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We present the first large-scale synthesis of indigenous knowledge (IK) on New Guinea's useful plants based on a quantitative review of 488 references and 854 herbarium specimens. Specifically, we assessed (i) spatiotemporal trends in the documentation of IK, (ii) which are New Guinea's most useful ecosystems and plant taxa, (iii) what use categories have been better studied, and (iv) which are the best studied indigenous groups. Overall, our review integrates 40,376 use reports and 19,948 plant uses for 3434 plant species. We find that despite a significant increase in ethnobotanical studies since the first reports of 1885, all islands still remain under-investigated. Lowland and montane rainforests are the best studied habitats; legumes, palms, and figs are the most cited plant families; and Ficus, Pandanus, and Syzygium are the most useful genera. Medicinal uses have received the greatest attention and non-native species have the highest cross-cultural consensus for medicine, underscoring the culturally enriching role of non-native taxa to New Guinea's pharmacopeia. Of New Guinea's approximately 1100 indigenous groups, 217 are mentioned in the literature, and non-endangered groups remain better studied. We conclude that IK can contribute significantly to meet rising demands to make New Guinea's landscapes "multifunctional" and boost the green economy, but ambitious strategies will still be needed to mainstream IK and improve its documentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines crop species diversity in home gardens of traditional communities along a remote tributary in northeastern Peru. A large-scale survey was conducted of 300 gardens in 15 villages along a 150 km reach of the Corrientes River. Study villages vary notably in community size, ethnicity of residents (Achuar, Urarina, mestizo), and proximity to the regional town (Trompeteros) as well as to oil wells. Gardens were inventoried and interviews conducted with garden tenders to provide data on socioeconomic characteristics of the household and contextual conditions. Multiple regression analyses identified the determinants of species diversity. Results indicate high crop diversity—the highest yet reported for sites in the Amazon basin—particularly among the Achuar people. Garden species diversity is greatest in larger villages and, surprisingly, in those villages located nearer to the oil company. Within villages, households with larger land holdings (and gardens), more in-house labor, and garden tenders who are older and female tend to have more diverse gardens. A small number of households (15/300) were found to hold exceptional diversity, often older and land-wealthier households located on the outskirts of villages. These farmers held, on average, three times the number of species as a typical village garden and 60% of all species encountered in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous people, such as the Tagbanua of Palawan Island in the Philippines, are often considered to be experienced and responsible users of natural resources. The Tagbanua have traditionally been involved in the collection of nonwood forest products (NWFPs) both for trade and for subsistence purposes. The proximity of many Tagbanua communities to the forest allows them easy access to NWFPs, although various restrictions, such as distance from markets, legal land issues, and lack of formal education, prevent them from receiving more favorable earnings from the sale of NWFPs. Similarly, increasing access to manufactured products also lessens dependence on NWFPs for food, medicine, and housing purposes, although small incomes prevent extensive conversion to the use of purchased goods. The knowledge and current subsistence-level use of NWFPs by the Tagbanua from the settlement of Boong are described and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Botany is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study examines the use of Astrocaryum standleyanum for basketryby Wounaan and Emberd artisans in Panama. Fibers from the palm are atraditional source of material for baskets, which have become commercial art items within the last fifteen years. Data on palm use were collected over two years, largely from Darien Province. Results indicate that the palm is destructively harvested, usually for a single spear leaf. Artisans remove the fibers from the pinnae and color them with dye plants. Astrocaryum standleyanum strands are sewn around a foundation of Cartudovica palmata to make coiled baskets. Wounaan weavers are considered the better artisans, perhaps because of cultural traditions or a longer history with art vendors. The sale of A. standleyanum baskets is an important source of cash income, with both domestic and international sales. The destructive harvesting of palms threatens the industry and suggestions are made for sustainable harvest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documents patterns of use of wild and weedy greens in a previously little studied context among the. Piik ap Oom Okiek of Kenya. The Piik ap Oom have a hunter-gatherer history and at the time of the study lived at low population densities in a high altitude foresthabitat. Leafy greens, both wild and domesticated, were the most commonly eaten fresh plant food documented. Wild greens, Solarium nigrumL. and Amaranthus graecizans ssp. sylvestris L. were the most preferred. Patterns of harvesting wild greens, a few leaves from many plants and a variety of taxa together, resulted in greater dietary diversity associated with consumption of wild than domesticated greens. Greens provided contemporary Okiek households with nutritious and low maintenance plant food. Increased use of wild and weedy greens was an important benefit of the adoption of the agricultural complex by the Okiek. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the use of medicinal plants by Latino healers inNew York City to treat various women's illnesses. Eight Latino healers collaborated on the study through consultations with female patients who had one of the following conditions a [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medicinal plants are essential in the medical systems of the Mixe and Zapotec. In this study ethno-ecological strategies, employed by thetwo neighboring Indian groups in Mexico, for obtaining medicinal plants are analyzed. The indigenous classification of the environment isnotably different from the Western one and distinguishes six dissimilar principal 'zones' or land use types. Most ethnomedically important species are cultivated in the 'house garden' or gathered in the community or its immediate surroundings. The house garden, for example, contributes 31.8% and 26.2% of all medical taxa for the Mixe and Zapotec, respectively. These ethnobotanical data on the indigenous uses indicate that anthropogenic types of vegetation yield the largest percentage of medicinal taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New World aquatic macrophyte Sehoenoplectus californicus (= Scirpus californicus) is widespread along the Andes of Ecuador, where it is of great economic and cultural importance to indigenous people. Most importantly, its stems are used to make mats that are sold throughout the country with some exported to Colombia, Peru, the United States, and Italy. The estimated area of production in the Ecuadorian provinces of Imbabura, Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo is 442 hectares. One matcan be made from a 0.75 m2 totora stand area. In Imbabura, 100 m2 of totora stand yields 266 mats annually, bringing in a gross income of US $251, corresponding to 22% of the official minimum salary in Ecuador. The plant also provides highly nutritionalforage and is an excellent food source for cattle during periods of drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present ecological and ethnobotanical descriptions of two permanent 1-ha plots located in Amazonian forest near two Tacana communitiessituated north and west of the Madidi National Park in the IturraldeProvince, Department of La Paz of northwestern Bolivia. We interviewed 13 Tacana men and women to identify and enumerate uses of all of the trees, palms, and lianas >/= 10 cm dbh in these plots. Of the 185 species found in both plots, 115 species are used by the Tacana: 59 species for construction, 9 as sources of fiber, 33 for technology andcrafts, 66 as firewood, 32 for food or water, 40 for medicine, 8 forhunting or fishing, 9 for commercial purposes, and 11 for miscellaneous uses. Sixty four percent of useful species had multiple uses. This utilization of the forest corresponds with that of other Amazonian indigenous groups and shows a high reliance on the forest for vegetative materials, especially medicine, technology and crafts, and construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article outlines the ethnobotanical and economic importance of the monkey-puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana), a long-lived conifer endemic to the temperate forests of Chile and Argentina. It also assesses the connection between indigenous resource rights and environmentalconservation by examining the history of the tree's use in Ralco Lepoy, an indigenous community of 800 inhabitants located in the Andes of southern Chile. Primary data were collected through interviews and field observations. Secondary data were collected through archival research in national and provincial capitals. Self-determination and territorial rights are important factors in the indigenous interest in and commitment to the conservation of the monkey-puzzle tree. A complementary approach to indigenous land rights and environmental protection may be an appropriate strategy to decentralize conservation efforts and ensure local participation in developing sustainable resource management plans . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For cassava (Manihot esculenta, Eupharbiaceae), results from field collection, semistructured interviews, phenetic and cluster analyses, and Global Information Systems (GIS) indicate that cassava phenotypesvary with elevation and topography, but less with soils or pests anddiseases. Amuesha women with a sense of tradition maintain many cassava varieties along with associated myths, songs, names and indigenous production. The shaman plays a key role in breeding new and maintaining traditional cassava germplasm, while the rest of the tribe nurtures cassava germplasm dynamics through collecting, trading, stealing,maintaining favored cassava varieties, and purging the less desirable. The future of cassava diversity is of concern to some Amuesha as production and market interests surmount more traditional attention tovariety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]