Plant Diversity ›› 2013, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (4): 431-437.DOI: 10.7677/ynzwyj201312170

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Ethnobotany Should Pay Attention to the Study of Impacts of Human Utilization Practices on Plant Resources

 HUAI  Hu-Yin, GAO  Hong-Ming   

  1. College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
  • Received:2012-12-15 Online:2013-07-25 Published:2013-03-13

Abstract:

To investigate and inventory traditional knowledge on plant resources and to study the factors which affect the acquisition of such knowledge, we need to focus on the relationship between human beings and plants, realizing that impacts of human utilization practices on plant resources have been relatively ignored by ethnobotanists. There are three major reasons for conducting research related to the impacts of human utilization on plant resources: (1) to provide a theoretical foundation for using ethnobotanical principles and methods in plant resource conservation and sustainable utilization; (2) to promote ethnobotanical research into the 'application' stage; and (3) to broaden the research area of ethnobotany. In this research, the influences of human harvesting activities (especially commercial collecting) on plant resources should be given much more attention by ethnobotanists.

Key words: Ethnobotany, Human utilization, Plant resource, Impact

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