What Is Ethnobotany?

Ethnobotany is the study of the comprehensive relationship between the population and the plant kingdom in a certain area, including all plants that have important economic and cultural functions. While studying these "ethnic plants," study the structure and behavior of society and the interactions between plants.

Ethnobotany

It mainly studies the traditional knowledge and experience of humans in using plants, including the history, status, and characteristics of economic, plant, ecological, and cultural uses of plants. It is not only a theoretical subject, but also an applied science. ^[1]

It is built on plants

In ancient times, when people depended on collecting wild plants for food, they established a close relationship with the plant kingdom. In the 1880s, a rough study of the plants, animals, and products used by the so-called "primitive nations" and indigenous peoples began to appear. In 1895, the American scholar JW Haoshbdeger first proposed the term "ethno-botany", that is, Etbno-botany, and pointed out that ethnobotany is the study of plants used by indigenous peoples. Plants in housing materials, expounding the status of indigenous culture, revealing the historical status of plant distribution and spread, determining the route of ancient trade, and possibly providing some prototype knowledge for modern manufacturing. After Volume 37, Issue 2, the research on ethnobotany is getting deeper and deeper. The research content includes indigenous ethnic plant products, cultivated plant origin, archaeological site plant remains identification, indigenous ethnic names of plants, etc., and further studies on the impact of the plant environment on human activities, habits, consciousness and daily life. In 1941, American botanist HJ Jones redefined the ethnobotany. He believes that ethnobotany is not enough to focus only on the plants used by indigenous peoples. It should be a science that studies the relationship between early humans and plants. The research content should include the effects of early humans on the surrounding plants. People How to adapt yourself to the surrounding environment, which plants people use, and how human economic activities, thoughts, and behaviors are affected by the plant kingdom. In 1954, American scholar Conklin reported the results of ethnobotanical research in the Hanunoo ethnic area of the Philippines. Conklin studied various plants used by this indigenous people, including those related to agriculture, gathering, hunting, sacrifices, festivals, folk tales, etc .; he also studied the use of "genus "And" God "classification concepts. The Haru people divided the local plant into 1,600 species, but modern taxonomy can only divide the plant into 1,200 species, indicating that the folk classification system is in-depth and detailed. Berlin and other places describe the classification of folk plants of Mayan-speaking Tzeltal Indians living in the Chiapas Heights of Central America, Mexico, locally used plant products, and the culture of plants in the country Status, etc.

In the future, American ethnobotanist Ford (RIFord) further developed the definition of ethnobotany by early scholars, emphasized the core of "direct interaction between humans and plants", and designed the outline of ethnobotany research, namely Theoretical studies of botany, the epistemology and ethnobotany of indigenous peoples, the principles of the use of folk resources, ethnobotany and village society, prehistoric economy and ancient ethnobotany. According to Ford, ethnobotany is the study of the awareness and use of plants in different historical periods, and the effects of human activities and behaviors on the plant environment.

The study of ethnobotany is related to the comprehensive relationship between a certain area (ethnic, tribal, human geography) and the plant world, including all plants that have important economic and cultural functions, such as food, weaving, building houses, herbs, literature , Art, religion, folk customs, rural regulations, folk taboos and all plants involved. While studying these "ethnic plants," study the structure and behavior of society and the interactions between plants. Therefore, the study of ethnobotany involves the subject of botany, anthropology, ecology, linguistics, agronomy, horticulture, pharmacology, phytochemistry and other disciplines, and botanists and anthropologists engaged in ethnobotany research, Using the basic knowledge and professional methods of their respective disciplines, they carry out fixed-point surveys and collation studies, and jointly summarize the theories, viewpoints, and methods of ethnobotany, and continue to develop and improve this comprehensive interdisciplinary field.

Ethnobotany has been developed from the end of the nineteenth century to the development and evolution of this century, and it has become increasingly mature. From the early research on the investigation, identification, and cataloging of the use of plants by indigenous peoples, it has gradually developed to the human's awareness of this process, its use, and the impact of this process on human beings. Behaviour is not completely passive, so plant populations and communities always influence human activities and consciousness in a certain way, limiting them. In this way, an increasingly complete concept of "ethnobotany", a concept centered on the dynamic process of direct interaction between humans and the plant kingdom, has been formed. From a historical point of view, in the early colonial process, Western countries adapted to the new natural environment for large-scale immigration, and satisfied the colonial government's development of the rich plant resources of the new continent, which provided large-scale industrial production for development. With extensive and sufficient plant raw materials, ethnobotanical research became the actual needs of the society and production at that time, was supported and encouraged by the society, and gradually developed.

In recent years, scientists' interest in ethnobotanical research has been increasing. This is because modern society is increasingly encouraging to find new medicines, stimulants and pesticides from folk knowledge, and the modern industry's demand for natural plant raw materials is becoming wider and wider. It has been found that traditional folk experience is very useful in the development and utilization of plant resources.

"Miracle Drugs"

Over the past fifty years, scientists from South America,

At present, ethnobotanists from all over the world have deeply felt that it is very urgent to conduct ethnobotany investigation and research on indigenous peoples. There are still 200 million indigenous peoples called "tribals" in the world. The tropical rain forests, tundra areas, deserts, mountains, and some islands in the world have developed their respective languages, cultures, families, and social structures, and have mastered extremely rich plant knowledge. Most of their food, medicine, production and living materials come from Plants, so be familiar with the distribution rules, classification characteristics and usage of local flora and fauna. The various plants they use for disease prevention, contraception, poison poisoning, hunting, fishing, and narcotic stimulants are still scientifically unknown. The knowledge that modern society obtains from them is extremely limited, and they often only know the single uses of some plants, such as quinine, reserpine, or other chemical monomers. The rapid expansion of modern civilization in the world has begun to penetrate most of the Indigenous peoples society. The traditional knowledge and diverse cultural foundations of indigenous peoples are at risk of disintegration. At present, the research focus of ethnobotany has begun to move to the indigenous ethnic communities of tropical rain forests, mountains, tundra, deserts and islands, especially those who have no written records of their history and culture, and those who still maintain a strong primitive life style to this day. Indigenous society has become the main target of ethnobotany investigation and exploration.

At present, many Third World countries are faced with the common tasks of economic development and maintenance of traditional national culture. Ethnobotany research should and can contribute in both areas. By investigating various plants used by the people, discovering new raw materials and new uses for modern industrial production will help industrial development and increase people's income; study the role of folk knowledge systems, especially in maintaining agricultural ecosystems and protecting animal and plant populations The protection of forest vegetation has great significance for regional development plans, resource development and the diversity of ethnic cultures. In recent years, many Third World countries, such as India, Thailand, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, etc. , Have established ethnobotanical research institutions, carried out national or regional ethnobotany research work, and achieved a number of remarkable scientific research results, such as traditional folk medicine research in India, and forests in northeastern Thailand Studies on the agro-ecosystem model of regional minorities, ethnobotany research in Sarawak, Malaysia, and economic forest plants in the Amazon region of Brazil, are all very effective.

Ethnobotany Status

China is a multi-ethnic country. Of the 56 ethnic groups in the country, 55 ethnic minorities, which account for about 4% of the population, are located in remote, mountainous, forest and desert areas that occupy 60% of the country's land area. The use of plants is inseparable. China is also a country with a vast territory. It covers three regions: cold, temperate, and subtropical. The plant species and vegetation are rich and diverse. There are about 30,000 types of higher vegetation. There are estimated to be more than 4,000 kinds of folk herbs. People of all ethnic groups in China have always attached importance to practice Record the knowledge of the nature, E-channel and distribution of various crops. Ancient botany research has developed rapidly in the past three decades, with a certain foundation and scale, which has created favorable conditions for the development of ethnobotany research in China. But as far as ethnobotany research is concerned, China is still in its infancy.

Initiation of Ethnobotany Research

The first to enter this field was the research work on minority drugs initiated by the Chinese pharmaceutical industry. Since 1978, they have carried out excavation and consolidation work throughout the country. Based on the widespread popularity of Tibetan medicine, Mongolian medicine, Uygur medicine, Paeonia lactiflora and other ethnic medicines, they have proposed 1,200 kinds of ethnic medicines. From the selection of a number of important commonly used drugs, edited into a book. At the same time, with the care of the party and the government, minority hospitals with Chinese characteristics have also been established, such as Tibetan medicine in Tibet, Mongolian hospital in Inner Mongolia, and Dai nationality hospital in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Chinese scientists have also done a lot of work on the botanical identification, chemical composition analysis, cultivation, and processing of ethnic medicines, and have made gratifying progress.

Ethnobotany Principles and Schemes

Special studies on ethnobotany in China began in the late 1970s. The Yunnan Institute of Tropical Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which is located in the minority concentrated area of Xishuangbanna, has been working in this area for seven or eight years. As the institute has long been engaged in the research on the development, utilization and protection of tropical plant resources, researchers are more familiar with the folk botanical knowledge of the local Dai, Hani and other ethnic minorities; meanwhile, it is found that traditional folk knowledge and experience are rarely recorded in the book of botany , But it is very valuable in science.

Ethnobotany research results

The firewood tree species widely planted by the Qiang people is "iron sapwood", which is a unique artificial firewood forest. Among the 56 ethnic groups in China, the Dai nationality in Xishuangbanna is the only ethnic group traditionally planting firewood forests. The Wa people live in dense tropical forest areas. Natural forests can provide a large amount of wood for fuel. But they never fell the forest for fuelwood, and instead developed an artificial fuelwood technology called "iron knife wood." Iron sapwood is native to Thailand and has been introduced into Xishuangbanna for at least four hundred years. As a charcoal forest planting technology, it has spread to every Dai village in Xishuangbanna below an altitude of one thousand meters. It is the main source of energy for the living of the Dai people. . Due to the rapid growth of iron sapwood, no management time, strong germination, and good wood burning performance, the average local population consumes only 1 to 1.5 cubic meters of wood per year, and each person needs only about 1.5 acres of planting area to rotate. This traditional cultivation technique not only makes full use of the biological and ecological characteristics of this tree, but also is very economical and very beneficial to the protection of local tropical forests. From the point of view of ethnobotany, the occurrence, development and universal application of artificially cultivated iron sapwood in the traditional culture of the Dai people can be regarded as a good example of the adaptation of the cultivated agriculture nations in tropical regions to the wet tropical ecology. Both culture and production practice have some significance.

The Nong of Xishuangbanna Dai people is a primitive religion, the remains of polytheism, and it still remains in the folk belief system. The Qiang people believe that a tropical virgin forest near their village is "Shen Mountain", that is, "the place where God lives". The animals and plants in this place are the living beings in the "God's Homeland", and they are companions of the "God". They cannot be violated. They should be loved and worshiped in order to obtain the protection of the "God", avoid disasters, and ensure the peace and well-being of their homeland Therefore, the residents hold the "God Mountain" rituals on a regular basis every year and are very devout. This superstitious custom, which appears to be a cult of nature, contains profound early human ecological concepts. They worship the products of nature, and use the power of "God" to protect people's peace and health, in order to achieve harmony and harmony between man and the natural environment, is a product of the interaction between the early stages of human and the natural environment. Of course, because this belief itself is not a scientific one, it is often used by the rulers and becomes a force of faith to consolidate their dominance. However, in terms of studying the effect of this traditional belief on forest vegetation, it has achieved the effect of protecting the forest. The total number of "Shenshan" in Xishuangbanna is about 400, with an estimated area of 30,000 to 50,000 hectares. At present, many well-preserved tropical forests are "Shenshan".

The Dai and Bulang peoples in Xishuangbanna are all ethnic groups who practice Theravada Buddhism. Theravada Buddhism, also known as theravada Buddhism, was passed down from Burma or Thailand from about the middle of the Tang Dynasty to the early fourth century. According to the teachings, to establish a Buddhist temple, there must be four basic contents: (1) a statue of Shakyamuni; (2) a stupa; (3) no less than 5 monks; (4) several specific kinds of Temple cultivated plants. According to the monks' explanations of the cultivated plants in these temples, the cultivation of these plants in Buddhist temples includes three different categories and purposes. One is the Buddhist etiquette plants, such as palm leaf palms, linden trees, and tall banyan trees. "It can only be planted in and near Buddhist temples; the second is fruit trees, such as coconut, jackfruit, cowberry, hydrangea, etc .; the third is ornamental green plants, such as plumeria, water lilies, mandshurium, spider orchids, etc. Preliminary investigations have shown that a total of 58 types of monastically cultivated plants are common in this area. The spread of these plants is definitely related to the early religious spread. Through historical analysis of the introduction and exchange of these plants, it can be considered that there has been a path in the history of spreading cultivated plants between this region of China and Southeast Asian countries. Theravada Buddhism's belief is an important medium for these plants to spread.

Based on a botanical survey of the Xishuangbanna Dai, Hani, and Jino ethnic minorities, scientists have found that the plants used by local minorities are extremely rich and diverse. They use plants for food, clothing, herbs, building, weaving, decoration, and ornamental. , Hunting, fishing, deworming, sacrifice, folk songs and ballads, folk tales, festival activities, transmitting information, expressing emotions, etc. For example, there are more than 300 kinds of folk herbs of the Dai people, more than 120 kinds of wild vegetables, more than 100 kinds of wild edible fruits, more than 40 kinds of wild spices, 76 kinds of wild timber trees, and 58 kinds of plants related to religion. They collected all kinds of wild plants, artificially or semi- artificially cultivated economically valuable plants, and artificially or semi- artificially cultivated economically valuable plants. Among them, more than 280 species were cultivated only in small family gardens in Dai villages. They take surplus plant products to the local market for sale or barter in exchange for their shortage of production and daily necessities. According to a preliminary survey of plant products in local bazaars, there are as many as 170 species of bazaar plants common in this area. Many plants occupy a very important position in the traditional culture of ethnic minorities. For example, the Dai people in Xishuangbanna like tropical flowers such as yellow beauties and fragrant pandan. These women often use these flowers as headdress items; mountain ethnic groups generally popularize earrings. People of different ages, genders and marital status often wear different plants. Earrings are to show the difference. Young unmarried men and women like to wear a plant called "Erythrum" on their ears. Xishuangbanna's ethnic minority have so much knowledge about the economic, cultural and ecological use of plants. Ethnobotany research provides an ideal place.

There are many mysterious legends about plants in the Yunnan ethnic minority. For example, a mysterious plant called grasshopper Malian is spread in the area of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan. It is said that this herb has strong anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, and has "revived" In the old society, it was controlled by the toast official. Everyone found that the grass had to be delivered to the chief of the toast. It was expensive to sell in the foreign market, often in exchange for gold. Another example is that the Dai people are very superstitious in the "God Tree". For this reason, scientists cannot yet explain it exactly. Botany and wood science appraisals have not found any strange characteristics. They are temporarily treated as "superstitions". These are the "mysteries" of folk experience, and only through scientific research and testing can a true and reliable explanation be made.

The ethnic minorities in other regions of China, such as the Tibetan, Mongolian, Uygur, Korean, Zhuang, Yao, Li, Gaoshan, and so on, all have their own rich experience and unique culture in using plants. The ethnic minorities living in the grassland region know very well the dialectical and unified relationship between various biotic and abiotic elements in the grassland ecosystem. Their traditional grassland ecological knowledge is very useful for the construction of ecological balance in grassland areas. However, little research has been done on the botanical knowledge of these peoples.

Ethnobotany Research Focus

China's ethnobotanical research must focus on the development of plant resources, the development of regional economy and culture, especially the economic and cultural development of various ethnic minority areas, and serve the four socialist constructions. The author believes that the following aspects of research should be considered first: (1) economic plants traditionally used by ethnic minorities, plants of cultural significance, and principles and methods of using these plant resources. (2) Folk medicinal plants of ethnic minorities, including medicines, stimulants and stimulants for treating and preventing diseases, physical health care, contraception, detoxification, and toxic, harmful, insect repellent plants. (3) Minority epistemology and ethnobotany, including folk classification, language, and consciousness of plants, interpretation and belief in the plant world, and the role and role of plants in national culture. (4) The traditionally cultivated plants of various regions and nationalities, their origins, the history and channels of their spread, and their influence on the national economy and culture. (5) The traditional agricultural ecological model and regional socio-economic links in certain ethnic regions. The ecological significance of traditional agricultural, animal husbandry, hunting, gathering and other production activities of ethnic minorities in tropical regions, grasslands, plateaus, deserts, and islands, and their impact on the national economy. (6) Examination of various monographs, chronicles, scriptures, herbal materials, notes, travel notes, pictures, poetry and other cultural materials and tangible materials, as well as plants used by people of all ethnic groups in ancient times; identification of plant remains at anthropological archeological sites, ancient The research work of ethnic plants should also be taken into account. (7) Establish special ethnic plant collection areas in local botanical gardens, or set up ethnic botanical gardens in minority areas, widely collect local plants with ethnic characteristics, display our multi-ethnic culture, and play a role in preserving plant germplasm resources effect.

Ethnobotany prospects

China's ethnobotany research started late, but the prospects are very bright. China s long history, multi-ethnic culture, and rich and diverse plant resources are fertile ground for research in this field; the great historical trend of socialist modernization is a powerful driving force for the development of this discipline. The spirit of solidarity and cooperation among the people of all ethnic groups in China is a unique advantage of China's ethnobotanical research. It can be expected that the research work on ethnobotany with Chinese characteristics will surely achieve rapid development, putting China in the forefront of ethnobotany research in the world.

[The above information is temporarily transferred from Baidu. It is sorted out by Mr. Pei Shengji, and others will be improved in the future.]