Importance of Ethnobotany
The importance of ethnobotany is given below:
- The study of Ethnobotany teaches us about unknown but beneficial plants and also helps in understanding the new uses of many plants that we already know.
- It gives knowledge about the traditional uses of plants, which can be used towards the development of societies.
- Ethnobotany is crucial for tribal groups of people. The majority of daily necessities and primary healthcare for tribal people are provided by forest products. These people still rely on the forest and its resources for their basic requirements. For instance, the tribal people in Northeast India gather food medicines, oils, gums, colours, and tannins from the trees of forests.
- Many tribes engage in shifting farming, sometimes referred to as “jhum cultivation” in the area. This form of farming involves clearing a part of ground, planting crops there, and then relocating to another area of the forest to continue the process when the soil becomes unfertile after a crop or two is harvested.
- Today, most people of the world get their medications/drugs from medicinal plants. The term “medico-ethno botany” describes this. This feature further highlights the significance of ethnobotany.
- Due to the knowledge of Ethnobotany, several drugs, including quinine, cocaine, digoxin, and taxol, have been found in plants in recent decades.
- The discovery of several bioactive substances, such as hypericin, gossypol, and artemisinin, has also occurred recently as a result of our growing knowledge of the interaction between society and plants.
- Ethnobotany also promotes awareness of the relationship between cultural diversity and biodiversity as well as the interdependence of humans and plants.
Therefore, it is essential for people in our country to understand the different features of ethnobotany.
Ethnobotany
Ethnobotany is the study of the interactions between people and plants, including the impact of plants on human culture. Ethnobotany and its importance lie in the deep understanding of how indigenous cultures utilize plants in their local environments for medicinal, nutritional, and cultural purposes.
This field of botany has been around since prehistoric times. It primarily focuses on the study of native plants as well as their practical application using the customs and traditional knowledge of the local population. In this article, we will ethnobotany notes. its scope, and importance.
Table of Content
- What is Ethnobotany?
- Father of Ethnobotany
- Scope of Ethnobotany
- Ethnobotany as a Branch of Ethnobiology
- Important Disciplines in the Study of Ethnobotany
- Importance of Ethnobotany
- Ethnobotany in India
- Importance of Ethnobotany in India
- Importance of Ethnobotany in Environmental Conservation