What is the purpose of ethnobotany?

Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the dynamic relationships that exist between people and plants (Alcorn, 1995). Ethnobotanists aim to document, describe and explain complex relationships between cultures and plants, focusing primarily on how plants are used, perceived and managed by human societies.

What is ethnobotany and how can you practiced it by yourself?

Simply put, ethnobotany combines the ways that humans have historically used plants with the study of the plant itself. More officially, it refers to the practice of studying, growing, and utilizing regional plants in the context of local/indigenous people and their cultures.

What is ethnobotany and its scope?

DEFINITION AND SCOPE OF ETHNOBOTANY: >Ethnobotany is the study of how people of a particular culture and region make the use of indigenous plants. Ethnobotanists explore how plants are used for such things as food, shelter, medicine, clothing, hunting, and religious ceremonies.

What is the history of ethnobotany?

The term ethnobotany was first used by the American botanist Dr. John William Hershberger, in 1895 during a lecture in Philadelphia to describe his research, which he described as the study of “plants produced by primitive and indigenous peoples”.

What is the role of ethnobotany in modern medicine?

It is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae . The extract of the plant has been used for centuries in India for treatment of snake-bites, poisoning, hypertension, mental illness and as tranquilizers. This plant is also being used to prepare fermented food products.

Why is ethnobotany called Interdisciplinary?

Ethnobotany is an interdisciplinary science, where botany meets anthropology in the study of traditional uses of native plants. Indigenous peoples know and use a great deal of the plant material around them, though this age-old body of information is now in danger of being lost.

What is the study of ethnobotany?

You will gain knowledge and understanding of: ethnobotany as the comparative and interdisciplinary study of the relationship between people and plants. specific themes in ethnobotany eg plant conservation, medical ethnobotany, ethnobotanical knowledge systems.

Who is father of Indian ethnobotany?

Dr. S. K. Jain
i) John Harshberger in 1895 coined the term ‘ethnobotany’. ii) Dr. S. K. Jain is known as the ‘father of Indian ethnobotany’.

What are the branches of ethnobotany?

Branches of Ethnobotany. ETHNO – ALGOLOGY – Deals with ethnobotanical study of algae. ETHNO – MYCOLOGY – Deals with the use of fungi as food, medicine, etc by human societies. ETHNO – BRYOLOGY – Deals with study of bryophytes.

What are the different disciplines of ethnobotany?

The field of specialisation which an etbnobotanist may choose include traditional taxonomy, morphology, plant chemistry, drug plant cultivation, anthropology, traditional medicine, pharmacy, pharmacology and even therapeutics. A basic knowledge of floristics and anthropology is essential for an ethnobotanist.

Who is the father of Indian ethnobotany?

What is the difference between botany and ethnobotany?

Botany includes all the wild plants and the domesticated species. Ethnobotanical knowledge encompasses both wild and domesticated species, and is rooted in observation, relationship, needs, and traditional ways of knowing.

How do I become an ethnobotanist?

There are a number of approaches someone can take to become an ethnobotanist. All of them involve pursuing a college education and many require students to obtain an advanced degree. Becoming an ethnobotanist takes a lot of work and commitment, but is also very rewarding, once people successfully complete their education and training.

What does an ethnobotanist do?

The job of an ethnobotanist is to investigate the history, meaning and uses of plants by a specific culture, in hopes of gaining insight to the people and possibly discovering new uses or properties of plants.

What does an ethnobotanist study?

Ethnobotany is the study of a region’s plants and their practical uses through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people. An ethnobotanist thus strives to document the local customs involving the practical uses of local flora for many aspects of life, such as plants as medicines, foods, and clothing.