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The Non-Random Selection of Medicinal Plants Theory: a Case Study of a Kichwa Community in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Title
The Non-Random Selection of Medicinal Plants Theory: a Case Study of a Kichwa Community in the Ecuadorian Amazon.
Creator
Robles Arias, Daniela M., Fadiman, Maria, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
Abstract/Description
The non-random selection of medicinal plants theory, which states that phylogeny affects the selection of medicinal plants, was proposed by Daniel Moerman to indirectly prove that traditional medicinal systems are rational and based in part by the therapeutic efficacy of plants. The logic of this theory is that because members of a taxonomical group share similar characteristics, some groups will be more medicinal and will be over-used in pharmacopoeias, while other groups bereft of secondary...
Show moreThe non-random selection of medicinal plants theory, which states that phylogeny affects the selection of medicinal plants, was proposed by Daniel Moerman to indirectly prove that traditional medicinal systems are rational and based in part by the therapeutic efficacy of plants. The logic of this theory is that because members of a taxonomical group share similar characteristics, some groups will be more medicinal and will be over-used in pharmacopoeias, while other groups bereft of secondary metabolites and therapeutic potential will be under-used medicinally. To test this theory, Moerman linearly regressed the total number of medicinal plants per family against the total number of plants per family present in an area and examined residual values to find over-used and under-used medicinal plant families. The method has been praised for its simplicity. Nonetheless, shortcomings have been noted and criticized, inspiring researchers to propose new procedures to test for phylogenetic biases in pharmacopoeias. Negative Binomial regression and examination of studentized residuals, the method used in this investigation, ameliorates the original one with a few corrections, conserving the simplicity and solving for all the criticized flaws. Also, this study incorporated different sociodemographic factors to determine if the intracultural homogeneity of traditional knowledge affects the results of the non-random selection of medicinal plants theory analysis. By testing Moerman’s theory, which is one of Ethnobotany’s major theories, this investigation is in agreement with the call to have more hypothesis-driven research within a theoretical framework to continue to advance the Ethnobotany field.
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Date Issued
2018
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013000
Subject Headings
Medicinal plants, Ethnobotany, Ecuador, Amazon River Region
Format
Document (PDF)
Ethnobotany in the Kailash Sacred Landscape, Nepal: Implications for Conservation Through Interactions of Plants, People, Culture and Geography
Title
Ethnobotany in the Kailash Sacred Landscape, Nepal: Implications for Conservation Through Interactions of Plants, People, Culture and Geography.
Creator
Kunwar, Ripu Mardhan, Fadiman, Maria, Cameron, Mary, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Geosciences
Abstract/Description
Little is known about the vegetation, forests, useful plants and their patterns of use at the gradients of climate, geography and culture in Baitadi and Darchula districts, far western Nepal. The interactions among plants-people-places were analyzed using data from phyto-sociological studies, community interviews, and literature. Ecological sampling, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and informal discussions were held between February and September 2017. We compared plant...
Show moreLittle is known about the vegetation, forests, useful plants and their patterns of use at the gradients of climate, geography and culture in Baitadi and Darchula districts, far western Nepal. The interactions among plants-people-places were analyzed using data from phyto-sociological studies, community interviews, and literature. Ecological sampling, participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and informal discussions were held between February and September 2017. We compared plant collection, use and management of two culturally distinct groups (Baitadi and Darchula), who inhabit different physiographic regions, yet share the same ecological landscape, environmental resources and livelihood challenges. We hypothesized that the salient (visible, apparent and accessible) plants and places are likely to be more frequently foraged than the non-salient ones. We also hypothesized that the elderly, native and traditional healers living in rural and remote physiographic conditions possess more diverse and detailed knowledge of plant use and conservation than young, non-native and non-healer people. A total of 18 forest types including eight from the study districts showed that the study area is rich in forests and plants. A total of 975 plant species including 82 new species records and 23 new use reports to Baitadi and Darchula districts were recorded. There were 305 (31%) useful plant species including 122 useful reported in the present study. The people of study area showed a large repertoire of knowledge that helps them execute different strategies of plant use suited to their environment and geography. The knowledge of plant use follows a pattern according to ecological conditions (availability) as well as the cultural significance (transhumance, settlement) of the landscape. However, the latter prevails. Predominate foraging by the agro-pastoral communities from the remote undisturbed forests for quality products and medicines in Darchula district was divergent from the collections from ruderal areas in Baitadi district by generalist collectors for ritual purposes. The extensive usage of plants for socio-economic reasons, livelihood and rituals indicates that the plants and culture are inseparable. Conservation measures with acknowledgement of human, cultural, geographical and environmental variables, are therefore encouraged for sustainable management of the natural resources and traditional knowledge of the Baitadi and Darchula districts.
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Date Issued
2018
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013082
Subject Headings
Ethnobotany., Darchula (Nepal : District), Baitadī (Nepal : District), Kailash Sacred Landscape
Format
Document (PDF)
Hat weaving with Jipi, Carludovica palmata (Cyclanthaceae) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Title
Hat weaving with Jipi, Carludovica palmata (Cyclanthaceae) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.
Creator
Fadiman, Maria
Abstract/Description
Weaving hats with jipi, Carludovlca palmata (Cyclanthaceae) has built the local economy and cultural identity for the people of Becal, in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. They obtain most material from cultivated sources, weave in man-made caves, and market the goods to commercial centers. Because Jipi does not appear to deplete the sod, they do not need to clear more land for sustainable production. Although weaving traditionally served as the main source of income and social activity in Becal...
Show moreWeaving hats with jipi, Carludovlca palmata (Cyclanthaceae) has built the local economy and cultural identity for the people of Becal, in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. They obtain most material from cultivated sources, weave in man-made caves, and market the goods to commercial centers. Because Jipi does not appear to deplete the sod, they do not need to clear more land for sustainable production. Although weaving traditionally served as the main source of income and social activity in Becal, interest in weaving is declining as the town modernizes. Although profits gained from weaving add to family earnings, because of the many hands through which the hat passes, this income remains low compared to the final selling prices. Thus, many who have the opportunity to pursue other careers are doing so. However, for rural communities, without other earning options, weaving may provide an economically and environmentally advantageous way to use the land.
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Date Issued
2001
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/165385
Subject Headings
Weaving--Mexico, Hat trade, Ethnobotany--Mexico--Yucatan, Indigenous peoples--Ecology--Mexico--Yucatan, Sustainable development--Mexico--Yucatan
Format
Document (PDF)
"Starvation taught me art": Tree poaching, gender and cultural shifts in wood curio carving in Zimbabwe
Title
"Starvation taught me art": Tree poaching, gender and cultural shifts in wood curio carving in Zimbabwe.
Creator
Fadiman, Maria
Abstract/Description
This study looks at wood curio carving in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Africa. Although the local people, Ndebele and Shona, have always carved, they now face a weakened economy, due in large part to land reforms in 2000. Thus, more people sculpt wood as a form of livelihood. As one man said “Starvation taught me art”. As a result, gender roles are shifting as men and women begin to enter realms previously reserved for the other. Environmentally, carvers poaching trees deforests the woodlands....
Show moreThis study looks at wood curio carving in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Africa. Although the local people, Ndebele and Shona, have always carved, they now face a weakened economy, due in large part to land reforms in 2000. Thus, more people sculpt wood as a form of livelihood. As one man said “Starvation taught me art”. As a result, gender roles are shifting as men and women begin to enter realms previously reserved for the other. Environmentally, carvers poaching trees deforests the woodlands. As more individuals turn to making crafts sustainability deteriorates. However, people are looking into more sustainable practices. Ndebele and Shona are experimenting with carving smaller items so as to be able to earn more profit from less wood, and to use branches instead of heartwood. Carvers are also using scrap wood from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) lumber mills to lessen dependence on live trees.
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Date Issued
2008
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/165389
Subject Headings
Ethnobotany--Africa, Sustainable development--Zimbabwe, Culture--Africa, Wood sculpture, African, Forest conservation--Africa, Gender identity--Africa, Art, Zimbabwean, Sustainable development--Environmental aspects
Format
Document (PDF)
Exploring conservation: Piquigua, Heteropsis Ecuadorensis, in Ecuador
Title
Exploring conservation: Piquigua, Heteropsis Ecuadorensis, in Ecuador.
Creator
Fadiman, Maria
Abstract/Description
Colonists and indigenous groups living in and around Ecuador’s Mache-Chindul Reserve cultivate various subsistence food plants. The data reveal various differences between the two groups in regards to gendered agricultural spaces. Colonists maintain distinct planting areas, while the Chachi do so less. While each group plants some of the same crops, their basic staples differ: rice for the colonists and plantains for the Chachi. The gendered spaces are also distinct. In colonist households,...
Show moreColonists and indigenous groups living in and around Ecuador’s Mache-Chindul Reserve cultivate various subsistence food plants. The data reveal various differences between the two groups in regards to gendered agricultural spaces. Colonists maintain distinct planting areas, while the Chachi do so less. While each group plants some of the same crops, their basic staples differ: rice for the colonists and plantains for the Chachi. The gendered spaces are also distinct. In colonist households, women take primary care of plants closest to the home, while men’s domain is furthest from the home. Among the Chachi, the reverse pattern is the norm. This spatial organization is looked at in the context of previous theories regarding gender and agricultural. These distinctions are important to be considered in the context of better understanding gendered space among rural groups, and also for developing and implementing effective land use programs in and around protected areas. This manuscript is a version of an article published in Papers of Applied Geography Conferences 30 (2007) p. 427-436
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Date Issued
2007
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/165383
Subject Headings
Ethnobotany, Ecuador, Rain forest plants, Conservation of natural resources--Ecuador, Weaving--Ecuador, Rain forests--Ecuador--Management, Rain forest ecology--Ecuador
Format
Document (PDF)
Natural resource use and cultural change: Nipa hut shingle processing with Nypa fruticans, Arecaceae, in Palawan, Philippines
Title
Natural resource use and cultural change: Nipa hut shingle processing with Nypa fruticans, Arecaceae, in Palawan, Philippines.
Creator
Fadiman, Maria
Abstract/Description
Geographers are interested in how people utilize natural resources. The Philippines Nipa is the predominant mangrove species and plays an important role in the ecosystem. Cultural and economic uses make deforestation of the Nipa plant an important societal and environmental case to examine.
Date Issued
2008
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/165428
Subject Headings
Natural resources--Philippines--Management, Ethnobotany--Philippines, Mangrove forests--Philippines, Mangrove ecology, Land use--Environmental aspects--Philippines, Deforestation--Philippines
Format
Document (PDF)
Mangement, cultivation, and domestication of weaving plants: Heteropsis and Astrocaryum in the Ecuadorian rain forest
Title
Mangement, cultivation, and domestication of weaving plants: Heteropsis and Astrocaryum in the Ecuadorian rain forest.
Creator
Fadiman, Maria
Abstract/Description
The author examines the management and cultivation of two plants in the Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve, northwestern Ecuador. The plants in this study, a hemiepiphyte, Heteropsis ecuadorensis, (Araceae), commonly called piqigua and a plam, Astrocaryum standleyamon (Arecaceae), commonly called mocora, provide weaving fiber to make baskets, mats, and smaller woven articles. Although most people living in the area do not consciously manage this vegetation, evidence shows that locals are...
Show moreThe author examines the management and cultivation of two plants in the Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve, northwestern Ecuador. The plants in this study, a hemiepiphyte, Heteropsis ecuadorensis, (Araceae), commonly called piqigua and a plam, Astrocaryum standleyamon (Arecaceae), commonly called mocora, provide weaving fiber to make baskets, mats, and smaller woven articles. Although most people living in the area do not consciously manage this vegetation, evidence shows that locals are engaging in activities that promote the growth of the two plants, thus beginning the domestication process.
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Date Issued
2004
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/172626
Subject Headings
Ethnobotany--Ecuador, Plant diversity--Ecuador, Botany, Economic--Ecuador, Weaving--Ecuador, Ecosystem management--Ecuador, Rain forests--Ecuador--Management
Format
Document (PDF)
Cultivated food plants: culture and gendered spaces of colonists and the Chachi in Ecuador
Title
Cultivated food plants: culture and gendered spaces of colonists and the Chachi in Ecuador.
Creator
Fadiman, Maria
Abstract/Description
Colonists and indigenous groups living in and around Ecuador’s Mache-Chindul Reserve cultivate various subsistence food plants. The data reveal various differences between the two groups in regards to gendered agricultural spaces. Colonists maintain distinct planting areas, while the Chachi do so less. While each group plants some of the same crops, their basic staples differ: rice for the colonists and plantains for the Chachi. The gendered spaces are also distinct. In colonist households,...
Show moreColonists and indigenous groups living in and around Ecuador’s Mache-Chindul Reserve cultivate various subsistence food plants. The data reveal various differences between the two groups in regards to gendered agricultural spaces. Colonists maintain distinct planting areas, while the Chachi do so less. While each group plants some of the same crops, their basic staples differ: rice for the colonists and plantains for the Chachi. The gendered spaces are also distinct. In colonist households, women take primary care of plants closest to the home, while men’s domain is furthest from the home. Among the Chachi, the reverse pattern is the norm. This spatial organization is looked at in the context of previous theories regarding gender and agricultural. These distinctions are important to be considered in the context of better understanding gendered space among rural groups, and also for developing and implementing effective land use programs in and around protected areas.
Show less
Date Issued
2005
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/165377
Subject Headings
Ethnobotany--Ecuador, Plants, Cultivated, Indigenous peoples--Ecology--Ecuador, Sustainable agriculture--Ecuador--societies, etc., Sustainable development--Envrionmental aspects--Ecuador, Gender identity--Ecuador, Natural resources--Ecuador
Format
Document (PDF)
Resource stewardship: rain forest use among three ethnic groups of Ecuador
Title
Resource stewardship: rain forest use among three ethnic groups of Ecuador.
Creator
Fadiman, Maria
Abstract/Description
In looking at alternative forest use, it is imperative that the sustainability of these alternatives is addressed. This question is particularly pressing in The Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve in northwestern Ecuador. The two plant resources on which this study focuses, a palm and a hemi-epiphyte (a vine-like plant that germinates in the ground, grows up a tree, and then sends down aerial roots), can be harvested in such a way that the plant continues to grow after harvested parts have been...
Show moreIn looking at alternative forest use, it is imperative that the sustainability of these alternatives is addressed. This question is particularly pressing in The Mache-Chindul Ecological Reserve in northwestern Ecuador. The two plant resources on which this study focuses, a palm and a hemi-epiphyte (a vine-like plant that germinates in the ground, grows up a tree, and then sends down aerial roots), can be harvested in such a way that the plant continues to grow after harvested parts have been removed. Thus, these two plants are potentially sustainable resources. The idea that non-indigenous groups are more detrimental to the forest than are indigenous people is addressed. This qualitative study falls into the body of research in which various authors have questioned the concept that indigenous people are inherently conservationist in nature.
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Date Issued
2008
PURL
http://purl.flvc.org/fau/165387
Subject Headings
Ethnobotany--Ecuador, Indigenous peoples--Ecology--Ecuador, Biodiversity--Ecuador, Natural resources management areas--Ecuador, Rain forests--Ecuador--Management, Sustainable development--Environmental aspects--Ecuador, Rain forest plants
Format
Document (PDF)