most consumed' edible caterpillars (i.e. those that are best known and most eaten), their host plants, and how the local population uses them. Caterpillars and branches of host plants were collected during the survey visits. The importance of each cited caterpillar species, their host plant, and the host plant's use category by the local population was assessed.

Results: Seventeen species of 'most consumed' edible caterpillars were recorded, with the Saturniidae being predominant. They feed on the leaves of fifty-one plant species, mostly Fabaceae. There are seven main use categories of caterpillar host plants. Among these, wood charcoal, construction, and slash-and-burn agriculture are estimated to be the primary factors causing the destruction of caterpillar's host plants. Petersianthus macrocarpus (P. Beauv.) Liben and Ricinodendron heudelotii (Baill.) Pierre ex Heckel are preferred by the 'most consumed' caterpillars. Both plant species, along with Erythrophleum africanum (Benth.), hold great cultural importance in Kwilu and are under significant pressure.

Conclusions: The promotion of edible caterpillars through the establishment of plantations for the semi-rearing would contribute to the conservation of these species and make them more available to the local population. Caterpillar preference testing, diet modification and interaction studies between these species would enable better management.

Background: India possesses immense faunal, floral, and cultural diversity that supports numerous ethnic communities relying on traditional medicine for primary healthcare. The Jhargram district, an underprivileged area in West Bengal, India, and part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau, is rich in biodiversity. This area is home to various ethnic communities that practice their own ethnobiological medicine. Despite this, there is a lack of documented use of animal-based traditional medicine in this region. This study aims to explore and document the use of animal parts/products for medicinal purposes among indigenous communities in Jhargram. A summary of the study is presented in the Graphical Abstract.

Method: The study was conducted in Jhargram district, West Bengal, India, from March 2023 to January 2024. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to conduct face-to-face interviews with 55 selected individuals (29 males and 26 females) to document the medicinal uses of animals in the traditional healthcare system. The questionnaire included queries about the local names of animals, modes of preparation, applications, and other ethnozoological details. The photographs were also recorded using a camera. The collected data were analyzed using a Microsoft Excel 2019; quantitative ethnobiological indices such as the informant consensus factor (ICF) and the degree of fidelity (FL) were calculated to assess the reliability and significance of the information provided by the respondents. Additionally, use value (UV), Jaccard index (JI), and frequency of citation (FC) were also calculated.

Result: This study recorded 57 species from 57 distinct genera across 47 families, used by ethnic communities in Jhargram addressing a wide range of ailments categorized into 14 groups. Birds accounted for the highest proportion (33%) of utilized species. Apis cerana exhibited the highest use value (UV = 5.69). Apis cerana and Homo sapiens sapiens recorded the highest fidelity levels (FL = 94.54%), indicating their critical roles in treating respiratory ailments and wound healing, respectively. Conversely, Dinopium benghalense had the lowest FL (FL = 3.63%), reported for kidney stone treatment. Four species, including Hydrophilus sp., demonstrated the lowest use value (UV = 1.00), suggesting their specialized or rare application in the community's ethnomedicinal practices. In terms of informant consensus, infectious diseases recorded the highest informant consensus factor (ICF = 1.00), followed closely by eye ailments (ICF = 0.99). Common preparation methods included cooking, boiling, roasting, and frying, with oral administration being the most frequently used method, followed by topical, inhalation and anal applications.

Conclusion: This study documents 57 species, including several novel species and their therapeutic uses, within the indigenous communities of Jhargram. It emphasizes th

Background: Traditional names of wild mushrooms have long served as crucial links between these organisms and humans. In Mexico, cultural groups traditionally use indigenous and Spanish names and have developed effective methods for classifying and naming mushrooms. This has allowed the suitable use of fungal resources and the transmission of ancestral knowledge regarding each species. The present study explores the folk taxonomy of wild mushrooms in communities belonging to the Chatino, Chontal, and Chinantec indigenous groups of Oaxaca, Mexico. The goal was to assess the origins and meanings of the mushroom names, their connections to local culture, and the similarities in folk taxonomy among indigenous groups to understand the dynamics of classification and assignment of names.

Methods: Between April and October 2022, 10% of the inhabitants in each community, including children, youth, adults, and elderly individuals, were interviewed to gather information related to their knowledge of wild mushrooms. Local translators assisted in analyzing the origins and meanings of mushroom names. Field trips to collect sporomes were conducted with community members. Regression analysis and analysis of covariance were performed to assess the use of traditional names among community members.

Results: A total of 43 indigenous names were recorded for 32 mushroom species. The Chatino people use 22 indigenous names for 23 species and refer to mushrooms as "Kía"; the Chontal group uses 15 names for 16 species, and the term for mushrooms is "Jlapilí"; the Chinantec group has six names for six mushroom species and uses the generic term "Naẗ." Indigenous names consist of a generic term for mushroom and a specific suffix. Since the mushroom names are assigned based on ecological, morphological, and cultural factors, similarities in their meanings can be observed among the communities. People's age is positively related to the number of indigenous mushroom names they use. Women use more Spanish names than men.

Conclusions: The variety of names used in each studied community underlines the relevance of wild mushrooms for these indigenous groups. They have developed a comprehensive folk taxonomy that enables them to effectively utilize fungal resources and ensure the transmission of traditional knowledge.